And They Were 16: Teams Qualified for the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League Round of 16

Eppe Franklyne –

• The knockout phase play-offs concluded on Wednesday, determining the top 16 teams.
• The new format awarded direct spots to the top eight teams, while teams ranked 9th to 24th played two-legged playoffs.
• Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, and Aston Villa secured direct advancement.
• Teams that won the knockout phase play-offs include Bayern Munich, Benfica, Feyenoord, Club Brugge, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and PSV.

The final matchday of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off occurred on Wednesday, finalizing the 16 teams that will advance to the Round of 16.

Under the competition’s new format, the top eight teams automatically qualified for the Round of 16, while teams ranked ninth through 24th entered a two-legged playoff to secure their spot in the knockouts.

The eight teams that earned direct qualification based on their league performance were:

1. Liverpool (England)
2. Barcelona (Spain)
3. Arsenal (England)
4. Inter Milan (Italy)
5. Atletico Madrid (Spain)
6. Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
7. Lille (France)
8. Aston Villa (England)

The knockout phase play-offs were marked by some thrilling encounters, including a highly anticipated clash between defending champions Real Madrid and Premier League champions Manchester City.

The winners of the two-legged playoffs are:

• Bayern Munich (Germany), defeating Celtic (Scotland) 3-2 on aggregate
• Benfica (Portugal), edging Monaco 4-3
• Feyenoord (Netherlands), overcoming AC Milan 2-1
• Club Brugge (Belgium), securing a 5-2 aggregate victory over Atalanta (Italy)
• Borussia Dortmund (Germany), with a dominant 3-0 win over Sporting (Portugal)
• Paris Saint-Germain (France), romping to a 10-0 aggregate triumph over Brest (France)
• Real Madrid (Spain), with a 6-3 aggregate win over Manchester City (England)
• PSV (Netherlands), edging Juventus (Italy) 4-3

These 16 teams will now move forward to the next stage of the prestigious tournament, where they will compete for a place in the quarter-finals.