27 January 2025
The final round of the first round of the Champions League, scheduled to start next Wednesday, will witness an exceptional event with 18 matches played at the same time.
This is the first timethat 18 matches will be held at the same time in one tournament throughout history, whether in the Champions League itself, the World Cup for national teams, or in continental tournaments.
The European Union "UEFA" introduced a new format for the Champions League this season, with 36 teams playing a single round, with the first 8 teams qualifying for the round of 16, while the teams from 25 to 32 are eliminated from this round.
As for the teams from ninth to 24th, they will have to play two matches (home and away) to determine the 8 teams that qualify for the round of 16.
This final round is set to decide the identity of the eight teams that will qualify directly for the round of 16, in addition to determining which teams will play in the play-offs and which will leave the tournament.
According to UEFA, the teams in ninth and tenth place will face two teams in 23rd and 24th place, and the teams in 11th and 12th place will be placed against the teams in 21st and 22nd place, etc., in the draw that will be held on January 31.
For example, the team in ninth place will face one of two teams (23rd or 24th), while the team in tenth place will face the other team, noting that the second leg will be at the stadium of the teams (from 9th to 16th).
Two teams that have previously faced each other in the league stage can meet, as well as two teams from the same country can meet in this round.
It is worth noting that Liverpool (21 points) and Barcelona (18 points) have already qualified for the round of 16, regardless of the results of the last round.
Aston Villa x Celtic
Barcelona x Atalanta
Leverkusen x Sparta Prague
Dortmund x Shakhtar
Brest x Real Madrid
Bayern Munich x Slovan Bratislava
Red Bull Salzburg x Atletico Madrid
Girona x Arsenal
Inter Milan x Monaco
Juventus x Benfica
Lille x Feyenoord
Manchester City x Club Brugge
PSV Eindhoven x Liverpool
Sporting Lisbon x Bologna
Stuttgart x Saint-Germain
Sturm Graz x Leipzig
Dinamo Zagreb x Milan
Young Boys x Red Star
