Six amazing knockout matches new Champions League format could serve up including Liverpool nightmare and El Clasico
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THE exciting new Champions League format has the potential to serve up some cracking knockout sides. It is all to play for heading into the final matchday next Wednesday when there is 18 matches on at the same time. Manchester City are in danger of crashing out and need to beat Club Brugge and hope other results go in their favour.
![[Erling Haaland of Manchester City during a UEFA Champions League match.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/9-manchester-city-competes-uefa-965875474.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Aston Villa will aim to see off Celtic and land a spot in the all-important top eight of the table. European giants like PSG, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Juventus all have their positions hanging in the balance. Meanwhile, Liverpool are guaranteed to get a bye from the play-offs and go into the last-16 as a seed.
![[Soccer players from Barcelona and Real Madrid vying for the ball.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/barcelona-action-antonio-rudiger-r-963524884.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
And it would take several surprise results to see Arsenal not in the top eight. Once the league phase comes to an end next Wednesday, the bottom 12 teams are eliminated from the competition and there is no dropping down to the Europa League. The top eight sides go straight into the last-16 as the seeded teams in a tennis-style draw.
![[Tournament bracket showing the road to the final.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/image_aa95f2.png?strip=all&w=960)
Sides that finish from 9th to 24th go into a play-off round to join them, with the top eight of this middle section seeded. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS. They are then put in pairs, for example, 9th and 10th together, 11th and 12th together, and so on.
![[Harry Kane of Bayern Munich looking frustrated during a soccer game.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/sc-bayern-munich-forward-harry-966038851.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
The duos are then put into fours based on their league finishes and there is then a draw to decide the match-ups from the quartets. For example, 9th and 10th will play worst qualifiers either 23rd or 24th; 11th or 12th will be drawn against either 21st or 22nd, and so on.
![[John Stones of Manchester City and Eduardo Camavinga of Real Madrid during a soccer match.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/john-stones-manchester-city-eduardo-892973647.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
