The league phase of the UEFA Champions League has come to an end, with the pathway to the round of 16 now taking shape under the competition’s new format.
According to Idman.Biz, Barcelona and Chelsea, who finished the league phase in fifth and sixth place respectively, have secured automatic qualification for the last 16 and will now wait to learn their opponents from the play-off round.
Both clubs confirmed in official communications that their potential round-of-16 rivals will emerge from a group consisting of Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle United, Monaco and Qarabag.
Following the play-off draw scheduled for January 30, Qarabag will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Newcastle. The winner of that tie will then go on to meet either Barcelona or Chelsea in the next stage of the competition.
Qarabag’s progress is already historic. The club from Aghdam has become the first Azerbaijani side ever to reach the Champions League play-off stage, marking a landmark moment for football in the country.
With Europe’s elite now converging on the knockout rounds, the draw promises intriguing match-ups, not least for British clubs keeping a close eye on a potential clash with one of the tournament’s most compelling new stories.
