At least 15 teams have already secured their spots in this season’s Champions League Round of 16 and knockout stages. With the introduction of the new 36-team format, the competition has reached its peak in the league phase.
Only two of the eight clubs that will progress directly to the Round of 16 have been confirmed. The teams ranked 9th to 24th will move on to the play-off round, while those ranked 25th to 36th will be eliminated. Three clubs have already been knocked out, and by next week, nine more will face elimination.
Notably, no teams will drop down to the Europa League this season, which adds an interesting dynamic to the competition.
Liverpool have guaranteed themselves a top seed in the knockout stage, having secured a spot in the top two. Barcelona also clinched a top-eight position after an exciting 5-4 comeback win over Benfica.
The teams that have already qualified for the knockout phase or have at least earned a playoff spot include Atlético Madrid, Atalanta, Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Internazionale, Aston Villa, Brest, AS Monaco, Lille, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and Juventus.
