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The UEFA Champions League knockout stage will produce some of the most anticipated matches of 2024 as the best teams in Europe aim to reach the final in London.
The two-legged Round of 16, quarterfinal and semifinal ties will culminate in the finalists contesting the trophy in a one-off showpiece at Wembley Stadium.
The teams who make it will have played at least two matches a month in the competition between February and May, having qualified from a group stage which took place between September and December.
So, when does the knockout stage start? When do the matches take place and how are the fixtures going to be decided? The Sporting News provides the dates to look out for.
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UEFA Champions League knockout stage start date
After a two-month break from mid-December, the 2023/24 Champions League resumed with the Round of 16 stage in February 2024.
Teams will play the first legs of their ties on February 13, 14, 20 or 21, with the return matches on March 5, 6, 12 or 13.
Away goals do not count in the Champions League after the rule was dropped before the 2021/22 season, so ties that are level at the end of normal time in the second leg go to extra time and, if necessary, penalties.
Champions League knockout stage schedule
The quarterfinals take place in April, with the semifinals starting on the final day of the month and concluding in May.
The final takes place on June 1, which is 13 days before the first game of Euro 2024 in Germany. Here’s the full knockout stage schedule.
Stage Dates Round of 16 February 13/14, 20/21 (first legs); March 5/6, 12/13 (second legs) Quarter-finals April 9/10 (first legs); 16/17 (second legs) Semi-finals April 30/May (first legs); May 7/8 (second legs) Final June 1
UEFA Champions League Round of 16 draw in full
Here’s the full draw.
Round of 16 fixtures First leg Second leg Porto vs. Arsenal Porto 1-0 Arsenal Arsenal 1-0 Porto (4-2 pens) Napoli vs. Barcelona Napoli 1-1 Barcelona Barcelona 3-1 Napoli Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Sociedad PSG 2-0 Real Real 1-2 PSG Inter vs. Atletico Madrid Inter 1-0 Atletico March 13 PSV vs. Borussia Dortmund PSV 1-1 Dortmund Dortmund 2-0 PSV Lazio vs. Bayern Munich Lazio 1-0 Bayern Bayern 3-0 Lazio Copenhagen vs. Manchester City Copenhagen 1-3 Man City Man City 3-1 Copenhagen RB Leipzig vs. Real Madrid Leipzig 0-1 Real Madrid Real Madrid 1-1 Leipzig
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Teams in UEFA Champions League knockout stage
The table below shows the teams that qualified for the 2023/24 Champions League Round of 16.
Team Date progressed Group Manchester City (ENG) Nov. 7 Group G RB Leipzig (GER) Nov. 7 Group G Bayern Munich (GER) Nov. 8 Group A Real Madrid (SPA) Nov. 8 Group C Real Sociedad (SPA) Nov. 8 Group D Inter Milan (ITA) Nov. 8 Group D Atletico Madrid (SPA) Nov. 28 Group E Lazio (ITA) Nov. 28 Group E Borussia Dortmund (GER) Nov. 28 Group F Barcelona (SPA) Nov. 28 Group H Arsenal (ENG) Nov. 29 Group B PSV (NED) Nov. 29 Group B FC Copenhagen (DEN) Dec. 12 Group A Napoli (ITA) Dec. 12 Group C PSG (FRA) Dec. 13 Group F Porto (POR) Dec. 13 Group H
Here’s how the final group tables looked:
Q = Qualified for Champions League knockout round
X = Drops to Europa League knockout round
E = Eliminated from European play
Group A table Team GP W D L GD P Bayern Munich (Q) 6 5 0 0 +6 16 Copenhagen (Q) 6 2 2 2 0 8 Galatasaray 6 1 2 3 -3 5 Manchester United 6 1 1 4 -3 4Group B table Team GP W D L GD P Arsenal (Q) 6 4 1 1 +12 13 PSV (Q) 6 2 3 1 -2 9 Lens 6 2 2 2 -5 8 Sevilla 6 0 2 4 -5 2Group C table Team GP W D L GD P Real Madrid (Q) 6 6 0 0 +9 18 Napoli (Q) 6 3 1 2 1 10 Braga 6 1 1 4 -6 4 Union Berlin 6 0 2 4 -4 2Group D table Team GP W D L GD P 1. Real Sociedad (Q) 6 3 3 0 +5 12 2. Inter Milan (Q) 6 3 3 0 +3 12 3. Benfica 6 1 1 4 -4 4 4. RB Salzburg 6 1 1 4 -4 4Group E table Team GP W D L GD P 1. Atletico (Q) 6 4 2 0 +11 14 2. Lazio (Q) 6 3 1 2 0 10 3. Feyenoord 6 2 0 4 -1 6 4. Celtic 6 1 1 4 -10 4Group F table Team GP W D L GD P 1. Bor. Dortmund (Q) 6 3 2 1 +3 11 2. PSG (Q) 6 2 2 2 +1 8 3. AC Milan 6 2 2 2 -3 8 4. Newcastle 6 1 2 3 -1 5Group G table Team GP W D L GD P 1. Man City (Q) 6 6 0 0 +11 18 2. RB Leipzig (Q) 6 4 0 2 +3 12 3. Young Boys 6 1 1 4 -6 4 4. Red Star Belgrade 6 0 1 5 -8 1Group H table Team GP W D L GD P 1. Barcelona (Q) 6 4 0 2 +6 12 2. Porto (Q) 6 3 0 2 +7 12 3. Shakhtar Donetsk 6 3 0 3 -2 9 4. Antwerp 6 1 0 5 -11 3
Champions League knockout stage fixtures: Wembley awaits again
The 2023/2024 season marks a record eighth time that the final will take place at Wembley Stadium and the third time it has been held at the modern version of England’s national stadium.
The finals of Champions League predecessor the European Cup were held at Wembley in 1963, 1968, 1971, 1978 and 1992.
Barcelona beat Manchester United 3-1 in the 2011 final, Lionel Messi putting them 2-1 in front after Wayne Rooney cancelled out Pedro’s opener.
When the final returned there two years later, Arjen Robben scored the 89th-minute winner in an all-German decider to give Bayern Munich victory over Borussia Dortmund.