Champions League Last-16 Draw: Fixtures and schedule

Cameron Smith

7 Dec 2023 03:30 CST
3 min read

Jack Grealish, Manchester City, 2023 Champions League — © ProShots

The 2023-24 UEFA Champions League round of 16 draw is right around the corner as qualified teams begin to wonder what is in store for them in the knockout stages.

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The final set of matches in this year’s group stage take place on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 December, with several teams still fighting for a place in the knockouts.

So far, 12 teams have qualified for the Champions League last-16, including Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Barcelona, meaning four spots are up for grabs on the sixth and final matchday.

Once the final set of games are concluded, all attention will turn to the knockout stage draw.

What is the Champions League knockouts draw?

The Champions League knockout stage draw features the 16 teams who qualified from the group stages. Two teams qualify from each of the eight groups, with the group winners seeded for the last-16 draw and the runners-up unseeded.

The round of 16 draw has a few stipulations: no team can face another side from the same country (e.g. Manchester City can’t draw Arsenal), while they also can’t be drawn against a team they faced in the group stages.

Essentially, group winners will face a team who finished in second place in a different group, and they can't be from the same national association.

© ProShots - Man City have qualified for the Champions League last-16

Furthermore, ties will take place over two legs, with seeded teams at home in the second of the two games.

Last season, there were several eye-catching results at the round of 16 stage. Real Madrid beat Liverpool 6-2 on aggregate, Bayern Munich ran out 3-0 aggregate winners over Paris Saint-Germain, while eventual champions Man City smashed RB Leipzig 8-1 thanks to a 7-0 second-leg win at the Etihad Stadium.

When is the Champions League last-16 draw?

The 2023-24 UEFA Champions League round of 16 draw will be held on Monday 18 December in Nyon, Switzerland. The event will begin at 12:00 CET (11am GMT).