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Liverpool face Qarabag on Wednesday with automatic last-16 qualification at stake – here’s everything you need to know about the crucial clash and Friday’s playoff draw/
Liverpool have already secured their place in the Champions League knockout stages at minimum, but Wednesday’s final league phase fixture against Qarabag at Anfield carries massive significance as the Reds look to clinch a coveted top-eight finish and bypass February’s playoff round entirely.
Arne Slot’s side currently sit fourth in the standings on 15 points after Wednesday’s commanding 3-0 victory in Marseille, level with Real Madrid and just two points clear of ninth-placed Barcelona. Victory against the Azerbaijani visitors on January 28 (kick-off 8pm GMT) will guarantee Liverpool finish fourth or higher and progress straight to the round of 16, whilst also securing home advantage in the second leg of that phase.
When is the Champions League Knockout Draw?
For the 16 teams finishing between ninth and 24th in the league phase, attention will turn swiftly to Friday’s playoff draw at 11am GMT, taking place at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland. The ceremony will be streamed live on UEFA’s official website and via the Champions League app
The draw operates on a seeded system, with teams finishing 9th-16th seeded and facing unseeded opponents from positions 17th-24th. Crucially, teams who finished 9th and 10th will be drawn against those in 23rd and 24th, with similar pairings for positions 11-12 vs 21-22, 13-14 vs 19-20, and 15-16 vs 17-18. The seeded sides will enjoy home advantage in the second leg.
Unlike previous rounds, teams can face opponents from the same national association or even clubs they’ve already played in the league phase. The two-legged playoff ties will take place on February 17-18 (first legs) and February 24-25 (second legs), with the eight winners joining the automatic qualifiers in the last-16 draw on February 27.
For Liverpool, avoiding that gruelling playoff altogether remains the priority as they seek to maintain their European momentum whilst navigating a challenging domestic campaign.
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