MONACO, MONACO - AUGUST 27: The UEFA Champions League trophy is seen on the stage ahead of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase Draw at Grimaldi Forum on August 27, 2025 in Monaco, Monaco. (Photo by Claudio Lavenia - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
The Champions League play-offs take place in February (UEFA via Getty)
Newcastle United will play Qarabag in the Champions League play-offs, while Real Marid will meet Benfica, and holder Paris Saint-Germain will face Monaco.
Eddie Howe’s side finished 12th in the Champions League table after their 1-1 draw away to PSG on Wednesday and will now face a tough trip to Azerbaijan in their play-off tie.
Jose Mourinho will face his former club in the play-off stage as Benfica will need to beat Real Madrid in order to reach the last-16 stage.
PSG have been handed a tie against their fellow Ligue 1 side Monaco. Last season, Luis Enrique’s side beat Brest 10-0 on aggregate in the play-offs en route to winning the competition.
Elsewhere, Inter will play Bodo/Glimt, Galatasaray will face Juventus, Club Brugge meet Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund have been paired against Atalanta, while Olympiacos will come up against Bayer Leverkusen.
Champions League play-off draw
Monaco vs Paris Saint-Germain
Benfica vs Real Madrid
Qarabag vs Newcastle United
Bodo/Glimt vs Inter
Galatasaray vs Juventus
Club Brugge vs Atletico Madrid
Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta
Olympiacos vs Bayer Leverkusen
The first leg of the Champions League play-offs will be played on February 17 and February 18, with the return legs played a week later on February 24 and February 25.
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After the play-off round finishes, the draw for the Champions League last-16, quarter-finals and semi-finals will take place on February 27.
The Champions League brackets in full (Amazon Prime)
Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting CP and Manchester City have already secured their place in the Champions League last-16 by finishing in the top eight of the league phase.
By finishing in first place, Arsenal have secured several advantages for the knockout stage. As the No.1 seed, they cannot play a seed higher than 15th in the last 16, a seed higher than seventh until the quarter-final, Liverpool or Tottenham until the semi-final, and they will avoid Bayern Munich until the final, if they get there.
Arsenal and Bayern also benefit from a new rule this season that states that the top two league phase finishers will play their second legs at home for the rest of the Champions League.
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