2/16/2026 Champions League is Back Tues/Wed, MLS Starts Sat, FA Cup 5th Rd set Wrexham host Chelsea

Champions League back Tues/Wed

The knock out Stage is here with teams 8-24 battling it our to see who will face the top 8 teams in the next round. Powerhouses Real Madrid, PSG and Juventus all fell out of the top 8 setting up playoff time for them to advance. Tues gives us a beaut with the Special one Jose Mournino and Benefica hosting the club he once coached to a UCL trophy Real Madrid at home. AS Monaco and American Balogan has his chance vs defending champs PSG and Weston McKinney and his Juve will travel to Galatasaray.

Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta

Benfica vs. Real Madrid

AS Monaco vs. Paris Saint-Germain

Galatasaray vs. Juventus

After a Full weekend of FA Cup Play the fifth round draw has been made

Some interesting games ahead. Perhaps the just juiciest non all-EPL match-ups are We are Wrexham (owners Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney & their FX TV Show hosting Chelsea, League 1 foe Mansfield Town hosting EPL leaders Arsenal and perhaps Bristol City hosting Sunderland. Love it when the little guys get to host the big guys.

Home teams listed first

  • Fulham vs. Southampton
  • Port Vale or Bristol City vs. Sunderland
  • Newcastle vs. Manchester City
  • Leeds vs. Norwich City
  • Mansfield Town vs. Arsenal
  • Wolves vs. Liverpool
  • Wrexham vs. Chelsea
  • West Ham vs. Macclesfield or Brentford

MLS Kicks off this Weekend

The 2026 MLS season runs from this Saturday February 21 to early November, featuring 30 teams playing 34 regular-season matches, with a significant break from May 25 to July 16 for the FIFA World Cup. The season includes Eastern and Western Conferences, culminating in the MLS Cup Playoffs in November/December.  Defending Champions are Miami and Lionel Messi who was League MVP. He will be missing many of his Barcelona buddies who all retired at the end of last season however. Read all about Miami in the Season Preview below. The games will all be broadcast on FREE APPLE TV. So if you have APPLE TV you get MLS with no additional charge like the last few seasons. (Awesome news) I still hate that more games are not on linear TV like Fox, FS1 and perhaps ESPN – because I am 100% sure NO ONE KNOWS MLS starts this weekend do you? Don’t lie – NOPE. Well you heard it here first and the first game on FOX is the Cincy vs Atlanta United game at 4:45 pm Saturday. Other notables have have Columbus traveling to Porland 10:30 pm on Apple, LAFC hosting Messi & Miami 9:30 pm on Apple, and my Seattle Sounders hosting Colorado Sunday at 9:15 pm right after LA vs NYCFC at 7 pm.

Key Details for the 2026 Season:

  • Duration: February 21 – November 7, 2026 (Regular Season).
  • Format: 30 teams; 34 games per team (17 home, 17 away).
  • 2026 FIFA World Cup Pause: May 25 – July 16, 2026.
  • All-Star Game: July 29, 2026.
  • Decision Day: November 7, 2026.
  • Broadcast: All matches are available on Apple TV. 

Future Changes:
Starting in 2027, MLS will shift to a summer-to-spring calendar (similar to European leagues), running from July to May, with a winter break. 



TV Schedule

Tues, Feb 17
12:45 pm Para+ TUDN Galatasaray vs Juventus (McKinney)
3 pm Para+ TUDN Benefica vs REal Madrid
3 pm CBSSN, Para+ Dortmund vs Atalanta
3 pm Para+_ Monaco (Balogan vs PSG
8 pm FS2 Atletico Ottawa vs NAshville SC CCC
10 pm FS2 Real Espana vs LAFC CCC
Wed, FEb 18
12:45 pm Para+ Qarabag vs Newcastle United
2:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulilsc) cs Como
3 pm CBSSN, PAra+ Club Brugge vs Atletico Madrid
3 pm Para+ Olympicakos vs Bayer LEverkus (Tilman)
3 pm PAra+ Inter Milan vs Bodo Glimt
6 pm FS2 Defense Force vs Philly Union CCC
8 pm FS2 Universidad vs Cincy UCC
10 pm FS2 Cartagines vs Vancouver UCC
Thurs, Feb 18
12:45 pm Para_ Fenerbache vs Nottinham Forest
12:45 pm Para+ Zninsjki vs Crystal Palace (Richards)
3 pm Para+ Celtic vs Stuttgart
Sat, Feb 21 MLS Season Starts
4:45 pm FOX Cincy FC vs Atlanta United MLS
9:30 pm Apple Free LAFC vs Miami *Messi MLS
10:30 Apple Free Portland vs Columbus Crew MLS

Sun, Mar 1 She Believes Cup Starts
5 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Argentina
Wed, Mar 4 She Believes Cup
7 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Canada (Columbus, OH)
Sat, Mar 7 She Believes Cup
3:30 pm TBS, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Colombia
Sat, Mar 28
3:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Belgium
Tues, Mar 31
7 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Portugal
Sun, May 31
3:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Senegal
Sat, June 6
2:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Germany in Chicago
Sat, June 12 WORLD CUP
9 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Paraguay World Cup

USMNT midweek viewing guide: Pushing forward

Follow along with all the USMNT action this week.

Tuesday

  • Galatasaray vs Juventus, 12:45p: Weston McKennie – Champions League round of 32 first leg
  • Dortmund vs Atalanta, 3p: Yunus Musah – Champions League round of 32 first leg
  • Monaco vs PSG, 3p: Folarin Balogun – Champions League round of 32 first leg

Also in action:

  • Charlton vs Portsmouth, 2:45p: Charlie Kelman – EFL Championship
  • Atlético Ottawa vs Nashville SC, 8p: Matthew Corcoran, Jack Maher, Thomas Williams – Concacaf Champions Cup first leg
  • Real España vs LAFC, 10p: Timothy Tillman – Concacaf Champions Cup first leg

Wednesday

  • Levante vs Villarreal, 2p: Alex Freeman – La Liga
  • AC Milan vs Como, 2:45p: Christian Pulisic – Serie A
  • Club Brugge vs Atlético Madrid, 3p: Johnny Cardoso – Champions League round of 32 first leg
  • Olympiacos vs Leverkusen, 3p: Malik Tillman, Monty Culbreath – Champions League round of 32 first leg

Also in action:

  • Defence Force vs Philadelphia Union, 6p: Quinn Sullivan, Frankie Westfield, Cavan Sullivan, CJ Olney, Nathan Harriel, Andrew Rick – Concacaf Champions Cup first leg
  • O&M FC vs FC Cincinnati, 8p: Miles Robinson, Roman Celentano, Matt Miazga – Concacaf Champions Cup first leg. Kristian Fletcher is expected back from an ACL injury in early March.
  • Cartaginés vs Vancouver Whitecaps, 10p: Sebastian Berhalter, Brian White, Tate Johnson, Emmanuel Sabbi – Concacaf Champions Cup first leg

Thursday

  • Zrinjski Mostar vs Crystal Palace, 12:45p: Chris Richards – Conference League round of 32 first leg
  • Celtic vs VfB Stuttgart, 3p: Auston Trusty – Europa League round of 32 first leg. Cameron Carter-Vickers is out for the season with an Achilles injury.
  • Panathinaikos vs Viktoria Plzeň, 3p: Erik Palmer-Brown – Europa League round of 32 first leg

Also in action:

  • Sporting San Miguelito vs LA Galaxy, 8p: Harbor Miller, Ruben Ramos, Elijah Wynder – Concacaf Champions Cup first leg

Friday

  • Mainz vs Hamburg, 2:30p: Lennard Maloney, Damion Downs – Bundesliga
  • Brest vs Marseille, 2:45p: Tim Weah – Ligue 1
  • Puebla vs América, 10:06p: Alex Zendejas – Liga MX
In case you think American football is that big a deal ? More people watched a regular season EPL game earlier that day.

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USA

Haji Wright, vying for spot on USMNT roster, delivers timely hat trick
USMNT World Cup roster watch: Who’s on the rise and who’s losing ground ahead of March camp
Transfer rumor roundup: EPL giants circling Pulisic
Haji Wright hat-trick takes Coventry back to top with win over Middlesbrough
Haji Wright hat trick: USMNT forward leads huge Coventry City win over Middlesbrough (video)
San Diego cruises past Pumas, Adams returns, Matarazzo’s remarkable run, U-17s qualify, & more
Americans Abroad Five: Agyemang soars, other USMNT strikers falter

Morris & Boro into first, Freeman debuts, McKennie scores again, and more

USMNT star attends USA-Germany Olympic hockey game

Champions League

How we can improve the Champions League: New mini-league? Clubs picking opponents?
Mourinho says ‘wounded king’ Madrid vulnerable
Real Madrid broke Mourinho. Now he could break them with Benfica
Luis Enrique slams ‘worthless’ Dembélé PSG take
Madrid’s Arbeloa on Benfica: Not about revenge
Champions League knockout rounds: Bracket, key dates, more
Why Barcelona’s Super League withdrawal ends uneasy truce with Real Madrid
Barca’s issues remain glaring under Champions League lights

MLS

Inter Miami CF 2026 Season
2026 World Cup: USMNT players to watch in MLS this season

Reffing

How to Become a Travel Ref 

Goalkeeping

Top MLS Saves 25
Cincy GK Top Save of the Year MLS

Champions League knockout rounds: Bracket, key dates, more

  • Nicholas Som

Feb 16, 2026, 02:44 AM ETe draw for the knockout playoff round of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League featured some of the biggest clubs in Europe. Now that it’s complete, we know who the likes of Real Madrid and defending champions Paris Saint-Germain will be facing with a spot in the round of 16 on the line.

But which teams look to have the best path through the knockout rounds? How is the rest of the bracket shaping up?

Here’s everything you need to know about Champions League knockouts.

Which clubs are in the knockout playoff round?

Only the 16 teams that finished ninth through 24th in the league phase will compete in this round.

The top eight teams in the league phase advanced directly to the round of 16, and clubs finishing 25th to 36th were eliminated.

When is the knockout playoff round?

The first legs of each matchup will be held Feb. 17-18. The second legs will be contested the following week, on Feb. 24-25.

What are the knockout playoff round fixtures?

The teams that placed ninth to 16th are listed second, and they will have the advantage of playing at home in the second leg.

Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta

Benfica vs. Real Madrid

AS Monaco vs. Paris Saint-Germain

Galatasaray vs. Juventus

Club Brugge vs. Atletico Madrid

FK Qarabag vs. Newcastle United

Bodo/Glimt vs. Internazionale

Olympiacos vs. Bayer Leverkusen

What does this mean for the top eight clubs?

After the playoff round draw, the teams who finished inside the top eight in the league phase still have four possible opponents in the round of 16.

The knockout playoff round will whittle the number of potential opponents to two. But the exact matchups won’t be known until the round-of-16 draw.

Possible round-of-16 ties:

Arsenal or Bayern Munich will play one of the winners of:
Atalanta vs. Borussia Dortmund
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Olympiacos

Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur will play one of the winners of:
Club Brugge vs. Atletico Madrid
Galatasaray vs. Juventus

Barcelona or Chelsea will play one of the winners of:
AS Monaco vs. Paris Saint-Germain
FK Qarabag vs. Newcastle United

Sporting CP or Manchester City will play one of the winners of:
Benfica vs. Real Madrid
Bodo/Glimt vs. Internazionale

Is there any country protection?

No — clubs from the same country can play each other throughout the rest of the competition. If Borussia Dortmund defeat Atalanta, for example, they can still be drawn against fellow German club Bayern Munich in the round of 16.

What happens next?

After teams compete in the two-legged knockout playoff round in February, the draw for the round of 16 will be held Feb. 27. That draw will determine the round-of-16 matchups and finalize the bracket for the remainder of the knockout rounds.

What are the other important Champions League dates to remember?

Round of 16/quarterfinal/semifinal draw: Feb. 27
Round of 16: March 10-11, March 17-18
Quarterfinals: April 7-8, April 14-15
Semifinals: April 28-29, May 5-6
Final: May 30 (Budapest, Hungary)

Why did it matter where teams finished in the league phase table?

Last season provided a notable example of how the new system can make a huge impact. Manchester City didn’t qualify for the knockouts until the final day of the league phase, and their 22nd-place finish meant they had to compete in the knockout playoff round. As an unseeded team, they were drawn against seeded Real Madrid, who won 6-3 over two legs.

On the flip side, PSG seemed unaffected by the extra round of matches, rolling past Brest in the playoffs and all the way to the title.

This year, top finishers such as Arsenal and Bayern Munich will benefit by avoiding fellow European giants Real Madrid and PSG in the round of 16.

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USMNT Players Abroad: McKennie with two assists, goal for Busio

The weekend roundup of USMNT players abroad has Weston McKennie recording two assists in Serie A and a goal for Gianluca Busio in Serie B. In the Championship, Patrick Agyemang once again scored for Derby County. Leeds and Fulham advanced in the FA Cup.

Serie A

Christian Pulisic subbed on in the 78th for AC Milan’s 2-1 win at Pisa. Ruben Loftus-Cheek put AC Milan up in the 39th with Pisa equalizing in the 71st. Luka Modic returned AC Milan’s lead in the 85th. AC Milan’s Adrien Rabiot saw red two minutes into stoppage time. Weston McKennie’s Juventus lost 3-2 at Inter Milan. Juventus gave up an own-goal in the 17th and Andrea Cambiaso equalized in the 26th. Juventus’s Pierre Kalulu saw red in the 42nd. Inter retook the lead in the 76th and Manuel Locatelli equalized for Juventus in the 83rd with McKennie assisting. Inter Milan scored again in the 90th minute.

Andrija Novakovich subbed out five minutes into stoppage time for Reggiana’s 1-1 draw at Empoli in Serie B. Natan Girma converted a Reggiana penalty in the 26th and Empoli equalized in the 72nd minute. Gianluca Busio’s Venezia won 4-0 at Cesena. Busio opened the scoring for Venezia in the 38th, Andrea Adorante doubled the lead a minute into stoppage time, and Antoine Hainaut scored in the 62nd. Lion Lauberbach converted a Venezia penalty two minutes into stoppage time.

FA Cup – Fourth Round

Antonee Robinson’s Fulham won 2-1 at Stoke City. Trailing from the 19th, Kevin equalized for Fulham in the 55th and Harrison Reed scored in the 84th minute. Brenden Aaronson subbed on in the 68th for Leeds United’s 1-1 draw at Birmingham City. Leeds advanced 4-2 on penalties. Lukas Nmecha put Leeds up in the 49th and Birmingham equalized in the 89th minute. Birmingham City failed to convert in rounds two and three of penalties while Leeds converted on all four of their attempts. Aaronson scored in round three.

Championship

Patrick Agyemang subbed out in the 89th for Derby County’s 2-0 home win over Swansea City. Rhian Brewster opened the scoring for Derby County in the 47th and Agyemang doubled the lead in the 67th. Agyemang saw yellow in the 27th minute.

Bundesliga

Malik Tillman subbed on at halftime for Bayer Leverkusen’s 4-0 home win over James Sands’s St Pauli. Sands subbed out in the 68th. Jarrell Quansah put Leverkusen up in the 13th, Patrik Schick scored in the 14th, and Edmond Tabsoba made it 3-0 in the 52nd. Ernest Poku finished off the Leverkusen scoring in the 78th minute.

Joe Scally subbed on in the 65th for Gladbach’s 3-0 loss at Eintracht to goals in the 24th, 34th, and 75th minutes. Kristoffer Lund’s FC Koln lost 3-1 at Stuttgart, trailing from the 15th. Ragnar Ache equalized for Koln in the 79th, but Stuttgart retook the lead in the 84th and scored again two minutes into stoppage time.

In the 2.BundesligaJohn Tolkin’s Holstein Kiel lost 2-1 at home to Schalke. Trailing from goals in the 16th and 29th, David Zec converted a Holstein Kiel penalty in the 55th minute. Terrence Boyd subbed on in the 62nd for SV Waldhof’s 1-1 draw at Energie Cottbus in the 3.Liga. Down a goal from the 10th, Sanoussy Ba equalized for Waldhof in the 64th. Waldhof’s Janne Sietan saw red a minute into stoppage time. Boyd saw yellow four minutes into stoppage time.

La Liga

Johnny Cardoso subbed out in the 63rd for Atletico Madrid’s 3-0 loss at Rayo Vallecano. Atletico fell behind in the 40th and Rayo Vallecano added goals in the 45th and 76th. Cardoso saw yellow in the 29th minute. Alex Freeman subbed on in the 78th for Villarreal’s 2-1 home loss at Getafe. Trailing from a penalty in the 41st and a goal in the 53rd, Georges Mikautadze scored for Villarreal in the 76th minute.

Jonathan Gomez’s Albacete drew 1-1 at home with Sporting Gijon in the Segunda Division. Jefte Betancor converted an Albacete penalty four minutes into stoppage time and Gijon equalized from the penalty spot in the 78th minute.

Ligue 1

Folarin Balogun subbed out in the 76th for AS Monaco’s 3-1 home win over Nantes. Simon Adingra scored for Monaco in the 25th and 28th and Denis Zakaria made it 3-0 in the 30th. Nantes pulled a goal back a minute into first-half stoppage time. Monaci’s Aleksandr Golovin saw red in the 65th minute. Tim Weah’s Marseille drew 2-2 at home with Strasbourg. Mason Greenwood put Marseille up in the 14th and Amine Gouiri scored in the 47th. Strasbourg pulled a goal back in the 73rd and converted a penalty seven minutes into stoppage time. Weah saw yellow eight minutes into stoppage time.

Tanner Tessmann’s Lyon shutout Nice 2-0 at home, going ahead from a Corentin Tolisso goal a minute into first-half stoppage time. Noah Nartey doubled the Lille lead in the 64th. Tessmann saw yellow in the 52nd minute. Mark McKenzie’s Toulouse lost 2-1 at LeHavre. Playing a man down from the 2nd, LeHavre took the lead in the 43rd. Toulouse’s Djibril Sidibe equalized three minutes into first-half stoppage time. Le Havre went ahead for good in the 53rd minute.

Elsewhere in Europe

Sergino Dest’s PSV lost 2-1 at Volendam in the Eredivisie. Dennis Man scored PSV’s goal in the 82nd. Volendam equalized in the 67th and scored again in the 87th minute.

Auston Trusty’s Celtic won 3-2 at Kilmarnock. Trailing 2-0 from goals in the 21st and 28th, Celtic’s Sebastian Tounekto pulled a goal back in the 56th and Benjamin Nygren equalized in the 64th. Julian Araujo scored Celtic’s winner seven minutes into stoppage time.

Champions League Power Rankings: Real Madrid rounding into form as the playoffs for the knockout stage begin

The Champions League playoffs will be back this week around Europe

By Francesco Porzio 6 hrs ago•6 min read

0

power-rankings-soccer-ucl-template-11.jpg

CBS Sports

The 2025-26 edition of the Champions League will be back this week when the 16 teams involved in the playoffs take the stage across Europe, competing for the remaining eight spots left in next month’s knockout. There are some big teams around Europe that are currently shiniing, such as Arsenal and Bayern Munich, while others will try to get involved in the race to win one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world of soccer. Let’s take a look at our weekly power rankings: 

1. Arsenal (–)

Week after week there is an increasing feeling Arsenal will win the Premier League this season, not only because of the advantage they have on Manchester City in the table, but also because the team coached by Pep Guardiola doesn’t look as solid as in the past years. There is still time and the Champions League will also be back soon for them and Arsenal also are among the leading candidates to win the European tournament as well. Clearly the class of Europe at the moment. 

2. Bayern Munich (–)

A six points advantage on Borussia Dortmund is definitely enough for them to hope for another Bundesliga win and this is something than can help them in the last weeks of European soccer when they will also try to win the Champions League under Vincent Kompany. They’ve also got Harry Kane who is in incredible form this season. 

3. PSG (–)

They are finally back on the right track. After a predictable slower start after the highly successful 2024-25 season they are now fully in the right place, both domestically and in Europe. The fact they will face AS Monaco in the playoffs shouldn’t threaten them and won’t change the fact they are still the team to beat in the knockouts. 

4. Barcelona (–)

Hansi Flick’s team is among the best teams around Europe, but the 4-0 defeat against Atletico Madrid last week will definitely put more pressure on the Blaugrana in the coming weeks. The Copa del Rey defeat doesn’t really change their status, but it’s now what Flick’s men needed ahead of the crucial stint of the season. 

5. Inter (–)

The Nerazzurri finally won a matchup against a big team over the weekend against Juventus. Even if the result was widely overshadowed by a controversial red card, the win against Luciano Spalletti’s team will give more self confidence to the Nerazzurri, who desperately needed a win against one of the top teams before meeting Bodo/Glimt on Wednesday for the first leg of the playoffs. 

 

Inter Milan are hitting their stride, and fellow Champions League contenders should take notice

6. Real Madrid (+1)

Alvaro Arbeloa has done a pretty good job so far, but the key match will be the one against Benfica that will take place this week in Lisbon. Real Madrid will be back facing Jose Mourinho’s team in the same stadium where Benfica managed to win an incredible game that led them to the playoffs thanks to the late goal scored by their goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin in January. 

7. Manchester City (-1)

We were all expecting more from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City this season but there is still in time to win trophies. There are increasing doubts on the future of the Spanish coach who might leave at the end of the current season, and this is not helping the team, even if they can still potentially win at least one trophy. 

8. Chelsea (–)

The impact of new head coach Liam Rosenior is already proving significant for Chelsea, who now sit just one point off the top four in England. The renewed energy and tactical clarity he has brought to the side have revitalized their push up the table. With momentum on their side, Chelsea can aim for a top-four finish and even set their sights on a trophy. 

9. Liverpool (+1)

Too many ups and downs this season for Arne Slot’s team. In just the last few weeks they’ve lost at Anfield against Manchester City after winning 4-1 in the same stadium against Newcastle. Their lack of continuity is affecting their position in the Premier League standings. 

10. Atletico Madrid (-1)

What can you say to a team that won 4-0 against Barcelona? A lot, because it’s the same team that three days later lost 3-0 to Rayo Vallecano in the league. It’s the perfect representation of their season and the reason why I don’t expect them to win a major trophy in the upcoming months. 

11. Juventus (+1)

Despite losing to Inter at San Siro, Juventus are in great shape. Under Spalletti’s management, the Bianconeri have improved a lot and are now in the race both in the Serie A standings and in the Champions League where they will meet Galatasaray in the playoffs this week.  

12. Atalanta (-1)

Since Raffaele Palladino took over the club, things have drastically improved. Atalanta needed a change after a disappointing start under Ivan Juric who replaced Gian Piero Gasperini in the summer 2025. They will now face a playoff tie against Borussia Dortmund, not the easiest opponent but at least the second leg will be in Bergamo. 

13. Newcastle (–)

The 2-1 win against Tottenham slightly improved their position in the Premier League standings, but they are definitely not where they should be and the playoffs against Qarabag will tell us more about their European ambitions. 

14. Borussia Dortmund (–)

Despite the six-point gap with Bayern Munich they are they only team that is at least trying to keep pace with the German leaders, but this is probably not enough. 

15. Sporting CP (–)

What they are doing is impressive because staying close to Porto wasn’t an easy job to do this season, as the team coached by Francesco Farioli won 19 games, drew twice and only lost one while Sporting CP are sitting in second place four points behind the leaders. 

16. Tottenham (–)

What a week it was for them. Thomas Frank was sacked after the defeat against Newcastle and they hired former Juventus coach Igor Tudor as caretaker manager until the end of the season. We could predict this scenario, especially considering Frank only won two of the last 17 Premier League games he coached. 

17. Galatasaray (–) 

I was definitely expecting more from this team that will now face Juventus in the playoffs. I see the Italians as favorites but the Turkish side has players to believe in. 

18. Bayer Leverkusen (–)

They are in a similar spot as Borussia Dortmund, even if they also have to perform domestically to qualify again for the Champions League next season. Facing Olympiacos in the playoffs can guarantee them a spot in the knockouts. 

19. AS Monaco (–)

They don’t really have much chance to qualify against their French rivals PSG. 

20. Benfica (–)

Drawing Real Madrid in the playoff round was likely not what Jose Mourinho had hoped for with his Benfica side. But being among the top 24 teams in the Champions League already feels like an achievement in itself, showing again the status of the Portuguese coach. 

21. Qarabag (–)

The biggest surprise of the league phase will meet Newcastle in the two legged playoffs. Will they do it again? 

22. Club Brugge (–)

It feels like Atletico Madrid can potentially become a manageable opponent to face this week in the playoffs, but they need to perform much better than the league phase if they want to have a chance.  

23. Olympiacos (–)

The Bayer Leverkusen playoffs are not a bad outcome for them, even if they could have done much better in the league phase.

24. Bodo/Glimt (–) 

If you’ve followed them over the past few years, it should come as little surprise to see them reach this stage. However, drawing Inter in the playoffs is probably the toughest opponent they could have faced.

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