The UEFA Women’s Champions League will host its concluding matchday of the revamped league phase on Dec. 17, with all nine matches commencing simultaneously at 3 p.m. ET (8 p.m. GMT).
All 18 teams have been striving for advancement since early October, and we now have a general sense of which 12 teams will manage to secure their positions in the knockout stages, either automatically or through a playoff.
The knockout draw is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 18, outlining the complete path of the bracket. No country protection is in place, allowing teams from the same league to compete against each other throughout the knockout rounds.
Here’s all the essential information.
What is the qualification process?
The top four teams in the league-phase standings automatically advance to the quarterfinals, which are scheduled for March 24 and April 1.
The eight clubs ranked from 5 to 12 will enter the knockout-phase playoffs, which will take place on Feb. 11-12 and Feb. 18-19, to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
The teams in positions 13 to 18 face elimination.
From the knockout phase onward, the competition will adopt a two-legged format leading to the semifinals, culminating in a traditional one-legged final.
What is the relationship between the league phase and knockout bracket?
This new format emphasizes league positions with paired teams. The higher your finish, the more advantageous your path, including direct progression to the quarterfinals for the top four.
Here’s the procedure.
For the knockout-phase playoffs, the draw will establish four matchups from:
11 or 12 vs. 5 or 6 (two pairings)
9 or 10 vs. 7 or 8 (two pairings)
The draw will position the four ties created within the bracket, either in the silver or blue section.
Then the aligned teams in positions 1 & 2, as well as 3 & 4, will be assigned to one of two potential placements to generate fixtures.
For the quarterfinals, the draw will be:
The victors of a matchup involving 7, 8, 9, and 10 will face 1 or 2 (two matchups)
The victors of a matchup involving 5, 6, 11, and 12 will face 3 or 4 (two matchups)
The entire bracket is now finalized.
The teams that end up in positions 1-4 will have home advantage in the second leg of the quarterfinals.
The semifinal matchups are already determined by the bracket draw. Generally, the teams ranked 1 and 2 will host the semifinal second leg. However, should 1 and/or 2 get eliminated in the quarterfinals, the home advantage will transfer to the team that defeats them. For example, if Arsenal (first) loses to Paris FC (ninth), Paris FC will enjoy home advantage in the final four.
Thus, it is not contingent on league placement — making it impossible for teams finishing third or fourth to secure a home semifinal second leg, as they cannot claim it from first or second.
Who has already qualified?
Barcelona and OL Lyonnes each have 13 points, ensuring them a spot in the top four.
Chelsea, Juventus, Real Madrid, Wolfsburg, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Paris FC all guarantee at least a spot in the knockout-phase playoffs.
Atletico Madrid essentially do too, as Valerenga can level points with them, but they have a significantly worse goal difference and would need a 10-0 victory.
OH Leuven are front-runners for the last 12th position unless they either lose or tie against Arsenal and Valerenga triumphs over Bayern.
Who has been eliminated already?
The last-placed St. Pölten are out, while FC Twente, Benfica, Roma, and Paris Saint-Germain (who lost their first four matches) also cannot catch OH Leuven in 12th at this stage.
What is on the line in the final league-phase matches?
VfL Wolfsburg vs. Chelsea: A win for Wolfsburg could elevate them into the top four and secure automatic qualification (depending on other outcomes). However, they would need both Real Madrid and Juventus to lose. Chelsea will secure their top-four position with a victory, but in the event of a draw, Juventus, Real Madrid, or Bayern could surpass them.
OH Leuven vs. Arsenal: Leuven should remain secure in 12th place even if they lose, but if Valerenga defeats Bayern, even a draw wouldn’t suffice as they would be at a disadvantage in goal difference. Arsenal require favorable results elsewhere to secure a top-four position, with Chelsea, Juventus, Real Madrid, Bayern, and Wolfsburg ahead of them.
Bayern Munich vs. Valerenga: To secure a top-four finish, Bayern must outperform Juventus or Real Madrid due to their significantly poorer goal difference. Valerenga is in dire need of a miracle to clinch the final playoff position and avoid being eliminated: they must win and rely on Arsenal not to lose to Leuven.
FC Twente vs. Real Madrid: Madrid aims to score as many goals as possible and win against the already eliminated Twente, as they are in a tight race with Juventus for the fourth position. Achieving that would guarantee them an automatic spot.
Juventus vs. Manchester United: Juve currently holds fourth place but is narrowly ahead of Madrid on goal scored, so securing a win is essential. A draw will likely push them into the playoffs. United could squeeze into the upper echelon of the playoff draw with a win, or a draw coupled with a Wolfsburg defeat against Chelsea.
OL Lyonnes vs. Atlético Madrid: Atlético aims to secure the highest possible finish for a more favorable playoff draw, and only a win would achieve that. They possess a significantly better goal difference (+8) than the teams surrounding them, but a draw would only elevate them to 10th place. OL Lyonnes have advanced but will strive to finish at the top – however, they trail Barcelona by six goals.
Paris FC vs. Barcelona: Similar to Atletico, Paris FC also requires a win to enter the positions 5-8, yet their goal difference suffers compared to the competing teams if they draw. Barcelona is through but will be eager to finish at the top.
Roma vs. St. Pölten: No implications, both are out.
Benfica vs. Paris Saint-Germain: No implications, both are out.
When will the knockout matches be held?
Playoffs:
Leg 1: Feb. 11-12
Leg 2: Feb. 18-19
Quarterfinals
Leg 1: March 23-25
Leg 2: March 31-April 2
Semifinals
Leg 1: April 24-26
Leg 2: May 1-3
Final
May 22, 23 at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, Norway.
