Paris Saint-Germain will take on Liverpool while Bayern Munich is set for a showdown with Bayer Leverkusen as the road to the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League final in Munich takes shape, with the draws for the round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals now confirmed.
Clubs across Europe have learned their potential paths to glory, with matchups promising thrilling encounters.
Round of 16 Fixtures
Eight enticing ties were confirmed, setting the stage for intense battles:
PSV (NED) vs Arsenal (ENG)
Real Madrid (ESP) vs Atlético Madrid (ESP)
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) vs Liverpool (ENG)
Club Brugge (BEL) vs Aston Villa (ENG)
Benfica (POR) vs Barcelona (ESP)
Borussia Dortmund (GER) vs Lille (FRA)
Bayern Munich (GER) vs Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
Feyenoord (NED) vs Inter Milan (ITA)
Quarter-Final Pathways
The quarter-final draw mapped out potential matchups, intensifying the anticipation:
PSV/Arsenal vs Real Madrid/Atlético Madrid
PSG/Liverpool vs Club Brugge/Aston Villa
Benfica/Barcelona vs Borussia Dortmund/Lille
Bayern Munich/Leverkusen vs Feyenoord/Inter
Semi-Final Pairings
With the quarter-final paths clear, the semi-finals promise even bigger clashes:
Winner of PSV/Arsenal/Real Madrid/Atlético Madrid vs Winner of PSG/Liverpool/Club Brugge/Aston Villa
Winner of Benfica/Barcelona/Dortmund/Lille vs Winner of Bayern Munich/Leverkusen/Feyenoord/Inter
Champions League Schedule
Key dates for the knockout phase:
Round of 16: March 4/5 & 11/12, 2025
Quarter-finals: April 8/9 & 15/16, 2025
Semi-finals: April 29/30 & May 6/7, 2025
Final: May 31, 2025
Draw Mechanism Explained
Each stage of the draw followed a structured process to determine fixtures and bracket placement.
Round of 16 Draw: Teams were paired based on their rankings from the league phase, ensuring competitive balance.
The draw placed higher-seeded teams in reserved slots, with the principle that seeded clubs would play the second leg at home.
Quarter-Final Draw: This determined home-and-away fixtures for each match, with balls drawn from separate bowls for different bracket sides.
Semi-Final Draw: A similar process assigned home advantage in the semi-finals.
Unlike previous stages, no draw was made for the final, as teams were already placed on designated sides of the bracket. The winner of the silver side semi-final will be the nominal home team in Munich.
2025 Champions League Final Venue
The highly anticipated 2024/25 UEFA Champions League final will take place at the Munich Football Arena on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
With the path to European supremacy now clear, clubs will battle for a place in Munich, where one team will etch their name in Champions League history.
