The Champions League playoffs are the new bridge between the league phase and the classic knockout rounds, deciding which teams join the round of 16.

Big picture: what are the playoffs?

  • The new format has one big league table instead of traditional 4‑team groups (36 clubs total). Teams play eight league-phase matches.
  • After those games, the top 8 in the table go straight to the round of 16.
  • Teams placed 9th–24th enter the knockout phase play‑offs (what you’re calling “Champions League playoffs”).
  • Teams 25th and below are out of Europe for that season.

So the playoffs are essentially a “qualifier” round to fill the remaining 8 places in the last 16.

Who plays who in the playoffs?

The key idea: higher finish in the league phase = better seeding and home advantage.

  • Teams 9–16 are seeded.
  • Teams 17–24 are unseeded.
  • Each seeded team is matched with an unseeded team, using a predetermined bracket “path” (for example, 9th/10th can only draw 23rd/24th, 11th/12th can only draw 21st/22nd, etc.).
  • The details of exactly who plays whom are set in a draw , but always seeded vs unseeded on each tie.

Seeding reward: in every playoff tie, the seeded team plays the second leg at home , which is considered a significant advantage.

A simple example based on the current style of bracket:

  • 9th vs one of 23rd/24th
  • 10th vs the other of 23rd/24th
  • 11th vs one of 21st/22nd
  • 12th vs the other of 21st/22nd, and similarly for the other positions.

How do the actual playoff ties work?

  • Each playoff is a two‑legged knockout tie : one home game each.
  • Winner is decided by aggregate score over the two matches.
  • If the aggregate is level after two legs, they play 30 minutes of extra time , and if still level, penalties.
  • The away‑goals rule no longer exists – away goals do not count double.

The eight winners of these playoff ties go through to the round of 16 as the “unseeded” sides.

What happens after the playoffs?

From the round of 16 onwards it’s the “normal” knockout tournament, but still with a seeding twist tied to league position.

Round of 16

  • The top 8 from the league phase are seeded.
  • The 8 playoff winners are unseeded.
  • A bracket is pre‑structured into four “pairings” like:
    • Pairing A: 1/2 vs Winner of a specific playoff path
    • Pairing B: 3/4 vs another playoff winner
    • Pairing C: 5/6 vs another
    • Pairing D: 7/8 vs another
  • Again, seeded teams play the second leg at home.

Quarter‑finals and semi‑finals

UEFA has added extra rewards for league‑phase ranking that carry further into the bracket:

  • Teams finishing in the top 4 get seeding/home‑second‑leg advantage in the quarter‑finals if they reach that stage.
  • Teams finishing 1st and 2nd in the league also get that advantage in the semi‑finals if they make it there.
  • If a seeded team gets knocked out, the team that eliminates them inherits their seeding position and home‑second‑leg perk in the next round.

The final is a single match at a neutral venue – no second leg, no seeding.

Why it’s designed this way (and what fans discuss)

On forums, fans often debate two big themes about these playoffs:

  • Reward for league ranking
    • Pro: Finishing higher (top 8, top 4, top 2, or even just 9–16 vs 17–24) gives clearer benefits: byes, seeding, and home second leg.
* Con: Some argue the bracket paths are too complex and still rely on draws rather than a strict “1st vs 24th” ladder, so the reward doesn’t always feel intuitive.
  • Entertainment and chaos
    • Playoffs between 9th–24th mean more big‑name clashes early and more clubs still alive late in the season, which boosts TV and fan interest.
* But some traditionalists miss the old, simpler group‑then‑knockout structure.

Quick reference table (playoff path and beyond)

[6][9][5] [9][5] [1][5] [3][5][1] [3][9][5] [7][5][1] [3][5][1] [9][3][5] [7][5][1] [8][6] [6][8] [9][3][5] [3][9][5] [7][5][1] [9][5] [7][5] [5][7][1] [7][5] [5] [1][5] [7][5] [5] [1][5] [5] [5]
Stage / Rank Who’s involved What it means Home advantage
League phase 1–8 Top eight in the big tableDirect to round of 16 as seeded teamsSecond leg at home in round of 16; further perks for top 4/top 2 later
League phase 9–16 Seeded playoff teamsTwo‑legged playoff vs ranks 17–24 to reach round of 16Second leg at home in playoffs
League phase 17–24 Unseeded playoff teamsMust win playoff to reach round of 16First leg at home, second away
League phase 25+ Bottom of the tableEliminated from Champions League (and European competition)None
Playoff round Ranks 9–24 (16 teams)Eight two‑legged ties; winners advance to round of 16 as unseededSeeded team hosts second leg
Round of 16 Top 8 + 8 playoff winnersTwo‑legged knockout, set bracket pairings (A–D)Top‑8 seeds host second leg
Quarter‑finals 8 remaining teamsTwo‑legged, fixed bracket (Winner A vs Winner D, Winner B vs Winner C)Teams from league top 4 (or their conquerors) host second leg
Semi‑finals 4 remaining teamsTwo‑legged semi‑finalsTeams from league top 2 (or their conquerors) host second leg
Final 2 remaining teamsSingle match at neutral venue to decide championNone

TL;DR – “how does the Champions League playoffs work?”

  • 9th–24th place after the league phase go into two‑legged seeded vs unseeded playoffs.
  • Winners join the top 8 in a fixed‑bracket round of 16.
  • Higher league finish gives seeding and home second leg all the way to the semis via a rolling “inherit the seeding” system.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.