The UEFA Women's Champions League is gearing up for its final matchday of the new league phase on December 17, with all nine games kicking off simultaneously at 3 p.m. ET (8 p.m. GMT). Since October, 18 teams have been vying for a spot in the knockout stages, and the top 12 are now within reach.
The knockout draw will be held on December 18, setting the stage for the bracket. Importantly, there's no country protection, allowing teams from the same league to face off throughout the knockouts.
Here's a breakdown of the qualification process and how the league phase feeds into the knockout bracket:
Qualification Process
- Top Four: The top four teams in the league phase table advance directly to the quarterfinals, scheduled for March 24 and April 1.
- Knockout Playoffs: The next eight teams (5-12) participate in the knockout playoffs on February 11-12 and February 18-19, vying for a spot in the quarterfinals.
- Eliminations: Teams ranked 13-18 are eliminated.
League Phase to Knockout Bracket
The new format emphasizes league performance, with higher-ranked teams enjoying more favorable paths. Notably, the top four teams leapfrog directly into the quarterfinals.
Knockout Playoffs
The draw for the knockout playoffs creates four ties:
- 11/12 vs. 5/6 (two ties)
- 9/10 vs. 7/8 (two ties)
These ties are then placed in either the silver or blue half of the bracket.
Quarterfinals
The winners of specific ties determine their opponents in the quarterfinals:
- Winners of 7/8 vs. 1/2
- Winners of 5/6 vs. 3/4
Home Advantage
- Second Leg: Teams finishing 1-4 have home advantage in the second leg of the quarterfinals.
- Semifinals: The semifinal ties are set by the bracket draw. Teams ranked 1 and 2 will play the semifinal second leg at home, unless knocked out earlier.
Already Qualified and Out
- Through: Barcelona and OL Lyonnes are already secured in the top four with 13 points.
- Knockout Playoffs: Chelsea, Juventus, Real Madrid, Wolfsburg, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Paris FC have secured playoff spots.
- Close Calls: Atletico Madrid is still in contention, but Valerenga needs a near-impossible 10-0 win to match them.
- Eliminated: St. Pölten and FC Twente, Benfica, Roma, and Paris Saint-Germain are out.
Final League Phase Fixtures
- VfL Wolfsburg vs. Chelsea: A Wolfsburg win could propel them into the top four, but they need Real Madrid and Juventus to lose. Chelsea needs a win to secure the top four, but a draw could be risky.
- OH Leuven vs. Arsenal: Leuven is likely safe in 12th, but a Valerenga win over Bayern could jeopardize their position. Arsenal needs other results to secure a top-four spot.
- Bayern Munich vs. Valerenga: Bayern needs better results than Juventus or Real Madrid to finish top four. Valerenga needs a miracle win and an Arsenal loss.
- FC Twente vs. Real Madrid: Madrid aims for a high score and win against Twente, close to Juve for fourth. An automatic place is possible.
- Juventus vs. Manchester United: Juve needs a win, likely advancing to playoffs with a draw. United could edge into the top tier of the playoff draw.
- OL Lyonnes vs. Atletico Madrid: Atletico needs a win for a better playoff draw. OL Lyonnes is through but aims for the top.
- Paris FC vs. Barcelona: Paris FC needs a win for 5-8, but a draw is risky. Barcelona is through, aiming for the top.
Knockout Games Schedule
- Playoffs: February 11-12 (Leg 1), February 18-19 (Leg 2)
- Quarterfinals: March 23-25 (Leg 1), March 31-April 2 (Leg 2)
- Semifinals: April 24-26 (Leg 1), May 1-3 (Leg 2)
- Final: May 22-23 at Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway.
