Benfica will lock horns with Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League play-offs, just three weeks after their thrilling league-phase clash.
The Portuguese side secured a dramatic 4-2 victory over the Spanish giants on Wednesday, with goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scoring a sensational 98th-minute goal to seal the win for Jose Mourinho’s team.
Elsewhere, Newcastle United will face Azerbaijan champions Qarabag after finishing 12th in the league phase. Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, who placed 11th, have been drawn against Ligue 1 rivals AS Monaco in an all-French encounter.
The two-legged play-offs involve teams that finished between ninth and 24th in the league phase. First-leg fixtures are scheduled for 17–18 February, with the return legs taking place a week later.
The 2025–26 UEFA Champions League final will be staged at the Puskás Arena in Budapest, Hungary, on 30 May.
Qarabag finished 22nd in the league phase after recording three wins, one draw and four defeats. They suffered a heavy 6-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield in their final group match and are yet to record a win against a Premier League side in nine previous meetings.
However, the Azerbaijani club made history in November by avoiding defeat against an English side for the first time, holding Chelsea to a 2-2 draw.
The winner of the Newcastle–Qarabag tie will progress to face either Chelsea or Barcelona in the round of 16.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur all finished in the top eight of the league phase and have secured automatic qualification for the last 16.
The draw for the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will take place on 27 February.
Full Champions League Play-off Draw:
Bodo/Glimt vs Inter Milan
Benfica vs Real Madrid
Monaco vs Paris Saint-Germain
Qarabag vs Newcastle
Galatasaray vs Juventus
Club Brugge vs Atletico Madrid
Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta
Olympiacos vs Bayer Leverkusen
What Happens After the Play-offs
The eight play-off winners will advance to the round of 16, where they will face the top eight finishers from the league phase. From that stage, the competition adopts a straight knockout format, with all ties played over two legs except the final.
League-phase rankings will determine seeding in the round of 16, with seeded teams earning the advantage of hosting the second leg. For the first time, league-phase positions will also influence seeding for the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
Teams that finished first to fourth in the league phase will be seeded for the quarter-finals, while the top two teams will also be seeded for the semi-finals, granting home advantage in the second leg if they progress. Should a seeded team be eliminated, the team that knocks them out will inherit the seeding position.
Knockout Phase Dates:
Round of 16: 10–11 and 17–18 March
Quarter-finals: 7–8 and 14–15 April
Semi-finals: 28–29 April and 5–6 May
Final: 30 May
