Key Takeaways:
- Real Madrid have been drawn against Jose Mourinho’s Benfica after recently facing off in the group stage
- Paris Saint-Germain will meet another Ligue 1 rival, Monaco, in the playoff round
- Newcastle will play Qarabag, a side who lost 0:6 to Liverpool at Anfield in the previous round
Playoff Round Draw Details
The Champions League playoff round draw, conducted today in Nyon, has produced several intriguing fixtures that will decide the final places in the Round of 16. Real Madrid are set to clash once again with Jose Mourinho’s Benfica, a revival of their recent encounter in the group stage where Benfica claimed a 4-2 victory at the Estádio da Luz. In that dramatic match, Benfica’s goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored in the dying moments to secure qualification among the top twenty-four teams and maintain their hopes of progressing further.
The knockout phase play-offs are set ✅#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/SLapvWxVV2
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 30, 2026
Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain will play a local rival for the second year running; this time, they take on Monaco. PSG knocked out Brest at this stage last year, whereas Monaco enter the tie currently in tenth place in Ligue 1, having endured an inconsistent campaign so far.
Elsewhere, Serie A leaders Inter have been paired with Bodo/Glimt. Juventus, Italy’s other representative in this round, are set to go up against Galatasaray. Newcastle arguably enjoyed the best fortune in the draw, coming up against Qarabag, a side that suffered a heavy 0:6 loss to Liverpool at Anfield during the final round of the main phase.
Other Notable Fixtures and Format
The ties also include Borussia Dortmund facing Atalanta, while Atletico Madrid will compete against Club Brugge. Olympiacos and Bayer Leverkusen will meet once more, having already played each other in the earlier phase of the competition.
The teams that ended between ninth and twenty-fourth in the main phase were divided into seeded and unseeded pots for the draw. The seeded teams included Real Madrid, Inter, Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, and Bayer Leverkusen. The unseeded group comprised Borussia Dortmund, Olympiacos, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Monaco, Qarabag, Bodo/Glimt, and Benfica.
Seeded teams have been given the advantage of hosting the second leg in their respective ties.
Schedule and Next Steps
The first legs of the playoff round are set for 17 and 18 February, with the return matches to be played a week later. The eight successful teams from these fixtures will join the top eight finishers from the main phase in completing the line-up for the Round of 16. The draw for the next round is scheduled to take place on 27 February.
Playoff Round Draw
| Fixtures |
|---|
| Benfica – Real Madrid |
| Bodo/Glimt – Inter |
| Monaco – Paris Saint-Germain |
| Qarabag – Newcastle |
| Galatasaray – Juventus |
| Club Brugge – Atletico Madrid |
| Borussia Dortmund – Atalanta |
| Olympiacos – Bayer Leverkusen |
