Most Reds will be aware that Liverpool have completed the league phase of their Champions League season, with this the first year the new format has been used. Manager Arne Slot decided to rest several key stars for their final clash on Wednesday the 29th of January, with a number of youngsters and fringe players given valuable minutes.
Liverpool lost the game against PSV Eindhoven 3-2 but still managed to top the league stage of this year’s tournament. They already had seven wins and 21 points and that proved enough to end two points clear of Barcelona, Arsenal and Inter Milan. It was a case of job (very) well done for Slot and his troops, who have now booked a little rest from this competition thanks to automatic entry into the last 16.
Arsenal, of course, have done likewise, but a number of big clubs slipped up and, for example, Man City and Real Madrid will now meet each other in the play-off round, with one of Liverpool’s major threats sure to be eliminated early on. As for Liverpool, avoiding two extra games will be very helpful and really allow them to focus on domestic competition.
The play-off games will take place on the 11th and 12th of February, with the second legs on the 18th and 19th. The Reds play games in the league, FA Cup and EFL Cup before the play-offs will be completed and so this gives them an excellent chance to really put everything into chasing a possible quadruple.
There is an awful lot of football to be played before we should really be even thinking about the “Q-word” and of course fans would be over the moon to land any two trophies this year, especially if one was the PL. The club look really well set to claim the top-tier title and really, adding one – or dare we dream of more? – cup would be a bonus on top. We know, of course, who the Reds will face in the domestic cups, but what about the Champions League? What happens next, and when?
Draw for Play-Offs Made
The road to Munich mapped out 🏆#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/BbVxl80dhD
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 31, 2025
The draw for the play-offs, that pitted City and Real Madrid against each other, was made on Friday the 31st of January. There are some other great ties too, including Juventus v PSV, Arne’s former club Feyenoord against Milan, Celtic v Bayern Munich and Sporting Lisbon v Dortmund.
However, the games that will most concern Liverpool fans are the clashes between French duo Brest and PSG, and the match between another French club, Monaco, and Benfica. The new format of this year’s Champions League means that we now know Liverpool will be up against one of those four teams in the round of 16. As such, you might want to start dusting off your bonjours and your mercis, as there is a three in four chance that the Reds will be travelling to France in the next round.
The new structure uses a bracket system and as such, we know that Liverpool or Barcelona will play the winners of the Brest v PSG clash, with the other team going up against Benfica or Monaco.
When Will We Know More?
As said, the two-legged play-offs will take place over consecutive Tuesdays/Wednesdays in mid-February. Once all ties are completed on the evening of the 19th, we will know which eight sides will be joining the octet who made up the top eight from the league phase, in the last 16. However, at that point, we will not know whether Liverpool might have to face PSG, or whether Barca will be up against the winner of the all-French play-off.
The last 16 draw will be made shortly after the conclusion of the play-offs, on the 21st of February. That is the last significant draw to be made for this year’s competitions, with the rest of the Champions League fixtures set according to the predetermined bracket. There will be draws to decide who plays at home first but following the one on the 21st of February, we will essentially “know” who can play who at each stage of the competition.
At this moment in time there are far too many unknowns and variables to really get too far ahead of ourselves and think who might the Reds play at each step of the way. That said, we can say without delving too deep into the “what ifs”, that it is possible the Reds could be up against Villa in the last 16. Or Lille for that matter. Or Club Brugge, Atalanta, Sporting Lisbon or Dortmund! Simple right?
League Phase Summary
We know what is next for Slot’s men, who, by the way, are favourites to win this season’s UEFA Champions League, but how did they get here? Let’s take a quick look back at the 2024/25 Champions League league phase.
The first thing to note is that the club did incredibly well to top the pile. That would have been the case come what may, given the calibre of some of the other teams involved. But given Liverpool had a new manager and a tough draw, and their only loss came with an almost completely changed XI, it is even more remarkable.
When the draw was made, many experts believed that the Reds had been handed the toughest set of fixtures. However, they got off to a brilliant start by winning 3-1 away at Milan. That really set the tone for things and was backed up by a 2-0 home victory over Bologna. Matchday three saw them play another team from one of Europe’s top leagues but they kept another clean sheet to beat RB Leipzig 1-0.
It was more German opposition next and the Reds delivered perhaps their best performance, beating Xabi Alonso’s Bundesliga champions 4-0 at Anfield. That said, many will feel that matchday five was their statement win, as they deservedly beat Real Madrid 2-0, again in front of the Anfield faithful.
A 1-0 win followed, this time against surprise La Liga package Girona, in Spain. Their final win was a 2-1 victory over Lille before that 3-2 loss in the Netherlands. The Reds conceded just five goals, but with three of those coming against their second-string (more like third really), they really did have an exceptional league phase. Now bring on the last 16!