UEFA Champions League play-off draw
Friday, August 4, 2017
Article summary
Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp will return to Germany to face Hoffenheim while two of Europe's great entertainers will meet as Napoli take on Nice. Check out all ten ties.
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The 20 teams vying for the ten available places in the UEFA Champions League group stage have discovered who lies between them and a coveted spot in Europe's elite club competition.
Among the highlights are a meeting of two of Europe's great entertainers, Napoli and Nice, while Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp returns to Germany to face Hoffenheim. Celtic, European champions in 1967, will have a 10,000km round-trip to take on Kazakhstan's Astana – the side they edged past 3-2 on aggregate in the third qualifying round 12 months ago.
- Full Champions League play-off schedule
- Who's in this season's UEFA Champions League?
- The Champions League match and draw calendar
Champions route
Qarabağ (AZE) v København (DEN) – 15 & 23 August
APOEL (CYP) v Slavia Praha (CZE) – 15 & 23 August
Olympiacos (GRE) v Rijeka (CRO) – 16 & 22 August
Celtic (SCO) v Astana (KAZ) – 16 & 22 August
Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR) v Maribor (SVN) – 16 & 22 August
League route
İstanbul Başakşehir (TUR) v Sevilla (ESP) – 16 & 22 August
Young Boys (SUI) v CSKA Moskva (RUS) – 15 & 23 August
Napoli (ITA) v Nice (FRA) – 16 & 22 August
Hoffenheim (GER) v Liverpool (ENG) – 15 & 23 August
Sporting CP (POR) v FCSB (ROU) – 15 & 23 August
Seeded teams in bold.
The ten winners earn a place in the draw for the UEFA Champions League group stage – live on UEFA.com on Thursday 24 August – with the defeated teams transferring to the UEFA Europa League group stage.
Who's already in the group stage?
Pot 1: Real Madrid (ESP, holders), Bayern München (GER), Juventus (ITA), Benfica (POR), Chelsea (ENG), Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), Monaco (FRA), Spartak Moskva (RUS)
Other pots: Anderlecht (BEL), Atlético Madrid (ESP), Barcelona (ESP), Basel (SUI), Beşiktaş (TUR), Borussia Dortmund (GER), Feyenoord (NED), RB Leipzig (GER), Manchester City (ENG), Manchester United (ENG), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Porto (POR), Roma (ITA), Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)
What's the road to the final?
Group stage
Matchday one: 12/13 September
Matchday two: 26/27 Septemer
Matchday three: 17/18 October
Matchday four: 31 October/1 November
Matchday five: 21/22 November
Matchday six: 5/6 December
Top two in all eight groups go into the knockout phase.
Knockout phase
Round of 16 draw: 11 December
Round of 16, first leg: 13/14 & 20/21 February
Round of 16, second leg: 6/7 & 13/14 March
Quarter-final draw: 16 March
Quarter-finals, first leg: 3/4 April
Quarter-finals, second leg: 10/11 April
Semi-final draw: 13 April
Semi-final, first leg: 24/25 April
Semi-final, second leg: 1/2 May
Final: 26 May (NSK Olimpiyski, Kyiv)
