Accordingly, the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League knockout phase begins on February 17, 2026. Under the competition’s new format, the top 24 teams from the league phase advance to the knockout stage: the top eight receive byes to the UEFA Champions League betting Round of 16, while teams ranked 9th to 24th must compete in a two-legged Knockout Phase Playoff to join them.
The UEFA Champions League knockout phase playoffs are a two-legged qualifying round. Specifically, they determine which teams join the top eight in the Soccer odds Round of 16.
How Knockout Playoffs Work
Participants: The 16 teams that finished between 9th and 24th in the single league table. Teams finishing 1st–8th received a bye directly to the Round of 16, while those 25th and below were eliminated.
Seeding: Teams ranked 9th–16th are seeded, and those 17th–24th are unseeded.
Home Advantage: Seeded teams earn the right to host the second leg at home.
No Country Protection: Unlike in the league phase, teams from the same national association may be drawn against each other, and they may face opponents they already played in the league phase.
No Away Goals: If the aggregate score is tied after two legs, teams play 30 minutes of extra time followed by a penalty shoot-out.
2026 UEFA Champions League Title Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Arsenal | +370 |
| Bayern Munich | +450 |
| Barcelona | +700 |
| Manchester City | +800 |
| PSG | +800 |
| Liverpool | +1000 |
| Real Madrid | +1100 |
Arsenal is the current betting favorite, following a perfect League Phase. Bayern Munich and the reigning champions, PSG, closely follow them.
Champions League Knockout Draw and Matchups
The UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off draw took place on January 30, 2026. Hence, it set the stage for the first elimination round of the 2025–26 season. This round features teams that finished 9th to 24th in the league phase table, while the top eight teams earned a direct bye to the Round of 16.
The top 8 teams from the league phase advanced directly to the round of 16: Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Sporting CP, and Tottenham Hotspur. Meanwhile, the teams finishing 9th–24th entered the knockout phase play-offs (two-legged ties), with the draw held on January 30, 2026. These play-offs determine the remaining 8 spots in the round of 16
The UEFA Champions League knockout play-off draw features a strong lineup of matchups. Betting traffic is always high for this stage.
Knockout Phase Matchups
First legs: February 17–18, 2026
Second legs: February 24–25, 2026 (The higher-seeded team — generally from 9–16 in league phase — hosts the second leg.)
Confirmed Matches
- Benfica vs Real Madrid
- Bodø/Glimt vs Inter Milan
- Monaco vs Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)
- Qarabağ vs Newcastle United
- Galatasaray vs Juventus
- Club Brugge vs Atlético Madrid
- Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta
- Olympiacos vs Bayer Leverkusen
Key Betting Interest Matchups
The seeding impact of the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League knockout phase significantly transforms the tournament. Specifically, it is rewarding league-phase consistency with bracket protection, home-leg advantages, and substantial financial windfalls. Home vs. away dynamics are strictly dictated by a team’s League Phase ranking. Thus, that determines the host for the critical second leg. This “merit-based” system replaces the previous random draws for hosting rights in later rounds.
Wise Guy Bets for the Knockout Playoffs
First, many sharps will fade the Home Underdog on Day 2. Day 1 (Feb 17) has more competitive matches. By contrast, Day 2 (Feb 18) features heavy favorites away (Newcastle -250, Inter -140, Atletico Madrid -105).
Additionally, Wise Guys will prefer “To Qualify” vs. Moneyline. Consider that, for the play-offs, “To Qualify” parlay bets apply best to Juventus and Newcastle. This protects your bet if they draw the away leg but dominate the return leg at home.