Potential Champions League Clásico Coming Up for Real Madrid and Barcelona

With the new UCL format, we can now see which potential matches could occur in the round of 32 and the round of 16.

The second round of the Champions League stage has now concluded. Under the new format, there are still six rounds left to play, but the standings already make it clear where each team is heading. This year, qualification takes on added importance: the teams finishing between first and eighth will always enjoy home-stadium advantage against lower-ranked opponents. If a lower-ranked side manages to eliminate a higher-ranked one, they inherit that home advantage in the following round.

The top eight teams qualify directly for the round of 16. Teams ranked 9th to 24th will compete in a playoff round—the round of 32—for the remaining spots. The first and second seeds cannot meet until the final.

As with last season, there will be no open draw pairing top-ranked teams against the lowest-ranked. Instead, a directed draw is used. Each team can only face two possible opponents, as shown in the infographic. For example, the teams in 9th and 10th place can only face those in 23rd and 24th. The same pattern applies throughout the table. From that point forward, the draw is guided, with matchups determined by standings. In the round of 16, teams can even face opponents from their own country.

The biggest surprise so far is Qarabag in sixth place, which would give them direct entry into the quarterfinals. Real Madrid is currently the only Spanish side positioned to qualify directly for the round of 16. Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid would both need to play in the qualifying round, opening the door to a potential Clásico in the round of 16. Barça could face Liverpool or Chelsea in the playoff, while Atleti could meet Juventus or Bodo. Villarreal and Athletic Club, meanwhile, would be eliminated.

Possible Champions League Round of 32 matchups:

• 9th/10th vs. 23rd/24th: Tottenham or Atlético de Madrid vs. Juventus or Bodo
• 11th/12th vs. 21st/22nd: Newcastle or Marseille vs. Galatasaray or Atalanta
• 13th/14th vs. 19th/20th: Bruges or Sporting CP vs. Napoli or Union Saint-Gilloise
• 15th/16th vs. 17th/18th: Eintracht Frankfurt or Barcelona vs. Liverpool or Chelsea

Possible Champions League Round of 16 matchups:

• 1st/2nd vs. winners of 15th/16th vs. 17th/18th: Bayern or Real Madrid vs. the winner of Eintracht/Barça vs. Liverpool/Chelsea
• 3rd/4th vs. winners of 13th/14th vs. 19th/20th: PSG or Inter vs. the winner of Bruges/Sporting vs. Napoli/Union Saint-Gilloise
• 5th/6th vs. winners of 11th/12th vs. 21st/22nd: Arsenal or Qarabag vs. the winner of Newcastle/Marseille vs. Galatasaray/Atalanta
• 7th/8th vs. winners of 9th/10th vs. 23rd/24th: Borussia Dortmund or Manchester City vs. the winner of Tottenham/Atlético vs. Juventus/Bodo

Credit: en.as.com

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