Official: Champions League 2025-26 Play-Off Draw Results: Real Madrid Face Benfica!
8 Decisive Clashes: Real Madrid Returns to Lisbon, PSG vs Monaco, Inter vs Bodo
The draw for the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League knockout round play-offs was held today, Friday, January 30, 2026, in Nyon, Switzerland. Eight fixtures were set between teams ranked 9th-16th (seeded) and 17th-24th (unseeded) to determine who joins the top eight direct qualifiers in the Round of 16.
Matches will be played over two legs on February 17-18 and 24-25. The winners will progress to the Round of 16 starting March 10-11.
Full Draw Results (Official)
- Benfica vs Real Madrid - First leg at Da Luz, second leg at the Bernabéu.
- Bodø/Glimt vs Inter Milan - An Italian-Norwegian showdown.
- Monaco vs Paris Saint-Germain - A high-stakes French derby.
- Qarabağ vs Newcastle United - English side heads to Azerbaijan.
- Galatasaray vs Juventus - Classic Italian-Turkish encounter.
- Club Brugge vs Atlético Madrid - Simeone takes on the Belgians.
- Olympiacos vs Bayer Leverkusen - German champions face Greek challenge.
- Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta - A wide-open German-Italian clash.
Draw System and Play-Off Details
The rules paired seeded teams (positions 9-16) against unseeded teams (positions 17-24). Seeded teams will have the advantage of playing the second leg at home.
Schedule:
- First Legs: February 17-18, 2026
- Second Legs: February 24-25, 2026
- Round of 16 Draw: February 27, 2026
Key Matchups and Outlook
Real Madrid vs Benfica: The biggest highlight of the draw. Real Madrid will look to avenge their recent 2-4 league phase loss against the Portuguese giants. Prediction: A closely fought battle with Madrid narrowly progressing.
PSG vs Monaco: An all-French clash. While PSG is the favorite, Monaco's recent form makes them a dangerous underdog in a knockout environment.
Inter vs Bodo/Glimt: The Nerazzurri are heavy favorites but must be wary of the artificial turf and freezing conditions in Norway for the first leg.