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Sixteen teams will discover who they will face in the Champions League knockout phase play-off draw on Friday. Proceedings start in Switzerland at 11: 00 GMT and will involve the teams that finish between ninth and 24th in the table. The top eight sides in the league phase - including Arsenal and Bayern Munich - automatically qualify for the last 16 and will avoid a potential fixture pile-up in February. The first legs of the play-offs take place on either 17 or 18 February and the second legs are one week later. League placement also matters for teams involved in the play-offs, so there is extra incentive to pick up points in the final round. Send us your questions The process is all fairly simple. Clubs are paired together based on where they finish at the end of the league phase to form seeded and unseeded pairs. The teams that finish ninth to 16th are the seeded pairs, while 17th to 24th are unseeded pairs. The seeded pair is drawn against an unseeded pair. For example, 15th and 16th will face 17th and 18th. The seeded team will play the second leg at home. If the current table stays the same Juventus and Borussia Dortmund will face either Galatasary or Qarabag in the play-offs Yes, Premier League teams can be drawn against each other in the knockout phase play-offs. Clubs can also play an opponent they have already faced in the league phase. Once the eight winners of the play-offs have been determined they can progress to the last 16, where they will meet the top eight finishers from the league phase. From this point onward the competition adopts a knockout format, with each fixture other than the final contested over two legs. As with the play-offs, teams' final ranking in the league phase will influence seeding in the last 16, with seeded sides - those that finished in the top eight of the league - being given the advantage of playing their second fixture at home. This is the first season that the position in which teams have placed in the league phase will also influence seeding for the quarter-final and semi-finals. Teams finishing first to fourth at the end of the league phase will be seeded for the quarter-finals, and therefore given the second leg home advantage for their potential quarter-final tie. The two sides who finish top and runner-up in the league will also be seeded for the semi-finals, earning them the benefit of playing the second leg of their semi-final tie at home should they reach that stage. If a seeded team does not progress to the quarter or semi-finals, the team that knocked them out inherits their seeding position. The draw that will determine the last 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will take place on 27 February. The dates for the knockout phase are as follows: Last 16: 10-11 and 17-18 March Quarter-finals: 7-8 and 14-15 April Semi-finals: 28-29 April and 5-6 May Final: 30 May Thanks to Richard in Saffron Walden for the question. This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team. Who can discuss a free transfer in January? Can January signings play in the Champions League? Which countries are set to win extra Champions League places? Fury to face Makhmudov in April comeback fight Six English clubs, one huge night - all to play for in Champions League Fresh or undercooked? Djokovic unsure where fortune leaves him Explore the big screen adventures of the Starship Enterprise Agatha Christie: The best-selling novelist of all time New mysteries and family trouble are afoot in Death in Paradise New clues emerge in the search for Dr Ruja Ignatova Bayern legend? How Kane is viewed in Germany as contract talks begin Why England legend Root is so effective in Asia Global brand in an EFL world - Wrexham's £48m cash injection explained What happens next after latest link between heading and brain disease? Who has made Troy's Premier League team of the week? Why did Alcaraz, Sinner & Sabalenka have to remove fitness trackers? Six English clubs, one huge night - all to play for in Champions League Can unfancied Scots be Six Nations contenders? F1 testing begins - but why all the secrecy? Cal-fouri, a lesser-spotted law & Russell v the Shed - Prem talking points 'Another unbelievable result' - but what's different about Man Utd now? 'Intoxicating title fight impossible to call as Hearts refuse to buckle' Grudge match or homecoming - what next for Pimblett? Is Sinner-Alcaraz in danger of making majors boring? Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.