Except for the final, each tie in the knockout phase was played over two legs, with each side playing one game at home. The seeded teams faced the unseeded teams, with the seeded teams hosting the second leg. Teams from the same organization or group may not be pitted against each other. If a match is tied after 90 minutes have been played, then 30 more minutes are added onto the clock to produce a winner. If scores are still level at that point, a penalty shoot-out will be used to determine a winner.
In the round of 16, the four winners from the last round joined another four clubs who were eliminated by the first round (the preliminary round). The eight new entrants played two matches against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winners advanced to face the winners of the Champions League group stage.
In the quarterfinals, the eight remaining teams were drawn into four ties. The teams from the same league can not be drawn against each other. The draws for the quarters and half-finals are done by UEFA which ensures there are no clashes between the rounds. The team that comes out on top after both games goes through to meet Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain in April.
The last eight winners join Barca and PSG, along with Italian champions Juventus, Spanish holders Real Madrid, German champions Bayern Munich and English champions Manchester United.
Except for the final, each round of the elimination round has two teams. The teams compete in two matches, with each squad playing one at home. Each match is referred to as a “leg.” The second leg of the round of 16 is hosted by the group winners. The side with the most goals after two legs progresses to the next round. If ties remain after the second leg, then a tie-breaker game will be played to determine who advances.
In the quarter-finals and semi-finals, the format is similar to that of the knockout stage of the Europa League. There are two games per matchday, with the team that scores first advancing. If the score is level after 90 minutes, then extra time is played. If the score is still level after extra time, then the winner is determined by a penalty shoot-out.
The final is held over two days. On the first day, there is a preliminary round where the eight group winners along with the eight best runners-up from the qualifying round progress to the tournament. These sixteen teams are split into four groups of four teams. The four group winners advance to the next round. The four runners-up from the preliminary round join their respective groups depending on which country they represent. For example, if an Italian club wins its group, they do not have to play any matches in the preliminary round. Instead, they can focus on the main tournament with the other three Italian clubs.
If no goals are scored during extra time, a penalty shootout is used to determine the winner.
Real Madrid have won this competition more than any other team with 12 victories. They are also the only side to have completed the feat without losing a single match.
One aspect that sets it apart from the other major international club tournaments is the number of top-class players who don’t even play professional football. There are several reasons why these athletes choose not to turn pro; some prefer to stay in their native countries, others want to continue earning a living through their skills on the field. But none of them can avoid playing in the Champions League if they want to keep winning titles.
Another difference between the Champions League and the UEFA Europa League is that only elite clubs can participate in the former. In order to be eligible, teams must have won at least five domestic league titles over the previous five seasons. A club that fails to meet this requirement can still enter the Europa League but they will be forced to play in the qualifying rounds where they will be able to meet the criteria.
In many tournaments with two-leg ties between seeded and unseeded teams, the seeded team has home advantage in the second leg. In the UEFA Champions League round of 16, for example, the group winners host the second leg, while the group runners-up host the first match. The winner of that game goes on to play the third-place team.
In other words, the team that advances furthest in the tournament will be the one who performs best over two matches. The ‘champion’ is determined by the club that wins the most games over all. If they are equal, the goal difference takes priority.
Two-legged ties are common in major international competitions such as the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and FIFA Club World Cup. In these cases, the team that plays at home in the second leg usually has the advantage. This is because they can rest their players before the more important final match. The visiting team can also benefit if the venue for the return match isn’t known until just before the match starts. For example, if a team from Group B travels to Group A for its second leg, then the outcome of the previous Group B match against Group C may not be known yet. In this case, the visitors from Group B would like to avoid another loss so they will try hard to beat Group A’s team even if it means taking a step down in competition.
If the aggregate score is the same, the away-goals rule is used. If there are still ties after taking into account all of the above, then a penalty shoot-out will be used to determine who advances.
In the quarter-finals and beyond, if there are any remaining ties after the first four rounds, they are decided by a series of semi-finals called “semi-final draws”. In these semi-final draws, the teams not involved in the current round draw are assigned numbers from 1 to 4. Numbers 1 and 2 play each other, while numbers 3 and 4 play each other. The winners of these semi-finals progress to the final etc.
In the Champions League, just like in real life, the team that scores more goals wins. However, if the score is level at the end of normal time, the referee has the right to award a win to the host team (or any other team he wishes) - this is known as an “obligation to score” and can sometimes be given if the visitor team appears likely to score more goals. This system was introduced in the 1991-92 season when Milan played Steaua Bucharest in the European Cup.
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