“Tonight looked like carnage,” Andy Robertson laughed after Liverpool concluded the inaugural league phase of the new-look Champions League with their first European defeat of the season.
“The league table was all over the place,” the Scot said, reflecting on the 17 other matches which were taking place at the same time, “so I’m glad our place was settled.”
Seven straight wins to start the league phase guaranteed Liverpool a spot in the top two and thereby automatic qualification into the round of 16.
“I’m just glad we don’t have a play-off,” Robertson admitted. “There will always be tough games so let’s see who we face once they fight out in the play-offs.” Good idea.
Ahead of Friday’s Champions League draw, Liverpool could face any one of four opponents; Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Monaco or Brest.
As PSG and Benfica finished 15th and 16th in the final league phase table, they will come up against either Monaco (17th) or Brest (18th) in the knockout play-off rounds, with the final fixtures to be decided in Nyon this week.
PSG may have only won half of their league phase matches, but they are undoubtedly the one side which Liverpool would like to avoid.
Luis Enrique’s French champions finished the first stage of the competition with a trio of victories and haven’t been beaten in any setting since a limp 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich back in November. Boasting a youthful and fleet-footed frontline, PSG should come through their all-French play-off.
The upcoming draw will only decide the knockout play-off pairings, the first legs of which will be played on 11/12 February. Once those ties are concluded on the following midweek, Liverpool’s number of potential opponents will have been halved.
The draw for the round of 16 will take place on 21 February 2025 and finally reveals whether Liverpool or Barcelona (who finished second in the league phase) will play the winner of play-off number one or number eight.
This year’s Champions League group stage equivalent stretched beyond Christmas for the first time in two decades, however, the round of 16 calendar hasn’t been majorly altered. Just as last season, the knockout round will conclude in spring, with the first legs set to be held on 4/5 March before the return fixture one week later on 11/12 March.
There’s almost a month to wait until the quarter-finals (8/9 April) before the final four begins at the end of April. This year’s European showpiece, which will be held at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena, is set to take place on 31 May.
