CL Knockout Phase Playoffs Preview
The League Phase was concluded last week, and the new format made for a very entertaining final day with 18 matches kicking off at the same time. The top 8 teams went straight to the Round of 16, whereas the teams who ended up in 9-24 are now facing a knockout phase playoff round to determine which teams will join the top 8. Let’s take a look at some of the big fixtures coming up!
Benfica – Real Madrid
Estádio da Luz, Tuesday @ 21:00 CET
Benfica
Position in the League Phase: 24
Real Madrid
Position in the League Phase: 9
These two teams faced each other in the final match of the League Phase, creating one of the most memorable moments in the new CL format as Benfica’s goalkeeper headed in the 4-2 goal that saw the Portuguese side jump to 24th in the standings, qualifying for the knockout phase in the last second. It was heartbreak for Marseille, who subsequently were eliminated from the tournament, and Real Madrid, who due to losing this match ended up in 9th instead of in the top 8.
Benfica are at 3.55 to win the first leg of this fixture, with Real Madrid at 1.95, and despite the Portuguese side winning last week, one would think the Spaniards will get the job done over two matches when it really matters here. The CL experts are at 1.18 to qualify over two matches, with Benfica clear underdogs at 4.80.
Looking at the odds for the correct score, another 4-2 win for Benfica, which was the result in their match last week, is at 150.00, while a 0-1 win for Real Madrid is at 4.60.
The winner of this fixture will face off with Sporting CP or Man City in the Round of 16.
Borussia Dortmund – Atalanta
Signal Iduna Park, Tuesday @ 21:00
Borussia Dortmund:
Position in the League Phase: 17
Atalanta
Position in the League Phase: 15
Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta are both desperate to go through to the Round of 16, with the Italians the seeded team in this match-up after finishing 13th in the standings of the League Phase despite losing their last match against Union Saint-Gilloise. The Bergamo side showed their quality midweek, though, eliminating Juventus from the Italian cup with an emphatic 3-0 win in the quarter-finals.
The Germans are odds favourites in their home fixture at 2.08, with an Atalanta win in Dortmund at 3.45, though the Italians are odds favourites at 1.75 to qualify over two legs. The Germans only won 2 of their four home matches in the league phase, against a struggling Villarreal and Athletic. They managed one win away from home in their 4 away matches.
Atalanta won 2 of their away fixtures, against Marseille and Eintracht Frankfurt, while winning against Chelsea and Club Brugge in Bergamo.
Over 3.5 in the first leg is at 2.85, with the odds of both teams to score at 1.62.
The winner of this fixture will face off with Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the Round of 16.
The Rest of the Match-ups
There are 6 other match-ups to look forward to, with Juventus facing Galatasaray and Monaco and PSG clashing in an all-French fixture in two of the other big ones. Below you can see the remaining 6 fixtures, with the favourites to qualify over two matches in bold:
Galatasaray – Juventus
Monaco – PSG
Qarabag – Newcastle
Club Brugge – Atlético Madrid
Olympiacos – Bayer Leverkusen
Bodo – Inter
What are your predictions for the upcoming matches?
Odds might have changed since the writing and/or publication of this article.
Last Updated: 06.02.2026
