Liverpool officially into Champions League last 16 – but have to wait for top spot

January 21, 2025
Henry Jackson

Liverpool have officially qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, following some imperious performances in the competition.

The Reds’ win over Lille on Tuesday evening maintained their 100 percent record in Europe’s biggest club tournament this season.

It’s seven wins out of seven for Arne Slot‘s side, who have seen off respective La Liga and Bundesliga champions Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen, among others.

Liverpool’s place in the knockout round has now been confirmed, meaning they have officially reached the last 16 with a game to spare.

They haven’t yet confirmed their position as league phase winners, though, with a point needed against PSV Eindhoven to achieve that title.

That comes after a stunning fightback from Barcelona at Benfica, coming back from 3-1 – and then 4-2 – down to win 5-4 in the 96th minute.

If Liverpool lost against PSV on January 29 and Barcelona won their game they could therefore overtake them at the top via goal difference.

However, if Barcelona were to drop points in their final game then Liverpool could afford to even lose in their last game and still finish top.

How knockout round seedings work

With Liverpool into the next round, they will now be able to sit back and enjoy a potentially dramatic end to the first stage of the competition.

The 16 teams who finish between ninth and 24th will compete in a two-legged playoff to book a place in the last 16.

Those who are 25th or lower will be eliminated from the Champions League and will NOT drop down into the Europa League.

In the playoff, the teams who finish between ninth and 16th will be seeded and will face a team placed 17th to 24th, with the return fixture at home for the former.

Those who go through the tie will meet one of the top-eight finishers in the last 16, who will be seeded for this tie.

With Slot’s side confirming they will finish top or second in the league table, we know they will face either the 15th, 16th, 17th or 18th placed finishers in the round of 16.

We don’t know, though, who those teams will be.

From the round of 16 onwards, the competition will return to the format that we have grown accustomed to, with two-legged last 16, quarter-final and semi-final ties, leading up to the final.