Every Champions League team will be in action this evening as the final round of league phase matches are played out. Liverpool have already qualified for the last-16, with Arsenal likely to follow suit tonight.
The top eight teams at the end of the evening will automatically qualify for the round of 16, while the teams that finish between ninth and 24th will face a two-legged playoff.
Aston Villa start the evening in ninth but could face a battle to clinch eighth spot as they are one of six teams on 13 points. Manchester City, meanwhile, are in 25th place but will climb into the top 24 if they beat Club Brugge.
When is the Champions League playoff draw?
The Champions League playoff draw will take place from 11am GMT on Friday. The draw will go ahead at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.
How does the draw work?
The teams who finish between ninth and 16th in the league phase will be seeded for the playoff draw.
The playoff fixtures are predetermined ahead of the draw, with the team that finish 24th facing the team who finish ninth, the team who end up in 23rd place taking on the team who take 10th spot, and so on and so forth.
The 16th highest team will face the 17th highest team. And the highest ranked club in each of the matches will play the second leg at home.
A full draw will be made in Nyon, with each team being named on a ball and being placed into one of eight bowls.
Teams who automatically qualify for the last-16 will be placed into sections of the draw, meaning every side’s route to the final will be mapped out once the league phase comes to an end.
Who can Aston Villa and Manchester City play against?
As the playoff fixtures are based solely on league phase positions, there are no other restrictions imposed on teams.
Therefore, Aston Villa and Manchester City could face any of the other 15 teams in the playoffs, including sides they have already played against this season. There could even be a clash between the two Premier League clubs.
When will the playoff matches be played?
The playoff matches have been scheduled over two weeks in mid-February. Each club will play one match on a Tuesday and one match on a Wednesday. The dates and times of each fixture will be finalised on the day of the draw.
First legs: February 11/12
Second legs: February 18/19
