UEFA Champions League Matchday 8 key questions: When are final league phase matches? Play-off format, bracket explained

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The final matchday of the inaugural UEFA Champions League league phase is upon us. With the new format still in its debut season, we answer all your questions surrounding Matchday 8 - including when matches are set to be played, what happens if teams finish level on points and how teams qualify automatically for the round of 16. Read on to get all the big questions answered...

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It's business time in the UEFA Champions League, with the league phase reaching its finale for the first time since its revamp.

In its new format, the tournament has delivered just as much drama as ever - and there is still plenty to come on the final day.

All 18 Matchday 8 fixtures will kick-off at the same time - with every kick live on TNT Sports and discovery+ on Wednesday - with plenty of twists and turns expected as some teams battle for automatic qualification while others look to avoid an early exit.

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Manchester City's 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last week pushed Pep Guardiola's side out of the 'top 24', meaning they have it all to do as they face Club Brugge on the final day - needing to beat the Belgian side to advance to the knockout phase play-offs.

Uncertainty also looms over PSG's play-off spot, while Aston Villa face an intriguing home clash against Celtic, with Unai Emery's side looking to charge back into the top eight.

Below, we answer all the big questions surrounding the final day...

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When are the final league phase matches?

Every single UEFA Champions League game in Matchday 8 will kick-off at 20:00 UK time on Wednesday, January 29.

It is set to be a bumper evening of action as the league phase draws to a halt, and you can watch all 18 matches live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Why is every match at the same time?

With teams' qualification potentially dependent on outcomes elsewhere, all games will run concurrently to ensure no team has an advantage from knowing other results.

Full list of Matchday 8 fixtures

Wednesday, January 29 - all 20:00 UK time

Dinamo Zagreb v AC Milan
Inter v Monaco
Barcelona v Atalanta
Bayer Leverkusen v Sparta Prague
Sturm Graz v RB Leipzig
Red Bull Salzburg v Atletico Madrid
Lille v Feyenoord
Young Boys v Crvenz Zvezda
Aston Villa v Celtic
Bayern Munich v Slovan Bratislava
Sporting v Bologna
Borussia Dortmund v Shakhtar Donetsk
PSV v Liverpool
Stuttgart v Paris Saint-Germain
Girona v Arsenal
Brest v Real Madrid
Juventus v Benfica
Man City v Club Brugge

How do teams automatically qualify for the last 16?

Liverpool and Barcelona have confirmed their places in the last 16 after guaranteeing a top-eight finish in the league phase.

The Reds have picked up a perfect 21 points from their first seven matches, while a dramatic 5-4 victory over Benfica sealed the Catalan side's progress as they moved onto 18 points.

Come Wednesday evening, the remainder of the Champions League's top performers will be jostling for a spot in the top eight - a finish which would ensure automatic passage to the knockout stages.

The round of 16 commences on March 4-5 - but before that, there's the small matter of finding out which eight teams will emerge from the play-offs...

So what are the knockout phase play-offs? And when are they?

Teams who place between ninth and 24th in the league phase table will contest new-look play-off ties. These will be played over two legs on February 11-12 and February 18-19.

Teams who place between ninth and 16th will guarantee home ties in the second leg of their play-offs against lower-ranked opponents.

But rather than a traditional UEFA knockout draw - where all eight seeds can meet all eight non-seeds - the tournament takes the form of a bracket from the play-off stage onwards.

There is still a draw, but potential opponents are reduced to two options. For example, teams finishing ninth and 10th can only be drawn against teams finishing 23rd and 24th; teams finishing 11th and 12th can only be drawn against teams finishing 21st and 22nd; and so on... Got it? Good.

Can teams from the same country face each other?

Yes, sides can face another team from the same national association from the knockout phase play-offs onwards.

Intriguingly, they can also face teams they played during the league phase.

What about the teams outside the top 24?

Those who finish below 24th in the league phase table will be eliminated from this year's Champions League - and all European competition.

Bologna, Crvena Zvezda, Girona, RB Leipzig, RB Salzburg, Slovan Bratislava, Sparta Praha, Sturm Graz, Young Boys have already had their eliminations confirmed.

What if teams finish level on points?

The race for a spot in the top eight is hotly-contested, with just one point separating Bayer Leverkusen in eighth and Celtic in 18th.

So how exactly are teams separated?

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According to article 18 of the UEFA Champions League's regulations, the primary factor separating teams level on points will be goal difference - as is a regular practice for major leagues and competitions.

Should teams also be locked on the same goal difference, UEFA have laid out the following criteria in order to separate them:

Goals scored in league phase
Away goals scored in league phase
Number of wins in league phase
Number of away wins in league phase
Higher number of points obtained collectively by league phase opponents
Superior collective goal difference of league phase opponents
Higher number of goals scored collectively by league phase opponents
Lower disciplinary points total based only on yellow and red cards received by players and team officials in league phase (red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points)
Higher club coefficient

UCL table top eight and Aston Villa

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Looking at the standings ahead of the final matchday, Leverkusen lead Villa by +1 goal difference - which currently keeps Emery's side away from a top-eight finish.

Feyenoord and Lille, meanwhile, in 11th and 12th respectively, are separated only by the Dutch club's superior goalscoring record - notching 17 goals to Lille's 11 - with both sharing the same goal difference.

This criteria is also showing its importance towards the lower end of the table, with PSG's inferior goals scored pitting them below Benfica, with both sides still in the mix for an early European exit.

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How to watch Matchday 8 in the UEFA Champions League

All 18 matches will be available to watch live on TNT Sports and discovery+ on Wednesday, January 29.

TNT Sports will bring you extensive coverage from all the important matches and you can see all the goals as they fly in, with all 18 matches played concurrently on a bumper night of fixtures.

TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms, offering a line-up of up to four TV channels (TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3, TNT Sports 4), and up to six digital or red-button channels (TNT Sports 5 to 10), and TNT Sports Ultimate plus TNT Sports Box Office HD.

The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.

You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media. To find out where your local establishments showing TNT Sports are, use our Pub Finder Tool.

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