Benfica and Real Madrid will meet again on Wednesday after a dramatic end to the league phase, although Newcastle drew with Qarabag in the play-offs to advance to the Champions League knockout stages.
It will be the first time the Magpies have reached the knockout stages in Europe, making the 5,000-mile round trip to Azerbaijan for the first leg on February 17th or 18th.
As a seeded team, they will play the second leg at St James’s Park on February 24th or 25th.
This adds two more games to Newcastle’s already jam-packed February, with play-off spots to be determined before Premier League games against Manchester City on February 21st and at home to Everton on February 28th.
Qarabag lost 6-0 to Liverpool in the final round of the league, but succeeded in drawing 2-2 at home with Chelsea in the fourth round.
Eddie Howe’s side will face either Chelsea or Barcelona if they reach the last 16.
However, the play-off draw will likely be against Jose Mourinho’s former club Real Madrid again. Benfica were hosting the La Liga side this week in their final La Liga game and needed a goal in the final moments to ensure they qualified for the play-offs.
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Benfica manager Jose Mourinho has reacted to goalkeeper Anatoly Trubin’s dramatic last-minute goal against Real Madrid that ensured Portugal’s place in the Champions League play-offs.
By the time goalkeeper Anatoly Trubin headed home, they were already leading 3-2 against nine-man Real Madrid. The defeat leaves Alvaro Arbeloa’s side ninth in the table, with two games remaining in the play-offs.
Benfica have now won three of the last four European competitions, including the 1962 European Cup final, and it will be Mourinho’s once-in-a-lifetime chance to go one over against his old club, the 15-time European champions.
Champions League holders PSG also need to qualify for the play-offs after drawing with Newcastle on Wednesday and will face Monaco in an all-French draw.
Juventus drew with Galatasaray, while fellow Italian side Inter Milan will face Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt, who beat Manchester City in the penultimate league match.
Atlético Madrid will face Club Brugge, while Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen will face Atalanta and Olympiakos respectively.
The draw for the Round of 16 will be held after the playoff games on February 27th.
Champions League final tournament advance decision game is a complete draw
Champions League winners PSG will face Monaco in the final tournament
Benfica vs Real Madrid Bodo/Glimt vs Inter Milan Monaco vs PSG Qarabag vs Newcastle Galatasaray vs Juventus Club Brugge vs Atletico Madrid Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta Olympiakos vs Bayer Leverkusen
Who could the England team potentially face in the round of 16?
Arsenal – Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, Olympiakos, Leverkusen
Man City – Benfica, Real Madrid, Bodo/Glimt or Inter
Chelsea – Qarabag, Newcastle, Monaco, PSG
Liverpool or Tottenham – Galatasaray, Juventus, Club Brugge or Atletico Madrid
Newcastle – Chelsea or Barcelona
England confirmed to be in top 5 of Champions League
One of the benefits of England’s teams doing so well in Europe is that they are almost certain to repeat last season’s feat, when the Premier League finished in the top two on UEFA’s table and qualified for fifth place in the Champions League.
With five Premier League teams heading straight into the Champions League last 16 and all nine European Premier League teams still in their respective competitions, England sit comfortably at the top of the table ahead of Germany.
Newcastle benefited from that last season, finishing fifth in the Premier League and qualifying for this season’s Champions League. The door is now open for opponents to take advantage as the English team continues their strong performance on the continent.
When is the Champions League knockout stage in 2025/26?
Playoff Draw: January 30, 2026
Knockout Playoffs: February 17-18 and 24-25, 2026
Round 16: March 10-11 and 17-18, 2026
Quarterfinals: April 7-8 and 14-15, 2026
Semi-finals: April 28-29 and May 5-6, 2026
Finals: Saturday, May 30, 2026
Where will the Champions League final be held in 2026?
The 2025/26 Champions League final will be held on Saturday 30th May at the Puskas Arena in Budapest.
