Dortmund and Bayern await Friday’s Champions League playoff draw

Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will learn their Champions League playoff stage opponents on Friday. Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen booked an automatic spot in the Round of 16.

The League phase of the revised Champions League format concluded yesterday. Eight teams directly qualified for the Round of 16 stage, where they will be joined by eight winners from the playoff phase involving teams that finished between 9th and 24th. Including VfB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig, the remaining 12 clubs are eliminated from European football altogether.

On Friday, UEFA will conduct the draw for the playoff phase. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are among the 16 clubs involved in the proceedings. Both teams finished the league phase with comfortable wins, but it wasn’t going to be enough to climb into the top eight of the ranking.

Nonetheless, by finishing in 10th place, Dortmund improved their chances of a favorable draw. The Black and Yellows will either face Sporting CP or Club Brugge in the playoff round. Last season’s runners-up would also fancy their chances of reaching the quarter-final. If they progress to the next round, their next opponent will either be LOSC Lille or Aston Villa.

The situation is very different for Bayern Munich. Bundesliga’s leaders collected the same points as Dortmund, but they finished in 12th place based on goal difference. That means there is a 50% possibility for a stern test against the 22nd-placed Manchester City. The Bavarians would certainly prefer to be seeded with Celtic. The winner of the tie will play either Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid in the next round.

Since they finished in the top eight, Leverkusen saved themselves from the trouble of an additional knockout stage round. However, Die Werkself will most likely have to deal with a tricky opponent in next month’s Round of 16 draw. The Bundesliga champions will face one of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, or Celtic.