Potential Champions League Clásico coming up for Real Madrid and Barcelona

The second round of the Champions League stage has now concluded. Under the new format, there are still six rounds left to play, but the standings already make it clear where each team is heading. This year, qualification takes on added importance: the teams finishing between first and eighth will always enjoy home-stadium advantage against lower-ranked opponents. If a lower-ranked side manages to eliminate a higher-ranked one, they inherit that home advantage in the following round.

The top eight teams qualify directly for the round of 16. Teams ranked 9th to 24th will compete in a playoff round—the round of 32—for the remaining spots. The first and second seeds cannot meet until the final.

As with last season, there will be no open draw pairing top-ranked teams against the lowest-ranked. Instead, a directed draw is used. Each team can only face two possible opponents, as shown in the infographic. For example, the teams in 9th and 10th place can only face those in 23rd and 24th. The same pattern applies throughout the table. From that point forward, the draw is guided, with matchups determined by standings. In the round of 16, teams can even face opponents from their own country.

The biggest surprise so far is Qarabag in sixth place, which would give them direct entry into the quarterfinals. Real Madrid is currently the only Spanish side positioned to qualify directly for the round of 16. Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid would both need to play in the qualifying round, opening the door to a potential Clásico in the round of 16. Barça could face Liverpool or Chelsea in the playoff, while Atleti could meet Juventus or Bodo. Villarreal and Athletic Club, meanwhile, would be eliminated.