Liverpool’s 2024-25 Champions League path to glory – but who could they face?

The group stage of the Champions League has concluded, and after an exciting several months, Liverpool has qualified as the group winner, with fans now eagerly anticipating the draw for the next part of the competition.

Arne Slot's team secured seven victories in eight games, highlighting their impressive performance with wins over top teams such as Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, and AC Milan among others.

Although they lost to PSV Eindhoven in their last match, it was almost a meaningless game since they had already secured a position among the top eight teams that automatically qualify for the next round without needing to compete in the initial knockout phase.

In consequence, they will not join the contest until the knockout drawing that occurs only after the knockout round matches are completed, which include teams that finished between 9th and 24th place in the initial group stage.

There are predetermined matchups because of the teams' league standings, with the 1st placed team playing

The most striking revelation from the draw's initial stage is that Manchester City are scheduled to play either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid due to their position as the 22nd finisher, resulting in a notable opponent facing elimination before Liverpool's return to the competition.

Moreover, there is more positive news for Liverpool as Manchester City will face either Madrid or Bayern in a second leg the week preceding their league match against Eibar, who will enjoy a week's break before this crucial game.

Another advantage for Liverpool comes from their eighth-place finish in the standings, earning them a home game in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie, additionally their first-place position means they won't be able to face second-placed Barcelona until the final, who is one of the favourites to progress far in the competition.

With all that in mind, we've decided to analyze the potential matchups Liverpool can face across different stages to make sense of the revised format, which appears to be more complicated than it initially seems.

Key dates

There are four "potential opponents" Liverpool could encounter in the last 16 stage of the Champions League.

Four teams that Liverpool can potentially face in the last sixteen matches have been confirmed and these include:

PSG , Benfica , Monaco or Brest.

Clearly, Paris Saint-Germain stand out as the top team after defeating Manchester City 4-2 at the Etihad and holding the clear lead in the Ligue 1 standings.

The draw for the knockout playoffs takes place on Friday, January 31, where 16 teams compete in two-legged contests.

The final draw for the remaining competition will then occur on February 21, providing a clearer picture of what lies ahead.

I don't see any text for me to paraphrase. It seems that you provided a topic or question instead of text. If you provide the actual text, I'll be happy to assist you.

In the quarter-finals, it is likely that the challenges will become even more formidable as potential opponents envisaged.

Lille/Aston Villa , Atalanta/Borussia Dortmund or Sporting CP/Club Brugge .

They have faced Lille before and are familiar with them, but Lille presented a tough challenge at Anfield and recently finished their campaign with a convincing 6-1 defeat of Feyenoord.

While an encounter between all-English teams is usually challenging, a game against Aston Villa will undoubtedly be a tough match.

Moreover, they have a history against Atalanta, who eliminated them from the Europa League last season, taking a 3-0 victory at Anfield.

Borussia Dortmund may re-establish their form after an arduous period as they introduce a new manager whilst Sporting and Club Brugge pose limited challenges.

Which teams will Liverpool potentially face in the semi-finals?

There are 13 teams Liverpool cannot face until the semi-finals, which include:

The Matchups: Arsenal/Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid/Bayer Leverkusen, Real Madrid/Bayern Munich, AC Milan/PSV, Feyenoord/Juventus and Celtic/Manchester City.

To add greater complexity, one of each of these pairings will appear on the opposite side of the bracket, resulting in them not facing each other until the final round.