Champions League Matchday 8: Permutations, Fixtures, Playoffs, Standings and Betting Offers
Matchday 8 of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League is set for Wednesday, January 29, 2025, and there’s plenty at stake as the league phase draws to a close.
This season’s shift from the traditional group stage to the new Swiss format has already delivered some thrilling encounters, with heavyweights clashing earlier than ever before.
Unlike the previous setup—where European giants often coasted through the group matches against weaker teams—this revamped structure has raised the stakes from the very start.
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110% Welcome Bonus Up to ₦50.000Which Teams Have Qualified for the Last 16?
Heading into the final matchday, only two teams—Liverpool and Barcelona—are through to the knockout stage.
Meanwhile, 29 teams are still vying for qualification, either directly or for the playoffs, while nine have already been eliminated from the competition entirely.
Barring any major upsets, Arsenal, Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Atletico Madrid are likely to join Liverpool and Barcelona in the knockout stage. All four currently occupy automatic qualification spots and face relatively winnable fixtures on Wednesday.
However, it’s crunch time for some of Europe’s biggest names. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus, and PSG, all in playoff positions, must secure wins on matchday 8 to ensure they remain in the tournament.
PSG, in particular, face a make-or-mar showdown at Stuttgart. The German side are in the final playoff spot and must win to ensure their place in the next round. This sets up a cracking contest at the MHPArena, where both sides have everything to play for.
Even a draw might not suffice for Stuttgart as Manchester City, currently eliminated as things stand, are just two points behind the German side.
A convincing win over Club Brugge at the Etihad could see City leapfrog the Germans, and send them out of the competition. To make matters even more intriguing, Club Brugge are also in the playoffs but haven’t yet locked in their qualification.
It’s shaping to be an electrifying conclusion to the Champions League’s league phase. Matchday 8 promises to be a whirlwind of shifting positions, where every goal could change the dynamics in real-time.
When the dust settles, we might see some high-profile teams missing out entirely.
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200% Welcome Bonus Up to ₦100.000UEFA Champions League Matchday 8 Fixtures
All kickoffs at 21:00, Wednesday, January 29, 2025.
- Aston Villa vs Celtic
- Bayer Leverkusen vs Sparta Praha
- Borussia Dortmund vs Shakhtar Donetsk
- Young Boys vs Crvena Zvezda
- Barcelona vs Atalanta
- Bayern München vs Slovan Bratislava
- Inter vs Monaco
- Salzburg vs Atlético de Madrid
- Girona vs Arsenal
- GNK Dinamo vs AC Milan
- Juventus vs Benfica
- LOSC Lille vs Feyenoord
- Manchester City vs Club Brugge
- PSV Eindhoven vs Liverpool
- Sturm Graz vs Leipzig
- Sporting CP vs Bologna
- Brest vs Real Madrid
- Stuttgart vs Paris Saint-Germain
Give a boost to your next sports bet2024/25 Champions League: League Phase Table
1. Liverpool | P7 | W7 | D0 | L0 | GF15 | GA2 | GD13 | PTS21
2. Barcelona | P7 | W6 | D0 | L1 | GF26 | GA11 | GD15 | PTS18
3. Arsenal | P7 | W5 | D1 | L1 | GF14 | GA2 | GD12 | PTS16
4. Inter Milan | P7 | W5 | D1 | L1 | GF8 | GA1 | GD7 | PTS16
5. Atletico Madrid | P7 | W5 | D0 | L2 | GF16 | GA11 | GD5 | PTS15
6. AC Milan | P7 | W5 | D0 | L2 | GF13 | GA9 | GD4 | PTS15
7. Atalanta | P7 | W4 | D2 | L1 | GF18 | GA4 | GD14 | PTS21
8. Bayer Leverkusen | P7 | W4 | D1 | L2 | GF13 | GA7 | GD6 | PTS13
Knockout phase play-off places (Seeded)
9. Aston Villa | P7 | W4 | D1 | L2 | GF9 | GA4 | GD5 | PTS13
10. Monaco | P7 | W4 | D1 | L2 | GF13 | GA10 | GD3 | PTS13
11. Feyenoord | P7 | W4 | D1 | L2 | GF17 | GA15 | GD2 | PTS13
12. Lille | P7 | W4 | D1 | L2 | GF11 | GA9 | GD2 | PTS13
13. Brest | P7 | W4 | D1 | L2 | GF10 | GA8 | GD2 | PTS13
14. Borussia Dortmund | P7 | W4 | D0 | L3 | GF19 | GA11 | GD8 | PTS12
15. Bayern Munich | P7 | W4 | D0 | L3 | GF17 | GA11 | GD6 | PTS12
16. Real Madrid | P7 | W4 | D0 | L3 | GF17 | GA12 | GD5 | PTS12
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100% WELCOME BONUS UP TO ₦207.500Knockout phase play-off places (Unseeded)
17. Juventus | P7 | W3 | D3 | L1 | GF9 | GA5 | GD4 | PTS12
18. Celtic | P7 | W3 | D3 | L1 | GF11 | GA10 | GD1 | PTS12
19. PSV | P7 | W3 | D2 | L2 | GF13 | GA10 | GD3 | PTS11
20. Club Brugge | P7 | W3 | D2 | L2 | GF6 | GA8 | GD-2 | PTS11
21. Benfica | P7 | W3 | D1 | L3 | GF14 | GA12 | GD2 | PTS10
22. PSG | P7 | W3 | D1 | L3 | GF10 | GA8 | GD2 | PTS10
23. Sporting CP | P7 | W3 | D1 | L3 | GF12 | GA11 | GD1 | PTS10
24. Stuttgart | P7 | W3 | D1 | L3 | GF12 | GA13 | GD-1 | PTS10
Elimination places
25. Manchester City | P7 | W2 | D2 | L3 | GF15 | GA13 | GD2 | PTS8
26. Dinamo Zagreb | P7 | W2 | D2 | L3 | GF10 | GA18 | GD-10 | PTS8
27. Shakhtar Donetsk | P7 | W2 | D1 | L4 | GF7 | GA13 | GD-6 | PTS7
28. Bologna | P7 | W1 | D2 | L4 | GF3 | GA8 | GD-5 | PTS5
29. Sparta Prague | P7 | W1 | D1 | L5 | GF7 | GA19 | GD-12 | PTS4
30. RB Leipzig | P7 | W1 | D0 | L6 | GF8 | GA14 | GD-6 | PTS3
31. Girona | P7 | W1 | D0 | L6 | GF4 | GA11 | GD-7 | PTS3
32. Crvena Zvezda | P7 | W1 | D0 | L6 | GF12 | GA22 | GD-10 | PTS3
33. Sturm Graz | P7 | W1 | D0 | L6 | GF4 | GA14 | GD-10 | PTS3
34. Salzburg | P7 | W1 | D0 | L6 | GF4 | GA23 | GD-19 | PTS3
35. Slovan Bratislava | P7 | W0 | D0 | L7 | GF6 | GA24 | GD-18 | PTS0
36. Young Boys | P7 | W0 | D0 | L7 | GF3 | GA23 | GD-20 | PTS0
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Bet and Get ₦1.000.000 in free betsWhat Happens if Teams Are Level on Points After the League Phase?
If two or more teams finish the league phase with the same points, their rankings will be determined using the criteria outlined in Article 18 of the competition regulations.
The criteria are applied in the following order:
- Superior goal difference in the league phase.
- Higher number of goals scored in the league phase.
- Higher number of away goals scored in the league phase.
- Higher number of wins in the league phase.
- Higher number of away wins in the 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 on yellow and red cards received by players and team officials in all league phase matches:
-
- Red card = 3 points
- Yellow card = 1 point
- Expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points
- Higher club coefficient.
100% Welcome Bonus Up to €100What is the 2024/25 Champions League Format?
This season, UEFA introduced a new ‘Swiss-style’ league format, replacing the traditional eight groups of four teams. Previously, the top two teams from each group progressed to the round of 16.
Under the new system, all 36 teams compete in a single league phase. Each team will play eight games against eight different teams, four games at home and four away.
The top eight teams at the end of this stage qualify automatically for the last 16.
Teams finishing between ninth and 24th place will enter a two-legged playoff, with the winners joining the top eight in the knockout stage.
The bottom 12 teams—those finishing 25th to 36th—are eliminated outright, with no safety net of dropping into the Europa League.
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With so much at stake and plenty of teams desperate to avoid elimination, the matchwinner, goals, and to-qualify markets are bound to be hot picks for punters.
Early Payouts
If you’re planning to back matchwinners, don’t miss out on Betano and betBonanza’s early payout offers for Champions League matches.
Both bookies will pay out your Champions League matchday 8 matchwinner bets as a win if your selected team takes a two-goal lead at any point during the match—no matter the final score. Even if the opposition pulls off a comeback to draw or win, your bet still stands as a winner.
Considering the stakes, crazy comebacks aren’t off the cards. Just look at matchday 7, when PSG stunned Man City by scoring four goals to overturn a two-goal deficit and secure a 4-2 victory.
Punters who backed City with the early payout offer would still have won their bets, making it a sensible move to hedge your matchwinner bets with either of these bookies.
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2 Goals Ahead? You've Already Won!Both bookmakers also offer bet builders for Champions League matches, allowing you to personalise your bets by combining your favourite markets on any match of your choice.
While you’re at it, why not use this chance to enter Betano’s Aston Villa Travel Promotion? You could win an all-expenses-paid trip to the UK to watch Aston Villa take on Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park this May.
To qualify, simply place a bet on the Aston Villa vs Celtic match at minimum odds of 1.50, and you’ll earn a ticket for the draw.
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Matchday 8 of the Champions League also comes with free bets for new customers on Betking and Betano.
Betking welcomes new customers with a ₦100 free bet—no deposit required.
Register and Get ₦100 Free BetRegister and Get ₦100 Free BetMeanwhile, Betano offers an even more generous ₦1,000 free bet—also no deposit required—for all new customers who register using the BETANO1000 promo code this January. This is limited to the first 30,000 sign-ups, so hurry so you don’t miss out.
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It’s a fantastic opportunity to win big on matchday 8 of the Champions League without risking your own cash.
Bet9ja Champions Jackpot
However, the most exciting offer for matchday 8 has to be the Bet9ja Champions Jackpot, where five players can win ₦1 million every UCL matchday throughout the competition.
To participate, open a Bet9ja account and place a ₦200 single or accumulator bet on Champions League matches scheduled for January 29.
This promotion runs for every UCL matchday, giving Bet9ja players plenty of chances to win that ₦1 million jackpot.
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Champions Jackpot: Win ₦1.000.000 This MidweekWhen Are the 2024/25 Champions League Knockout Stages?
The teams finishing positions 9–24 during the league phase will face off in two-legged ties for a place in the Round of 16.
The winners of those ties will then meet one of the top eight teams from the league phase, who automatically qualify for the Round of 16.
The knockout phase remains unchanged, with teams facing off in two-legged ties in the Round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals, before the one-legged final in Munich, Germany on May 31.
- Knockout round play-offs: February 11/12 and February 18/19, 2025
- Round of 16: March 4/5 and March 11/12, 2025
- Quarter-finals: April 8/9 and April 15/16, 2025
- Semi-finals: April 29/30 and May 6/7, 2025
- Final: May 31, 2025
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The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League final will be held in Munich at the Allianz Arena on May 31, 2025.
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