Champions League knockout phase playoffs storylines, scenarios, schedule: Where to watch UCL on Paramount+

A spot in the round of 16 is on the line in the UEFA Champions League this week when the knockout round playoffs come to a close with several ties still hanging in the balance.

There was a winner in each of last week’s eight games, but six teams carry just a one-goal advantage into the second leg. The list includes Real Madrid, who picked up a dramatic 3-2 win at Manchester City last week, and Bayern Munich, who hung onto a 2-1 lead for dear life in the dying minutes of their game at Celtic. Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, have one foot in the next round after they respectively nabbed 3-0 wins against Brest and Sporting Lisbon.

Ahead of another big week in the Champions League, here’s what you need to know before tuning in.

How to watch

Paramount+ will be a one-stop shop for this week’s action, carrying every game as well as The Golazo Show, while CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network will have select matches and additional coverage. Each day’s coverage will begin on CBS Sports Golazo Network before the UEFA Champions League Today pre-match show begins on Paramount+ (and CBS Sports Network on Tuesday). Following the games, the UEFA Champions League Today post-match show will air on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network before CBS Sports Golazo Network finishes out the day with new editions of The Champions Club and Scoreline, with additional coverage on YouTube.

As things stand

The knockout phase playoffs will be decided on aggregate score at the end of two legs, with extra time and penalties a possibility for ties that are even after 90 minutes this week. Here are the scores from last week’s first legs.

• Feyenoord 1, AC Milan 0
• Monaco 0, Benfica 1
• Club Brugge 2, Atalanta 1
• Celtic 1, Bayern Munich 2
• Sporting Lisbon 0, Borussia Dortmund 3
• Manchester City 2, Real Madrid 3
• Brest 0, Paris Saint-Germain 3
• Juventus 2, PSV 1

For the winners in the knockout phase playoffs, matchups with the league phase’s top eight teams await. The round of 16 ties will be locked in during Friday’s draw, which will also reveal the rest of the bracket as the road to the May 31 final at Munich’s Allianz Arena. Here are the predetermined pairings ahead of Friday’s draw.

• Liverpool‘s possible opponents in round of 16: PSG, Benfica, Monaco, Brest
• Barcelona‘s possible opponents in round of 16: PSG, Benfica, Monaco, Brest
• Arsenal‘s possible opponents in round of 16: Milan, PSV, Feyenoord, Juventus2
• Inter‘s possible opponents in round of 16: Milan, PSV, Feyenoord, Juventus
• Atletico Madrid‘s possible opponents in round of 16: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Celtic, Manchester City
• Bayer Leverkusen‘s possible opponents in round of 16: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Celtic, Manchester City
• Lille‘s possible opponents in round of 16: Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting, Club Brugge
• Aston Villa‘s possible opponents in round of 16: Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting, Club Brugge

Our Chuck Booth breaks it down for you here.

Knockout phase playoffs TV schedule

All times U.S./Eastner

Storylines for the knockout phase playoffs

1. Can Manchester City mount a comeback?

Last week’s most anticipated game lived up to the hype, with Real Madrid coming from behind twice to beat Manchester City and take a first-leg edge in a battle between the last two Champions League winners. This tie has tilted slightly in Madrid’s favor, which forces the question: Can Pep Guardiola’s team rise to the challenge to save their Champions League campaign?

If Saturday’s result is anything to go by, they may just have it in them. City picked up a commanding 4-0 win over high-flying Newcastle United over the weekend, one in which new player Omar Marmoush scored his first hattrick for the club just weeks after his transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt. The English champions seemed to benefit from having another impactful goalscorer on the pitch, especially since Phil Foden has not replicated last season’s form and City did not replace Julian Alvarez in the summer.

City’s problems, though, are bigger than goalscoring. They seemed unable to handle Madrid’s press for significant stretches of the match last week, and will now be without center back Manuel Akanji after he sustained an adductor injury that will require surgery to repair. Los Blancos, meanwhile, are expected to have defenders Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba and Lucas Vazquez back in time for Wednesday’s big clash. That mix of incomings and outgoings for both teams could make the second leg an uphill climb for City, making their trip to Spain a make-or-break moment for their season.

2. Can Bayern Munich hang on?

Bayern Munich may have come out with a win last week, but it was far from convincing. Combined with their lackluster performance in a 0-0 draw with Bayer Leverkusen over the weekend, the six-time Champions League winners enter Tuesday’s second leg at home in a surprisingly vulnerable position.

The last two games have demonstrated certain weaknesses in Bayern’s attack, with Bayern putting up just 0.7 expected goals from 10 shots against Celtic last week. Things were even worse against Leverkusen on Saturday when Bayern posted just two shots and failed to put a single one on target, mustering just 0.05 expected goals in the process. It demonstrates an inability to put games to bed, which has not always been a problem in the Bundesliga but could cause real issues when they host Celtic on Tuesday, especially since Bayern could use the goals. Harry Kane, who has 29 goals in all competitions this season, may essentially be a cheat code but having one elite striker does not make for a comprehensive and effective attacking strategy.

This is even more troublesome considering that Bayern’s defensive shape can be fairly shaky in games where the opponents pose any meaningful threat. Vincent Kompany’s side conceded 15 shots and 2.18 expected goals against Leverkusen on Saturday and perhaps came out lucky not to concede and lose a scoreless game. As for Celtic, they will take a lot of encouragement from the fact that they outdid Bayern on expected goals last week with 1.39 from nine shots, as well as the overall performance last week. There were a lot of nervy moments for Bayern’s back line, especially after Daizen Maeda’s 79th minute goal, which was the foundation for Celtic’s desperate search for an equalizer that Bayern were lucky to leave unscathed. Whether there’s a repeat of those scenes is the big question on Tuesday, especially as many remain unconvinced that Bayern can go the distance in the Champions League.