Six Premier League sides entered. Five in the top eight. You can’t argue with how the English clubs have tackled the Champions League this season. But what’s next?

We now know — roughly at least — who Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle United could face moving forwards.

Ahead of the knockout playoff round draw on Friday, ESPN brings you all you need to know.

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Who has qualified, and who’s heading to the playoffs?

Eight teams have advanced to the round of 16 already, while 16 more — who placed ninth to 24th in the 36-club league phase — are heading to the knockout playoff round.

Arsenal won all eight of their games to qualify top, with Bayern Munich second. On a frantic final night of action, they were joined by Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting CP and Manchester City.

Newcastle’s draw with Paris Saint-Germain left both clubs facing the knockout playoff round, along with European giants Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Juventus.

Atlético Madrid, Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen are the other ‘seeded’ teams — we’ll explain more on that below — while the unseeded playoff teams are Borussia Dortmund, Olympiacos, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, AS Monaco. FK Qarabag, Bodo/Glimt and Benfica.

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Why do we know who teams can play?

As mentioned, there is a seeding system — introduced for 2024-25 — that ensures the higher-placed teams from the league phase won’t face each other in the knockout playoff round, theoretically creating a more balanced bracket.

All 16 teams heading to the playoffs are paired based on their final position in the league phase. That means ninth-place Real Madrid are paired with 10th-place Inter, 11th-place PSG with 12th-place Newcastle, and so on. This creates eight sets of paired teams.

In the draw, each pairing will be split up and placed on opposite sides of the bracket.

On top of that, there are big advantages to the highest finishers from the league phase. Teams who finish in the top eight are guaranteed a second leg at home in the round of 16. Teams who finish in the top four are guaranteed a second leg at home in the round of 16 and the quarterfinals. The advantage extends into the semifinals for the teams that finish in the top two.

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Who could Newcastle play in the playoff round?

As PSG and Newcastle finished 11th and 12th in the league phase, they will play either Monaco or Qarabag in the playoff round.

What about the rest of the Premier League teams?

Having clinched top spot, Arsenal will play one of Borussia Dortmund, Olympiacos, Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16, and like all of the top eight will be at home in the second leg.

Liverpool, after finishing third, will take on either Atlético, Juventus, Club Brugge or Galatasaray. That is exactly the same for Tottenham, who finished fourth in the league phase.

Chelsea will take on either PSG, Newcastle, Monaco or Qarabag.

Manchester City, meanwhile, could face another clash with Real Madrid. Their potential round of 16 opponents are the LaLiga giants, Inter, Bodo/Glimt or Benfica.

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When is the draw for the knockout round playoffs?

The draw for the knockout round playoffs — featuring the clubs that finish ninth to 24th — will take place on Jan. 30 at 11 a.m. GMT. ESPN will bring you all the updates with a live blog.

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After the draw, what happens next?

Next, the teams drawn Friday compete in the two-legged knockout playoff round in February.

Once that round is complete, the draw for the round of 16 will be held Feb. 27. That draw will determine the round-of-16 matchups and finalise the bracket for the remainder of the knockout rounds.

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What are the remaining important Champions League dates this season?

Knockout playoff round: Feb. 17-18, Feb. 24-25
Round of 16/quarterfinal/semifinal draw: Feb. 27
Round of 16: March 10-11, March 17-18
Quarterfinals: April 7-8, April 14-15
Semifinals: April 28-29, May 5-6
Final: May 30 (Budapest)