The UEFA Champions League returns this week as teams begin their campaign to reach the round of 16 after some narrowly lost out on a top-eight finish while others just about earned their places among the top 24 teams.

European heavyweights like Real Madrid, PSG, Inter, and Juventus are all in contention, while the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Newcastle United, Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Atalanta, Benfica, and AS Monaco also feature in what is expected to be a thrilling round.

While eight teams await their potential round of 16 opponents, here is some light on the stakes in the eight Champions League elimination playoff fixtures to be played over two legs in the coming weeks.

Benfica vs Real Madrid

There is more to this fixture than it appears on paper, following the events that took place in the final moments of the league phase, where Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored in the final minute to down Real Madrid 4-2.

While the goal ensured Benfica's passage to this round at the expense of Marseille, it cost Real Madrid their top-eight spot as they ended up in ninth, despite starting the day in third, while they also lost the duo of Raúl Asencio and Rodrygo to red cards that rule them out of the first leg.

Although the Portuguese side will be considered the underdog for this tie, they have won their last two meetings with Real Madrid, adding a 5-2 friendly victory back in the summer of 2012 to an impressive win at the end of January.

The tie is as tricky as can be, especially with Real Madrid set to face their former boss José Mourinho, without Jude Bellingham and Éder Militão, while Benfica have a host of players who could miss the second leg if booked in Portugal on Tuesday.

Verdict: Real Madrid are overwhelming favourites, and will be very optimistic of their chances, especially after recently reclaiming the LaLiga summit from Barcelona, who were beaten at Girona on Monday night.

Jose Mourinho is also set to become the first ever coach to lead seven different clubs in the UEFA Champions League knockout stage, and a slot given by Real Madrid could be taken by Los Blancos, who their former boss fashions it into something that eventually destroys them.

Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta

Surprisingly, Atalanta almost nicked a spot in the top eight, and even though they would be proud of their achievement, the fact that back-to-back losses in their final two games cost them their chance, which was ultimately taken up by Sporting CP, makes it disappointing.

To worsen matters, they'll face a tough side in Borussia Dortmund for a chance to reach the last 16 at a time when star players like Charles De Ketelaere and Giacomo Raspadori are unavailable for coach Raffaele Palladino.

It isn't a comfortable one for Borussia Dortmund as well. The German giants finished 17th in the league phase, where they gave no good account of themselves against top teams with their three losses coming against Man City, Spurs, and Inter.

They will be eager to end a desperation to earn a statement win since their away win over Bayer Leverkusen in November, but will have to do without star defenders Nico Schlotterbeck and Niklas Süle.

Their most recent clash with Atalanta came in the round of 32 of the Europa League in 2018, which Dortmund edged 4-3 on aggregate thanks to a first-leg 3-2 win at the Signal Iduna Park, where both teams will also do battle in the first leg this time.

Verdict: An even matchup but Borussia Dortmund to edge it, although given how unpredictable Atalanta have become against German teams, it won't be at all surprising if they upset the odds and dump out BVB.

Monaco vs PSG

An all-France affair that we saw at this stage of the competition last term, with PSG going from the playoffs to winning the title to cap off a remarkable fairytale run.

But instead of Brest, it is Monaco who stands between them and a place in the round of 16, following a draw that ensures just one of the two French teams still in the competition can make it into the round of 16.

Both teams are no strangers to each other, and have already met three times since the start of 2025, while one more Ligue 1 meeting is still to come this season, meaning they'll clash at least four times this season.

PSG blew their chance for a top-eight finish in the final two matchdays, but can a team who has been favoured in the playoffs have too many complaints, especially when they are playing a familiar foe, whom they can easily outmuscle?

Monaco, inspired by their 1-0 victory over Luis Enrique's team earlier in the season, will be eager to stand their ground once more, and maybe reach the round of 16 for the first time since 2017-18, when they reached the last four.

Verdict: Paris Saint-Germain are the favourites to progress into the round of 16 between the two French clubs, especially with their opponent not helped by a long list of injury worries, which could see up to half of first-team regulars miss the tie.

Galatasaray vs Juventus

Turkish champions Galatasaray rode the wheel of fortune to a great effect in the early rounds of the league phase, picking up 90 percent of their 10 points in the opening four games thanks to the heroics of Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen.

After losing 5-1 in the opening week, they went on to win all of the next three games, beating Liverpool, Bodø/Glimt, and Ajax, with Osimhen scoring in all of these games, totaling six goals and leading for most in the competition at the time.

Unfortunately, they could only pick up a point in their next four games, although that proved crucial as it was what separated them from 25th-placed Olympique Marseille at the end of the eight league phase games.

Juventus on the other hand was the ultimate representation of inconsistency in the opening half, and their journey was the exact opposite of Galatasaray, as almost 77 percent, which is 10 of their 13 points, came in the final four games.

Their form improved following the arrival of Luciano Spalletti, and they will now carry an unbeaten run in five straight Champions League games, which is only second to Arsenal's eight, into their clash with Galatasaray.

Verdict: Juventus are expected to cash in on Galatasaray's plummeted European form, but they'll have to do without winter loan signing from Bologna Emil Holm, who picked up a calf injury in the controversial Derby d'Italia loss to Inter.

Galatasaray, who are unbeaten in 25 of their 27 domestic games this season, will be desperate to convert that form against an inconsistent Juventus side, and maybe just as they put away Liverpool, can do so in Istanbul, and crash the party in Turin.

Bodø/Glimt vs Inter

Inter surprisingly finds themselves in the elimination playoff for a place in the round of 16 despite a promising start to the league phase, but a standard so high saw them drop off after a dry spell saw them lose three straight games.

Atlético Madrid, Liverpool, and Arsenal all beat them between weeks five and seven, leaving their chances of making a top-eight finish out of their own hands, and a 2-0 away win in Dortmund on final day couldn't change their fate.

After finishing tenth, the Nerazzurri will consider themselves lucky to be up against Bodø/Glimt in this round, but it won't be as easy as it looks on paper, especially in the form of the Norwegian side when playing at home.

By finishing in the top 24 of the 36-team league phase, Bodø/Glimt secured a spot in the knockout phase play-offs, a feat never before achieved by a team based so far North in the Champions League era.

Bodø are also unbeaten in their last three Champions League games, winning the last two against Manchester City and Atlético Madrid, and this reality will give Cristian Chivu a headache when he heads into the doubleheader.

Verdict: Inter of course are the favourites to qualify for the round of 16, but the good news for both teams is that they will have a full squad for the first leg at least, with Denzel Dumfries back in training for Inter after missing the last three months due to an ankle injury.

Qarabağ FK vs Newcastle United

Even though they finished at different ends of the league phase, both Qarabağ and Newcastle United will be proud of their campaign so far as they prepare for the tie to determine their survival fate in the competition.

Qarabağ became the first Azerbaijani club to qualify for the Champions League knockout stage after finishing 22nd in the league phase, while victories against Benfica and Copenhagen in the opening rounds saw them become the first club from the country to win back-to-back UCL games.

Before the 6-0 loss to Liverpool in their final matches, they maintained a record of scoring two or more goals in six consecutive home European games at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium.

They managed to hold off Chelsea in a 2-2 draw in one of their biggest highlights, a result they will look up to for inspiration when they take on another English Premier League club in Newcastle United.

For a team that played Barcelona, PSG, Bayer Leverkusen, and Benfica, Eddie Howe's Newcastle United are good value for their 14 points and 12th place finish in the league phase, a form that makes them a formidable rival for any opponent.

However, they currently have a long list of injuries to contend with, as stars like Bruno Guimarães, Joelinton, Tino Livramento, and Fabian Schär have been ruled out for the tie, while Lewis Miley's availability remains a doubt.

Their form has plummeted recently but after back-to-back wins against Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, they look in the mood again, and it shows they do have enough depth to make up for the absences.

Verdict: Newcastle United are the favourites to progress although taking advantage of their home form, Qarabağ could earn a result that makes it awkward for the Magpies in the return leg at St. James' Park.

Club Brugge vs Atlético Madrid

Diego Simeone must be kicking himself that failure to beat either of Galatasaray or Bodø/Glimt in their final two games cost them a place in the top eight, but he'll know that getting past this round is now an immediate priority.

This tie has also come at a period when his team are battling inconsistency, after back-to-back losses in LaLiga during a time when they secured back-to-back massive Copa del Rey wins against Real Betis and Barcelona.

Pumped by the addition of Ademola Lookman in the January window, Atleti have scored nine goals in their last two midweek games, five against Betis and four against Barcelona, all without conceding, but they've also lost without scoring in the corresponding weekends.

Club Brugge, who won seven points from their last three games to finish in the top 24, will be out to extend their impressive form in the competition, and will be a difficult test for Atlético Madrid's resilience.

The Belgian side were involved in some interesting games during the league phase, including holding Atlético's LaLiga rivals Barcelona in a 3-3 draw in Brugge back in November, and beating two French teams, Monaco and Marseille, each by a difference of three goals.

They boast one of the best attacks and are not so leaky in defence in games where they are not having the best time in attack, and only Arsenal has beaten them at home in the competition this season.

Verdict: Atlético Madrid has the edge, although this is one of those fixtures that could go either way, especially when you plot Atlético's recent Champions League form to that of Club Brugge.

Nicolás González and Pablo Barrios will sit out the first leg for the Spanish visitors, while Dani van den Heuvel is a doubt for the first-leg host.

Olympiacos Piraeus vs Bayer Leverkusen

Olympiacos is one of the many teams who peaked at the end of the league phase as nine of their 11 points came out of the possible nine from their final three games, which featured away wins at Kairat and Ajax, as well as a home win over Bayer Leverkusen.

German side Leverkusen will be wary of the team that beat them 2-0 in Piraeus just last month, but Kasper Hjulmand's team have remained unbeaten since that night, winning five of six games played afterwards.

They've also kept four clean sheets and conceded just two goals, and this run will give them the needed willpower to do better than their last visit, earn a result that will see them kickoff the second leg with more confidence.

Verdict: Bayer Leverkusen are the favourites to go through, and it could be easier given the recent form of Olympiacos, who have just one win in their last four games.