The draw



Champions path

Crvena zvezda (SRB)/Spartak Trnava (SVK) v Salzburg (AUT)/Shkëndija (MKD)

Qarabağ (AZE)/BATE Borisov (BLR) v PSV Eindhoven (NED)

Young Boys (SUI) v Astana (KAZ)/Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)

Malmö (SWE)/Vidi (HUN) v Celtic (SCO)/AEK Athens (GRE)

The possible league path play-off fixtures ©Sportsfile

League path

Benfica (POR)/Fenerbahçe (TUR) v PAOK (GRE)/Spartak Moskva (RUS)

Standard Liège (BEL)/Ajax (NED) v Slavia Praha (CZE)/Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)

When was the draw?

The UEFA Champions League play-off draw took place at 12:00CET on Monday 6 August. It will be held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, streamed live on UEFA.com (watch a replay above).

How did it work?

The draw was be split into two paths. Once the third qualifying round fixtures conclude, the six winners of those ties join two new entrants in the champions path side of the draw. There will be four teams in the league path, all set to come from the third qualifying round. The third qualifying round is played on 7/8 & 14 August.

Who was in the draw?

Champions path:

Celtic were involved in the play-off draw ©Sportsfile

Seeded

Salzburg (AUT)/Shkëndija (MKD)

PSV Eindhoven (NED)

Celtic (SCO)/AEK Athens (GRE)

Astana (KAZ)/Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)

Unseeded

Qarabağ (AZE)/BATE Borisov (BLR)

Young Boys (SUI)

Malmö (SWE)/Vidi (HUN)

Crvena zvezda (SRB)/Spartak Trnava (SVK)

The four clubs with the highest coefficients were seeded and drawn against the four unseeded sides. The third qualifying round winners take the coefficient of the seeded team from those ties.

League path

Seeded

Benfica (POR)/Fenerbahçe (TUR)

Slavia Praha (CZE)/Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)

Unseeded

Standard Liège (BEL)/Ajax (NED)

PAOK (GRE)/Spartak Moskva (RUS)

Ajax have not been in the group stage since 2014/15 ©Getty Images

The winners of the tie with the two seeded clubs with the highest coefficients were seeded.

Based on decisions taken by the UEFA Executive Committee, teams from Ukraine and Russia must not be drawn together. Therefore the winner of the tie between Benfica and Fenerbahçe will meet PAOK or Spartak, and Slavia or Dynamo will play Standard or Ajax.

In order to implement the decision of the UEFA Executive Committee, two pots were prepared. In the first, Benfica v Fenerbahçe were indicated as winners of match 1 and PAOK v Spartak indicated as winners of match 4, and in the other Slavia v Dynamo were indicated as winners of match 2 and Standard v Ajax indicated as winners of match 3.

In each pot the two balls were shuffled, with the first pairing drawn will play its first match at home against the second pairing drawn.

When will the games be?

The first legs will take place on 21/22 August with the returns scheduled for 28/29 August. The winners go through to the group stage, the draw for which will be held in Monaco on Thursday 30 August.

What happens to the losers?

The six teams beaten in the play-offs will transfer to the UEFA Europa League group stage.

Clubs' coefficients are now determined EITHER by the sum of all points won in the previous five years OR by the association coefficient over the same period – WHICHEVER IS THE HIGHER (under a new system introduced for 2018/19 onwards).