The draw for the round of 16 of the new-look UEFA Champions League was made on Friday, Feb. 21.

But how does it all knit together? And why were those final league phase positions so important?

Here’s how it all works.

Which clubs are in the round of 16?

The clubs that finished in the top eight went directly through to the round of 16.

The 16 teams that finished in positions nine to 24 entered the knockout playoff round, with eight advancing to the round of 16.

Arsenal
Aston Villa
Atlético Madrid
Barcelona
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayern Munich (KO-PO)
Benfica (KO-PO)
Borussia Dortmund (KO-PO)
Club Brugge (KO-PO)
Feyenoord Rotterdam (KO-PO)
Internazionale
Lille
Liverpool
Paris Saint-Germain (KO-PO)
PSV Eindhoven (KO-PO)
Real Madrid (KO-PO)

Clubs finishing 25th to 36th had already been eliminated.

What was the round of 16 draw?

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Liverpool

Club Brugge vs. Aston Villa

Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid

PSV Eindhoven vs. Arsenal

Feyenoord vs. Inter Milan

Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen

Borussia Dortmund vs. Lille

Barcelona vs. Benfica

The seeded teams, on the right, will be at home in the second leg.

What are the round of 16 fixture dates?

First legs: March 4-5
Second legs: March 11-12

Each club plays once on a Tuesday and once on a Wednesday.

How does the bracket work?

As of this season, there is no draw to create the quarterfinal and semifinal fixtures. It’s all been set by the final league positions (see more below), plus the limited draws to place teams into the bracket.

It means every team now knows their possibility opponents — and who they can’t come up against — right through to the final.

The top half of the knockout playoff round bracket looks stronger, with Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, PSG and Real Madrid in it.

Arsenal would play the winners of the Madrid derby in the quarterfinals,

The bottom half, on paper, appears much weaker with Barcelona the standout team.

So there’s no country protection?

Correct. Clubs from the same country can play each other from the knockout playoff round onward. That’s why we have a Madrid derby in the round of 16.

What dates are the other rounds?

QUARTERFINALS
First legs: April 8-9
Second legs: April 15-16

SEMIFINALS
First legs: April 29-30
Second legs: May 6-7

FINAL
May 31, Allianz Arena, Munich

Who gets home advantage in the quarterfinals and semifinals?

The tie listed first plays at home in the first leg.

QUARTERFINALS

Paris Saint-Germain or Liverpool vs. Club Brugge or Aston Villa

PSV Eindhoven or Arsenal vs. Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid

Barcelona or Benfica vs. Borussia Dortmund or Lille

Bayern Munich or Bayer Leverkusen vs. Feyenoord or Inter Milan

SEMIFINALS

PSV Eindhoven / Arsenal / Real Madrid / Atletico Madrid vs. Paris Saint-Germain / Liverpool / Club Brugge / Aston Villa

Barcelona / Benfica / Borussia Dortmund / Lille vs. Bayern Munich / Bayer Leverkusen / Feyenoord / Inter Milan

Why did it matter where you finished in the table?

The league placings created the knockout bracket, and the new “seeding” system means the highest-placed teams can’t face each other until the latter stages of the knockout round.

For instance, if we look at the final table, Liverpool and Barcelona finished first and second and can’t play each other until the final. The teams in third and fourth — Arsenal and Internazionale — can’t play Liverpool or Barcelona until the semifinals.

However, the value of being placed high in the table has been complicated by poor European seasons for Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, who unexpectedly became possible opponents earlier in the knockout rounds.

Indeed, with Man City finishing 22nd, it created a heavyweight tie in the knockout playoff round, as they had to face 11th-place Read Madrid.

PSG, meanwhile, have to come up against either Liverpool in the round of 16.