The UEFA Champions League's first-ever league phase will come to a dramatic close on Wednesday, when all 18 games will kick off at once with several spots in the knockout stages up for grabs. All but nine teams are still in the running to qualify for the next rounds,

Instead of going straight into the traditional round of 16, the competition will feature a knockout phase play-off. In this stage, the teams that finished ninth to 16th in the group phase will face off against those that placed 17th to 24th, with each tie played over two legs.

The first ever Champions League league phase is in the books. After eight league games instead of six group-stage matches round-robin style, the top eight teams have been confirmed, teams placed No. 9 through 24 will enter the playoff stage and teams No. 25 through 36 were eliminated.