2017–18 UEFA Champions League knockout phase

Format and rules

The knockout phase used two-legged ties (home and away) for the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals. The winner of each tie was decided by the higher aggregate score over both legs. If teams were level on aggregate, the away goals rule was applied. When ties remained level after applying away goals, two 15-minute periods of extra time were played; the away goals rule still applied after extra time. If no winner emerged, a penalty shoot-out decided the tie. The final was a single match at a neutral venue; if level after 90 minutes it proceeded to extra time and, if needed, penalties.

Draws and seeding

The round of 16 draw matched each group winner against a runner-up from another group, with the restriction that teams from the same national association or the same group could not be drawn together at this stage. From the quarter-finals onwards the draw was open: no seedings and teams from the same country could face one another. Draw events traditionally took place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon and determined the order of home and away legs.

Competition schedule and participants

The knockout phase ran from mid-February through May. Sixteen clubs qualified by finishing first or second in their Champions League groups. Over successive midweek dates, teams played two-legged ties to reduce the field from 16 to 8 to 4, and then to the final two. The semi-finals in 2017–18 paired Real Madrid with Bayern Munich and Liverpool with AS Roma; winners advanced to the final in Kyiv.

Notable outcomes and significance

Real Madrid's victory in the final reinforced a period of dominance in European club football, as they became the first club in the modern Champions League era to win three consecutive titles. The knockout phase featured dramatic moments and high-profile fixtures that underscored tactical variety and international rivalries. The final and related match information were widely reported; for official match reports and UEFA's summary see the competition pages at UEFA Champions League. Details on the final match venue are available in announcements about the game held at the final match and at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kyiv.

• Teams involved: 16 (group winners and runners-up)
• Tie format: two legs until the final (single match)
• Tie-breakers: aggregate score → away goals → extra time → penalties
• Champion: Real Madrid (final 3–1 vs Liverpool)