Friday draws closer for qualifiers

Past winners
The Champions League draw will take centre stage as 16 clubs prepare to learn their fate, with proceedings starting at 12.00CET. Among those eight section winners and eight runners-up are holders FC Porto, nine-time European champions Real Madrid CF and six-time winners AC Milan. Indeed, this continent's two most decorated clubs could be paired together; one of a number of potentially fascinating ties.

Kept apart
Clubs from the same association must not be drawn against each other, meaning Chelsea FC cannot play Manchester United FC, while those who met in the group stage must be kept apart. One of the group winners will be paired with one of the runners-up with the pool winners playing the first leg (scheduled for 22/23 February with the returns on 8/9 March) of their tie away.

Holders in contention
Eight teams who finished in third place in their Champions League groups will be among the 32 sides in the UEFA Cup draw, which follows at 13.45CET. Among that octet are the holders Valencia CF and former winners AFC Ajax. The other six teams who will step into the competition are PFC CSKA Moskva, FC Dynamo Kyiv, Fenerbahçe SK, Olympiacos CFP, Panathinaikos FC and FC Shakhtar Donetsk.

Stage concludes
With 12 sides already having booked berths in the last 32 after UEFA Cup Matchday 4 last week, there remain another 12 places to fill when the group stage concludes over the next two days. The Round of 32 sees the competition return to a knockout format with the two-legged ties scheduled for 16 and 24 February.

Draw format
According to the regulations, the eight teams entering the tournament from the Champions League will be paired with runners-up from the eight groups. Each group winner, meanwhile, will play a third-ranked team, and the group winners and runners-up will be at home in the second leg. Teams from the same association cannot be drawn against one another.