After an unusually long break because of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 2022/23 Champions League returns with the likes of reigning champions Real Madrid and bookmakers' favourites Manchester City vying for a place in the quarterfinals.
World Cup top scorer Kylian Mbappe leads the individual goals chart in the competition alongside Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, with Premier League Golden Boot frontrunner Erling Haaland not far behind on five Champions League goals for City.
Lionel Messi led Argentina to glory against Paris Saint-Germain teammate Mbappe's France in Qatar, and their club side faces a showdown with one of the most successful sides in Champions League history when they meet Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich in the Round of 16. There are question marks over the fitness of both PSG stars, though.
Here's when the action will play out, who's playing who and the full schedule when the most prestigious club competition in Europe resumes.
MORE: Champions League draw in full: The Round of 16 ties
When is the Champions League returning?
The Round of 16 draw on Monday, November 7 did not disappoint. Real Madrid against Liverpool — a rerun of the 2022 final — was among the biggest ties.
All eyes were on PSG's Round of 16 fate and they face a daunting two-legged affair against Bayern. They'll be hoping to avoid a repeat of the 2021/22 season, when their bid for their first Champions League trophy ended at the first knockout stage after a difficult draw, losing to eventual champions Real Madrid.
Champions League Round of 16 fixtures
| Match* | 1st Leg | 2nd Leg |
| Manchester City vs. RB Leipzig | Feb. 22 | March 14 |
| Benfica vs. Club Brugge | Feb. 15 | March 7 |
| Real Madrid vs. Liverpool | Feb. 21 | March 15 |
| Tottenham vs. AC Milan | Feb. 14 | March 8 |
| Napoli vs. Eintracht Frankfurt | Feb. 21 | March 15 |
| Chelsea vs. Borussia Dortmund | Feb. 15 | March 7 |
| Porto vs. Inter Milan | Feb. 22 | March 14 |
| Bayern Munich vs. PSG | Feb. 14 | March 8 |
*Teams listed first are group winners and will host the second leg.
Champions League Round of 16 schedule
Round of 16 — 1st Legs
| Date | Match | Time (GMT / ET) |
| Tues, Feb. 14 | AC Milan vs. Tottenham | 20:00 / 15:00 |
| Tues, Feb. 14 | PSG vs. Bayern Munich | 20:00 / 15:00 |
| Wed, Feb. 15 | Club Brugge vs. Benfica | 20:00 / 15:00 |
| Wed, Feb. 15 | Borussia Dortmund vs. Chelsea | 20:00 / 15:00 |
| Tues, Feb. 21 | Liverpool vs. Real Madrid | 20:00 / 15:00 |
| Tues, Feb. 21 | Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Napoli | 20:00 / 15:00 |
| Wed, Feb. 22 | RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City | 20:00 / 15:00 |
| Wed, Feb. 22 | Inter Milan vs. FC Porto | 20:00 / 15:00 |
Round of 16 — 2nd Legs
| Date | Match | Time (GMT / ET) |
| Tues, March 7 | Benfica vs. Club Brugge | 20:00 / 15:00 |
| Tues, March 7 | Chelsea vs. Borussia Dortmund | 20:00 / 15:00 |
| Wed, March 8 | Tottenham vs. AC Milan | 20:00 / 15:00 |
| Wed, March 8 | Bayern Munich vs. PSG | 20:00 / 15:00 |
| Tues, March 14 | Manchester City vs. RB Leipzig | 20:00 / 16:00 |
| Tues, March 14 | FC Porto vs. Inter Milan | 20:00 / 16:00 |
| Wed, March 15 | Real Madrid vs. Liverpool | 20:00 / 16:00 |
| Wed, March 15 | Napoli vs. Eintracht Frankfurt | 20:00 / 16:00 |
MORE: Prize money breakdown for the 2022/23 Champions League
Champions League live streams, TV channels
Below are the TV and streaming destinations for UEFA Champions League matches in select regions around the globe:
| TV Channel | Streaming | |
| Australia | — | Stan Sport |
| Canada | — | DAZN |
| Hong Kong | beIN Sports | beIN Sports Connect |
| India | Sony TEN | Sony LIV, JioTV |
| Malaysia | beIN Sports | beIN Sports Connect |
| New Zealand | — | Spark Sport |
| Singapore | beIN Sports | beIN Sports Connect |
| UK | BT Sport | BT Sport site/app |
| USA | CBS Sports Network, CBS, Univision, TUDN UniMas | fuboTV, Paramount+, ViX, ViX+ |
Australia: Fans can watch every match of the UEFA Champions League with all the action streaming ad-free, live and on demand on Stan Sport.
Canada: Every Champions League match in Canada can be streamed exclusively on DAZN.
UK: The UEFA Champions League is carried by BT Sport's TV and streaming platforms.
USA: Fans in the USA can watch the Champions League in English (CBS and Paramount+) and Spanish (Univision, TUDN, UniMas, ViX and ViX+).
When matches are televised on CBS or Univision channels, those same channels are streamed on fuboTV, which is available on a free trial for new users.
MORE: Final group standings for the 2022/23 Champions League
When is the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal draw?
Once we have the final eight teams left standing after the Round of 16, the Champions League quarterfinal draw will take place on Friday, March 17, 2023.
That day, the draw will also take place for the semifinals and final so that every club will know their path to the title.
It's worth noting that beginning with the quarterfinal draw, country restrictions disappear and any team can be drawn against any other, including those from the same nation.
Six of the eight quarterfinalists from last season's edition have a chance to reach the final-eight stage for a second season in a row when they play in the Round of 16: Bayern Munich, Benfica, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Real Madrid.
MORE: When is the 2023 UEFA Champions League final?
Champions League schedule for knockout rounds
With a mid-season men's FIFA World Cup tournament and the resulting scheduling congestion, the rest of the 2023 Champions League knockout schedule will stretch out until June.
The current schedule contemplates one round of knockout matches every month between April and June to take us from the quarterfinals to the final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
- Quarterfinals: April 11/12 (1st Leg), April 18/19 (2nd Leg)
- Semifinals: May 9/10 (1st Leg), May 16/17 (2nd Leg)
- Final: Saturday, June 10
No away goals in Champions League
The away goals tiebreaker, which had been a feature of the tournament's knockout rounds since 1965, was abolished for the 2021/22 edition with UEFA citing sporting justice among other reasons.
If teams are level on total goals scored after the conclusion of the second leg, then a 30-minute extra-time period will be played with a penalty shootout used to determine a winner if the deadlock persists.
There were only two knockout-round matchups that needed extra time in 2021/22 and both featured eventual champions Real Madrid.
The Spanish champions needed extra time to knock off English foes Chelsea (quarterfinals) and Manchester City (semifinals) before taking care of Liverpool in the final within the 90 minutes of regulation.