Newcastle Face Qarabag as Real Madrid Draw Benfica in Champions League

Newcastle United will play Qarabag in their first Champions League knockout tie while Real Madrid faces a rematch against Benfica following the playoff draw in Nyon.Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen must overcome Atalanta Bergamo and Olympiakos Piraeus respectively to potentially set up a round of 16 clash with FC Bayern Munich.The playoff first legs are scheduled for February 17 and 18, leading toward the tournament final at the Puskas Arena in Budapest on May 30, 2026.