When is the Champions League round-of-16 draw? Date, time ...

The new-look UEFA Champions League is about to reach the round-of-16 stage. But when does the draw take place, and when will the matches be played?

Here's how it all works.

When is the draw for the round of 16?

The round-of-16 draw takes place on Feb. 21 at 6 a.m. ET / 11 a.m. GMT.

Which clubs are in the round-of-16?

The clubs that finished in the top eight of the league phase went directly through to the round of 16, along with the winners of the eight knockout playoff (KO-PO) round ties between clubs who finished ninth to 24th.

ArsenalAston VillaAtlético MadridBarcelonaBayer LeverkusenBayern Munich (KO-PO)Benfica (KO-PO)Borussia Dortmund (KO-PO)Club Brugge (KO-PO)Feyenoord Rotterdam (KO-PO)InternazionaleLilleLiverpoolParis Saint-Germain (KO-PO)PSV Eindhoven (KO-PO)Real Madrid (KO-PO)

Clubs finishing 25th to 36th were eliminated at the end of the league phase.

How does the round-of-16 draw work?

The knockout bracket is largely predetermined by a club's final position in the league table. For instance, Liverpool and Barcelona, who finished first and second, could only play 15th, 16th, 17th or 18th (PSG, Benfica, Monaco or Brest) in the round of 16.

Under this new format, the draw places teams into a position in the bracket to create a fixture, rather than the traditional method of drawing one team against another.

The teams taking part in the knockout playoff round were drawn into their position in the bracket last month.

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The round-of-16 draw sees the top eight teams go into one of two possible positions, which automatically creates not only the fixture but also the full bracket through to the final.

The top eight are in pairs: 1st and 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 5th and 6th, 7th and 8th. The pairs will be drawn into opposite places, and can't play each other until the final.

The draw starts with 7th and 8th, Lille and Villa, and works through the other three pairs in order: Atlético and Leverkusen, Arsenal and Inter, then Liverpool and Barcelona.

For instance, Liverpool and Barcelona now have two options left going into the draw: PSG and Benfica.

The first team drawn out of Liverpool and Barcelona will be placed into the top half of the bracket, and thus play PSG. That automatically means the other club goes into the bottom half against Benfica.

The knockout bracket will have been set through to the final. There is no draw for the specific ties of the quarterfinals and semifinals.

How is the bracket shaping up?

The top half of the knockout playoff round bracket looks stronger, with Real Madrid and PSG in it.

Real Madrid are on a collision course with Arsenal or Inter Milan in the quarterfinals.

However, Real Madrid and PSG cannot play Bayern Munich until the final, as they are in opposite halves.

Juventus failing to get past PSV does make the upper half look a little less daunting.

What are the possible round-of-16 ties?

Each of the seeded pairs has two possible options in the draw:

Paris Saint-Germain or Benfica vs. LiverpoolParis Saint-Germain or Benfica vs. Barcelona

PSV Eindhoven or Feyenoord Rotterdam vs. ArsenalPSV Eindhoven or Feyenoord Rotterdam vs. Internazionale

Club Brugge or Borussia Dortmund vs. LilleClub Brugge or Borussia Dortmund vs. Aston Villa

Real Madrid or Bayern Munich vs. Atlético MadridReal Madrid or Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen

The teams placed in the top eight are seeded and will be at home in the second leg.

So there's no country protection?

Correct. Clubs from the same country can play each other from the knockout playoff round onward. That's why PSG were able to play Ligue 1 rivals Brest in the knockout playoff round.

What are the round of 16 fixture dates?

First legs: March 4-5Second legs: March 11-12

Each club plays once on a Tuesday and once on a Wednesday.

What dates are the other rounds?

QUARTERFINALSFirst legs: April 8-9Second legs: April 15-16

SEMIFINALSFirst legs: April 29-30Second legs: May 6-7

FINALMay 31, Allianz Arena, Munich

Who gets home advantage in the quarterfinals and semifinals?

There will be a draw, straight after the round of 16 is set on Feb. 21, to determine who plays at home first in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

This is not done on league phase seeding, so the final placings did not give a team home advantage beyond the round of 16.

Can January signings play in the Champions League?

Yes, clubs were able to make three changes to their official squad.

So, if a club signed four players in the January transfer window, they would not be able to register all of them from the knockout rounds of European competition.

For instance, Man City signed four new players. They registered Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Abdukodir Khusanov -- which meant Vitor Reis couldn't be added.

The overall limit of 25 players remains. If a club wanted to add a new signing, they had to remove someone else.