2018–19 UEFA Champions League#Second qualifying round

On 9 December 2016, UEFA confirmed the reforming plan for the UEFA Champions League for the 2018–2021 cycle, which was announced on 26 August 2016.{{cite news|date=26 August 2016|title=Evolution of UEFA club competitions for 2018–21 cycle|publisher=UEFA|url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0230-0f8e31252319-a88c4e1ac804-1000--evolution-of-uefa-club-competitions-for-2018-21-cycle/|access-date=3 November 2017}}{{cite news|date=9 December 2016|title=Lyon to host 2018 UEFA Europa League final|publisher=UEFA|url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0234-0f8e35587c90-754ad72cf131-1000--lyon-to-host-2018-uefa-europa-league-final/|access-date=3 November 2017}} As per the new regulations, the previous season's UEFA Europa League winners will qualify automatically for the UEFA Champions League group stage (previously they would qualify for the play-off round, but would be promoted to the group stage only if the Champions League title holder berth was vacated, although this promotion to the group stage had been made in all three seasons since it was established from 2015–2016). Meanwhile, the top four teams from the leagues of the four top-ranked national associations in the UEFA country coefficients list will qualify automatically for the group stage as well. Only six teams will qualify for the group stage via the qualification rounds, down from ten in the previous season.

This was also the first year to feature a preliminary round, in which the representatives of the four bottom-ranked national associations in the UEFA country coefficients contested single-legged semi-finals and a final to determine the final team to enter the first qualifying round.

79 teams from 54 of the 55 UEFA member associations participated in the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League (the exception being Liechtenstein, which did not organise a domestic league). The association ranking based on the UEFA country coefficients was used to determine the number of participating teams for each association:{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Regulations/uefaorg/Regulations/02/55/82/79/2558279_DOWNLOAD.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512114219/http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Regulations/uefaorg/Regulations/02/55/82/79/2558279_DOWNLOAD.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 May 2018 |title=2018/19 UEFA Champions League regulations |publisher=UEFA |date=10 May 2018 |access-date=12 May 2018}}

• Associations 1–4 each had four teams qualify.
• Associations 5–6 each had three teams qualify.
• Associations 7–15 each had two teams qualify.
• Associations 16–55 (except Liechtenstein) each had one team qualify.
• The winners of the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League and 2017–18 UEFA Europa League were each given an additional entry if they did not qualify for the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League through their domestic league.
• The winners of the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid, qualified through their domestic league, meaning the additional entry for the Champions League title holders was not necessary.
• The winners of the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League, Atlético Madrid, qualified through their domestic league, meaning the additional entry for the Europa League title holders was not necessary.

For the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League, the associations were allocated places according to their 2017 UEFA country coefficients, which took into account their performance in European competitions from 2012–13 to 2016–17.{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/country/season=2017/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140928204452/http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/country/season=2017/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 September 2014 |title=Country coefficients 2016/17 |publisher=UEFA |date=6 June 2017 |access-date=28 February 2018}}

Apart from the allocation based on the country coefficients, associations could have additional teams participating in the Champions League, as noted below:

• {{small|(UCL)}} – Additional berth for the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League winners
• {{small|(UEL)}} – Additional berth for the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League winners

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In the default access list, the Champions League title holders qualified for the group stage.{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0242-0e16a85014cb-5ffe48223b95-1000--champions-league-and-europa-league-changes-next-season/ |title=Champions League and Europa League changes next season |publisher=UEFA |date=27 February 2018 |access-date=27 February 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/competitions/General/02/49/98/51/2499851_DOWNLOAD.pdf |title=Access list for the 2018/19 UEFA club competitions |publisher=UEFA |date=27 February 2018 |access-date=28 February 2018}} However, since Real Madrid already qualified for the group stage via their domestic league (as third place of the 2017–18 La Liga), the following changes to the access list were made:{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0242-0e98526be038-ee80ba49db2c-1000--the-2018-19-champions-league-and-europa-league-access-list/ |title=Access list for the 2018/19 UEFA club competitions (modified) |publisher=UEFA |date=4 June 2018 |access-date=29 June 2018}}

• The champions of association 11 (Czech Republic) entered the group stage instead of the play-off round.
• The champions of association 13 (Netherlands) entered the play-off round instead of the third qualifying round.
• The champions of association 15 (Austria) entered the third qualifying round instead of the second qualifying round.
• The champions of associations 18 (Denmark) and 19 (Belarus) entered the second qualifying round instead of the first qualifying round.

In addition, the Europa League title holders qualified for the group stage. However, since Atlético Madrid, the Europa League champions, already qualified for the group stage via their domestic league (as second place of the 2017–18 La Liga), the following changes to the access list were made:

• The third-placed team of association 5 (France) entered the group stage instead of the third qualifying round.
• The runners-up of association 10 (Turkey) and 11 (Czech Republic) entered the third qualifying round instead of the second qualifying round.

League positions of the previous season shown in parentheses (TH: Champions League title holders; EL: Europa League title holders).{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0246-0e9cd9fdb2e4-b72548b19376-1000--2018-19-uefa-champions-league-participants/ |title=2018/19 UEFA Champions League participants |publisher=UEFA |access-date=29 June 2018}}

;Notes

{{Cnote2 Begin|liststyle=disc}}

{{Cnote2|Note ALB|Albania (ALB): In March 2018, Skënderbeu were handed a 10-year ban from UEFA club competitions over match fixing.{{cite web|last=Lisaku|first=Ervin|url=http://www.tiranatimes.com/?p=136381|title=Albania's Skenderbeu handed 10-year ban over match-fixing in worst ever UEFA punishment|publisher=Tirana Times|date=29 March 2018}}{{cite web|last=Erebara|first=Gjergj|url=https://balkaninsight.com/2018/03/30/uefa-banned-albania-s-skenderbeu-over-match-fixing-scandal-03-30-2018/|title=Albania's Skenderbeu handed 10-year ban over match-fixing in worst ever UEFA punishment|publisher=Balkan Insight|date=30 March 2018}} Since they finished as champions of the 2017–18 Albanian Superliga, the runners-up of the league, Kukësi, entered the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League instead of the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League.}}

{{Cnote2 End}}

The schedule of the competition was as follows (all draws were held at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, unless stated otherwise).{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0241-0e98376f4997-e042439b9fca-1000--2018-19-champions-league-match-and-draw-calendar/ |title=2018/19 Champions League match and draw calendar |publisher=UEFA |date=9 January 2018 |access-date=9 January 2018}}

From this season, there were staggered kick-off times in the group stage at 18:55 CET and 21:00 CET. Kick-off times starting from the knock-out phase were 21:00 CET.

{{main|1=2018–19 UEFA Champions League qualifying phase and play-off round|l1=2018–19 UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds}}

In the qualifying and play-off rounds, teams were divided into seeded and unseeded teams based on their 2018 UEFA club coefficients, and then drawn into two-legged home-and-away ties.

In the preliminary round, teams were divided into seeded and unseeded teams based on their 2018 UEFA club coefficients,{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/club/#/yr/2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130113004406/http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/club/#/yr/2018 |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 January 2013 |title=Club coefficients |publisher=UEFA |date=10 August 2018 |access-date=10 August 2018}} and then drawn into one-legged semi-final and final ties. The draw for the preliminary round was held on 12 June 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/draws/2019/2000974/|title=UEFA Champions League preliminary round draw|publisher=UEFA}} The semi-final round was played on 26 June, and the final round was played on 29 June 2018, both at the Victoria Stadium in Gibraltar.{{cite web|url=https://www.gibraltarfa.com/news/26-04-2018/1st-ever-champions-league-preliminary-round-competition-to-be-held-in-gibraltar|title=1st ever Champions League Preliminary Round competition to be held in Gibraltar|publisher=Gibraltar Football Association|date=26 April 2018|access-date=26 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130130319/https://www.gibraltarfa.com/news/26-04-2018/1st-ever-champions-league-preliminary-round-competition-to-be-held-in-gibraltar|archive-date=30 November 2018|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} The losers of both semi-final and final rounds entered the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round.

Drita's win in the semi-final round was the first time that a team representing Kosovo had won a game in any UEFA competition.

{{#lst:2018–19 UEFA Champions League qualifying phase and play-off round|PR}}

The draw for the first qualifying round was held on 19 June 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/draws/2019/2000976/|title=UEFA Champions League first and second qualifying round draws|publisher=UEFA}} The first legs were played on 10 and 11 July, and the second legs were played on 17 and 18 July 2018. The losers entered the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round, except one team were drawn to receive a bye to the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League third qualifying round.

{{#lst:2018–19 UEFA Champions League qualifying phase and play-off round|Q1}}

The second qualifying round was split into two separate sections: Champions Path (for league champions) and League Path (for league non-champions). The draw for the second qualifying round was held on 19 June 2018. The first legs were played on 24 and 25 July, and the second legs were played on 31 July and 1 August 2018. The losers from both Champions Path and League Path entered the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League third qualifying round.

{{#lst:2018–19 UEFA Champions League qualifying phase and play-off round|Q2}}

The third qualifying round was split into two separate sections: Champions Path (for league champions) and League Path (for league non-champions). The draw for the third qualifying round was held on 23 July 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/draws/2019/2000978/|title=UEFA Champions League third qualifying round draw|publisher=UEFA}} The first legs were played on 7 and 8 August, and the second legs were played on 14 August 2018. The losers from Champions Path entered the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League play-off round, while the losers from League Path entered the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League group stage.

{{#lst:2018–19 UEFA Champions League qualifying phase and play-off round|Q3}}

{{main|1=2018–19 UEFA Champions League qualifying phase and play-off round#Play-off round|l1=2018–19 UEFA Champions League play-off round}}

The play-off round was split into two separate sections: Champions Path (for league champions) and League Path (for league non-champions). The draw for the play-off round was held on 6 August 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/draws/2019/2000979/ |title=UEFA Champions League play-off draw|publisher=UEFA}} The first legs were played on 21 and 22 August, and the second legs were played on 28 and 29 August. The losers from both Champions Path and League Path entered the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League group stage.

{{#lst:2018–19 UEFA Champions League qualifying phase and play-off round|PO}}

{{main|2018–19 UEFA Champions League group stage}}

{{Location map+ |Europe |width=600 |float=right |caption=Location of teams of the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League group stage.
8px Brown: Group A; 8px Red: Group B; 8px Orange: Group C; 8px Yellow: Group D;
8px Green: Group E; 8px Blue: Group F; 8px Purple: Group G; 8px Pink: Group H.

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{{Location map~|Europe|lat=53.466667|long=-2.233333|label_size=80|label=Manchester|mark=Black pog.svg|position=right}}

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{{Location map~|Europe|lat=48.84139|long=2.25306|label_size=80|label=PSG|mark=Orange pog.svg|position=bottom}}

{{Location map~|Europe|lat=48.21878|long=11.62475|label_size=80|label=Bayern|mark=Green pog.svg|position=right}}

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{{Location map~|Europe|lat=49.23810|long=8.88760|label_size=80|label=Hoffenheim|mark=Blue pog.svg|position=right}}

{{Location map~|Europe|lat=51.55450|long=7.06759|label_size=80|label=Schalke|mark=Yellow pog.svg|position=bottom}}

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{{Location map~|Europe|lat=45.10944|long=7.64111|label_size=80|label=Juventus|mark=Pink pog.svg|position=left}}

{{Location map~|Europe|lat=40.82797|long=14.19301|label_size=80|label=Napoli|mark=Orange pog.svg|position=bottom}}

{{Location map~|Europe|lat=41.82872|long=12.42547|label_size=80|label=Roma|mark=Purple pog.svg|position=right}}

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{{Location map~|Europe||lat=51.441664|long=5.467563|label_size=80|label=PSV|mark=Red pog.svg|position=left}}

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{{Location map~|Europe|lat=41.16176|long=-8.58393|label_size=80|label=Porto|mark=Yellow pog.svg|position=right}}

{{Location map~|Europe|lat=55.75|long=37.616667|label_size=80|label=Moscow|mark=Black pog.svg|position=left}}

{{Location map~|Europe||lat=44.8162 |long=20.4816 |label_size=80|label=Red Star|mark=Orange pog.svg|position=top}}

{{Location map~|Europe|lat=41.38087|long=2.1228|label_size=80|label=Barcelona|mark=Red pog.svg|position=right}}

{{Location map~|Europe|lat=40.383333|long=-3.716667|label_size=80|label=Madrid|mark=Black pog.svg|position=top}}

{{Location map~|Europe|lat=39.47466|long=-0.35836|label_size=80|label=Valencia|mark=Pink pog.svg|position=right}}

{{Location map~|Europe|lat=46.96316|long=7.46483|label_size=80|label=Young Boys|mark=Pink pog.svg|position=right}}

{{Location map~|Europe|lat=41.10287|long=28.99042|label_size=80|label=Galatasaray|mark=Yellow pog.svg|position=right}}

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{{nowrap|Madrid teams}}

{{nowrap|8px Atlético Madrid

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{{nowrap|Manchester teams}}

{{nowrap|8px Manchester City

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{{nowrap|8px CSKA Moscow

8px Lokomotiv Moscow}}

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}}

The draw for the group stage was held on 30 August 2018 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/draws/2019/2000980/|title=UEFA Champions League group stage draw|publisher=UEFA}} The 32 teams were drawn into eight groups of four, with the restriction that teams from the same association could not be drawn against each other. For the draw, the teams were seeded into four pots based on the following principles (introduced starting this season):

• Pot 1 contained the Champions League and Europa League title holders, and the champions of the top six associations based on their 2017 UEFA country coefficients. If either or both title holders were one of the champions of the top six associations, the champions of the next highest ranked association(s) are also seeded into Pot 1.
• Pot 2, 3 and 4 contained the remaining teams, seeded based on their 2018 UEFA club coefficients.

In each group, teams played against each other home-and-away in a round-robin format. The group winners and runners-up advanced to the round of 16, while the third-placed teams entered the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League round of 32. The matchdays were 18–19 September, 2–3 October, 23–24 October, 6–7 November, 27–28 November, and 11–12 December 2018.

The youth teams of the clubs that qualified for the group stage also participated in the 2018–19 UEFA Youth League on the same matchdays, where they competed in the UEFA Champions League Path (the youth domestic champions of the top 32 associations competed in a separate Domestic Champions Path until the play-offs).

A total of fifteen national associations were represented in the group stage. TSG Hoffenheim, Red Star Belgrade (1991 European champions) and Young Boys made their debut appearances in the group stage (although Red Star Belgrade had appeared in the European Cup group stage).

{{:2018–19 UEFA Champions League group stage|transcludesection=Group A|show_matches=yes|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules}}

{{:2018–19 UEFA Champions League group stage|transcludesection=Group B|show_matches=yes|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules}}

{{:2018–19 UEFA Champions League group stage|transcludesection=Group C|show_matches=yes|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules}}

{{:2018–19 UEFA Champions League group stage|transcludesection=Group D|show_matches=yes|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules}}

{{:2018–19 UEFA Champions League group stage|transcludesection=Group E|show_matches=yes|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules}}

{{:2018–19 UEFA Champions League group stage|transcludesection=Group F|show_matches=yes|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules}}

{{:2018–19 UEFA Champions League group stage|transcludesection=Group G|show_matches=yes|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules}}

{{:2018–19 UEFA Champions League group stage|transcludesection=Group H|show_matches=yes|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules}}

{{main|2018–19 UEFA Champions League knockout phase}}

In the knockout phase, teams played against each other over two legs on a home-and-away basis, except for the one-match final.

{{#lst:2018–19 UEFA Champions League knockout phase|Format}}

{{#lst:2018–19 UEFA Champions League knockout phase|Bracket}}

The draw for the round of 16 was held on 17 December 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/draws/2019/2000981/|title=UEFA Champions League round of 16 draw|publisher=UEFA}} The first legs were played on 12, 13, 19 and 20 February, and the second legs were played on 5, 6, 12 and 13 March 2019.

{{#lst:2018–19 UEFA Champions League knockout phase|R16}}

The draw for the quarter-finals was held on 15 March 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/draws/2019/2000982/|title=UEFA Champions League quarter-final, semi-final and final draws|publisher=UEFA}} The first legs were played on 9 and 10 April, and the second legs were played on 16 and 17 April 2019.

{{#lst:2018–19 UEFA Champions League knockout phase|QF}}

The draw for the semi-finals was held on 15 March 2019 (after the quarter-final draw). The first legs were played on 30 April and 1 May, and the second legs were played on 7 and 8 May 2019.

Liverpool staged an improbable 4–0 comeback win against Barcelona in a return leg fixture at Anfield, having lost the first leg to the Spanish side 3–0 at the Camp Nou. Meanwhile, Ajax were winning 3–0 on aggregate by the 54th minute of the second leg against Tottenham Hotspur, yet Spurs made a similarly dramatic comeback; with Ajax seconds away from the final, Lucas Moura completed his hat-trick in the 96th minute to seal the tie on the away goals rule. Both semifinals are considered among the greatest Champions League comebacks of all time.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48163330|title=Tottenham & Liverpool: Greatest Champions League comebacks of all time|website=BBC Sport|date=9 May 2019|access-date=20 August 2020}}

{{#lst:2018–19 UEFA Champions League knockout phase|SF}}

{{#lst:2018–19 UEFA Champions League knockout phase|F}}

Statistics exclude qualifying rounds and play-off round.

On 2 June 2019, the UEFA technical study group selected the following 20 players as the squad of the tournament.{{cite web |title=UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0252-0e99c3f9c0f4-c762bb0ec7f4-1000--uefa-champions-league-squad-of-the-season/ |website=UEFA|publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=2 June 2019}}

{{main|UEFA Club Football Awards|UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award}}

Votes were cast for players of the season by coaches of the 32 teams in the group stage, together with 55 journalists selected by the European Sports Media (ESM) group, representing each of UEFA's member associations. The coaches were not allowed to vote for players from their own teams. Jury members selected their top three players, with the first receiving five points, the second three and the third one. The shortlist of the top three players was announced on 8 August 2019.{{cite web|title=Champions League positional awards: meet the nominees|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0254-0e99d2a5caed-1a4f7686212d-1000--champions-league-positional-awards-meet-the-nominees/|website=UEFA|publisher=Union of European Football Associations|access-date=8 August 2019|date=8 August 2019}} The award winners were announced and presented during the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League group stage draw in Monaco on 29 August 2019.

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• 2018–19 UEFA Europa League
• 2019 UEFA Super Cup
• 2018–19 UEFA Women's Champions League
• 2018–19 UEFA Youth League
• 2018–19 UEFA Futsal Champions League

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{Official website|https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/}}
• [https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/seasons/2019/matches/ 2018/19 UEFA Champions League - Matches] at UEFA.com
• [https://www.rsssf.org/ec/ec201819.html 2018–19 UEFA Champions League] at Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
• [https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/seasons/2019/ 2018/19 UEFA Champions League - Scorers] at UEFA.com

{{UEFA Champions League seasons}}

{{2018–19 in European football (UEFA)}}

{{2018–19 European club competitions}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2018-19 UEFA Champions League}}

Category:UEFA Champions League seasons

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