UEFA Rules

Qualifying
In matches in the three qualifying rounds and the play-off stage, clubs play two matches against each other on a home-and-away basis. The club which scores the greater aggregate of goals qualifies for the next round, with away goals and then penalties used to determine the winner in the event of a draw.

Group stage
The ten winners in the play-off round ties – five from the best-placed path and five from the champions path – join 22 automatic entrants in the 32-team group stage. The clubs are split into eight groups of four teams, who play home and away against each of their pool opponents between September and December to decide which two teams from each section advance to the first knockout round. The third-place finishers in each group enter the UEFA Europa League round of 32.

Knockout phase
From the last 16 until the semi-finals, clubs play two matches against each other on a home-and-away basis with the same rules as the qualifying and play-off rounds applied. In the last 16, group winners play runners-up other than teams from their own pool or nation, while from the quarter-finals on the draw is free.

Final
The final is decided by a single match, which this season will be played at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan on 28 May 2106.

Further details, including the criteria for separating teams that finish level on points in a group, can be found in the official competition regulations.

2015/16 UEFA Champions League draw schedule Dates subject to change
Date	Location	Draw details
22/06/15	Nyon	First and second qualifying round
17/07/15	Nyon	Third qualifying round
07/08/15	Nyon	Play-off round
27/08/15	Monaco	Group stage
14/12/15	Nyon	Round of 16
18/03/16	Nyon	Quarter-finals
15/04/16	Nyon	Semi-finals and final

2015/16 UEFA Champions League match calendar
Stage	Dates
First qualifying round, first leg	30/06–01/07/15
First qualifying round, second leg	07–08/07/15
Second qualifying round, first leg	14–15/07/15
Second qualifying round, second leg	21–22/07/15
Third qualifying round, first leg	28–29/07/15
Third qualifying round, second leg	04–05/08/15
Play-off round, first leg	18–19/08/15
Play-off round, second leg	25–26/08/15
Group stage, matchday one	15–16/09/15
Group stage, matchday two	29–30/09/15
Group stage, matchday three	20–21/10/15
Group stage, matchday four	03–04/11/15
Group stage, matchday five	24–25/11/15
Group stage, matchday six	08–09/12/15
Round of 16, first leg	16–17/02/16 and 23–24/02/16
Round of 16, second leg	08–09/03/16 and 15–16/03/16
Quarter-finals, first leg	05–06/04/16
Quarter-finals, second leg	12–13/04/16
Semi-finals, first leg	26–27/04/16
Semi-finals, second leg	03–04/05/16
Final (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan)	28/05/16