UEFA Champions League path
The 32 clubs entering via the UEFA Champions League will compete in groups with the identical make-up and fixture list as for the senior competition. The eight group winners will progress straight to the round of 16 while the eight runners-up will go into the play-offs.

Domestic Champions path
The 32 teams will compete in two knockout rounds of home-and-away ties to produce eight survivors, who will progress to the play-offs.

Play-offs
The eight Domestic Champions path survivors will be drawn at home to the eight UEFA Champions League path runners-up in one-off ties to decide the eight remaining round of 16 berths.