1996–97 UEFA Champions League knockout stage
In today's world, 1996–97 UEFA Champions League knockout stage has become a relevant issue that is becoming more and more important in society. Since its emergence, it has generated extensive debate and controversy, arousing the interest and curiosity of many people. Whether due to its impact on daily life, its historical relevance or its influence on popular culture, 1996–97 UEFA Champions League knockout stage has managed to capture the attention of different sectors of society. In this article, we will thoroughly explore the various facets of 1996–97 UEFA Champions League knockout stage, analyzing its meaning, its evolution over time, and its impact today. In addition, we will examine the different perspectives that exist around 1996–97 UEFA Champions League knockout stage, offering a broad and objective vision of this exciting topic.
The knockout stage of the 1996–97 UEFA Champions League began on 5 March 1997 and ended with the final at the Olympiastadion in Munich on 28 May 1997. The top two teams from each of the four groups in the group stage competed in the knockout stage. The draw for the quarter-finals was performed before the start of the group stage, with the winners of each group played against the runners-up from another; Group A vs. Group B, and Group C vs. Group D, with the group winner hosting the second leg. For the semi-finals, the winners of each tie between teams from groups A and B played against the winners of the corresponding tie between teams from groups C and D.
Qualified teams
The knockout stage involved the eight teams which qualified as winners and runners-up of all four groups in the group stage.
| Group | Winners (seeded in quarter-final draw) |
Runners-up (unseeded in quarter-final draw) |
|---|---|---|
| A |  Auxerre
|
 Ajax
|
| B |  Atlético Madrid
|
 Borussia Dortmund
|
| C |  Juventus
|
 Manchester United
|
| D |  Porto
|
 Rosenborg
|
Format
Each quarter-final and semi-final was played over two legs, with each team playing one leg at home; the team that scored the most goals over the two legs qualified for the following round. In the event that the two teams scored the same number of goals over the two legs, the team that scored more goals away from home qualified for the next round; if both teams scored the same number of away goals, matches would go to golden goal extra time and then a penalty shoot-out if the teams could not be separated after extra time.
Bracket
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | |||||||||||||
| Borussia Dortmund
| 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| Auxerre
| 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Borussia Dortmund
| 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Manchester United
| 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Manchester United
| 4 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| Porto
| 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Borussia Dortmund
| 3 | ||||||||||||||
| Juventus
| 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Ajax (aet)
| 1 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| Atlético Madrid
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Ajax
| 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Juventus
| 2 | 4 | 6 | ||||||||||||
| Rosenborg
| 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Juventus
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||
Quarter-finals
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borussia Dortmund
|
4–1 | Auxerre
|
3–1 | 1–0 |
| Manchester United
|
4–0 | Porto
|
4–0 | 0–0 |
| Ajax
|
4–3 | Atlético Madrid
|
1–1 | 3–2(aet) |
| Rosenborg
|
1–3 | Juventus
|
1–1 | 0–2 |
First leg
| Ajax | 1–1 | Atlético Madrid |
|---|---|---|
Kluivert  53' |
Report | Esnáider 8' |
Second leg
| Auxerre | 0–1 | Borussia Dortmund |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Ricken 61' |
Borussia Dortmund won 4–1 on aggregate.
| Atlético Madrid | 2–3 (a.e.t.) | Ajax |
|---|---|---|
| Kiko 29' Pantić 105' (pen.) |
Report | R. de Boer 49' Dani 100'Babangida 119' |
Ajax won 4–3 on aggregate.
Juventus won 3–1 on aggregate.
Manchester United won 4–0 on aggregate.
Semi-finals
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borussia Dortmund
|
2–0 | Manchester United
|
1–0 | 1–0 |
| Ajax
|
2–6 | Juventus
|
1–2 | 1–4 |
First leg
Second leg
Borussia Dortmund won 2–0 on aggregate.
Juventus won 6–2 on aggregate.