The 2009–10 UEFA Champions League group stage matches took place between 15 September and 9 December 2009. The draw for the eight groups took place on 27 August 2009, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. The group stage featured the 22 automatic qualifiers and the 10 winners of the play-off round (five through the Champions Path, five through the Non-Champions Path). After the completion of the group stage, the top two teams in each group advanced to play in the first knockout round, while the third-placed teams dropped down to the UEFA Europa League round of 32.