MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) -Bayern Munich eased past Slovan Bratislava 3-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday but the Germans missed out on a top-eight finish and automatic qualification and will go into a playoff for a spot in the Round of 16.

Bayern Munich take on Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at the Allianz Arena. Kickoff is set for an 9 p.m. CET local time start in Germany, making it an 8 p.m. GMT kickoff in the UK. It's a 3 p.m. ET or 12 p.m. PT start in the US and Canada, and a 7 a.m. AEDT kickoff in Australia on Thursday morning.

The UEFA Champions League's first-ever league phase is over, and the knockout stage outlook is now much clearer. Manchester City avoided disaster, Liverpool topped the league-phase table, and we could get FC Bayern vs.