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There is lone 1 circular of matches remaining successful the league signifier of this season’s UEFA Champions League (UCL), and the stakes stay precocious with qualification inactive wide unfastened for the immense bulk of the teams.
Some of Europe’s apical clubs stay connected reddish alert going into the last circular of matches arsenic teams question to bypass the playoff signifier and suffice straight for the past 16.
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A fig of different teams, though, including past winners and existent league champions from astir the continent, are dreading the world of an aboriginal exit.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a adjacent look astatine who needs what from the last lucifer time successful the league signifier to enactment live successful the UCL.
How is Champions League qualification from the league signifier decided?
Of the 36 teams competing successful the archetypal circular of this season’s Champions League, the apical 8 teams from the league signifier volition suffice straight for the past 16.
The pursuing 16 teams successful the array volition beryllium sent to the playoff stage, wherever the teams volition play two-legged ties with each aggregate victor joining the 8 automatic qualifiers successful the adjacent circular of the knockout stage.
The bottommost 8 teams astatine the extremity of the league signifier volition beryllium eliminated from each European contention this season. In the aged format, teams finishing 3rd successful the radical stages would beryllium offered the comfortableness of being relegated to the knockout rounds of the UEFA Europa League.
Who has already qualified for the past 16 of the Champions League?
Arsenal: The northbound London nine were the archetypal squad to publication their spot successful the past 16 with an awesome 3-1 win astatine Inter Milan connected Tuesday. The league signifier leaders, who besides apical the English Premier League by 7 points, are 3 points wide connected the UCL array and look bottom-club Kairat successful the last circular of games.
Bayern Munich: The German giants person besides qualified aft their 2-0 triumph astatine location to Union Saint-Gilloise connected Wednesday and volition anticipation to situation the Gunners for apical spot erstwhile they question to PSV Eindhoven successful the last round. It is acceptable to beryllium a pugnacious task, however, arsenic their Dutch hosts are perilously placed conscionable supra the bottommost eight.
Could Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and Liverpool miss retired connected automatic qualification for the UCL’s past 16?
Yes.
A decision successful the last circular of league signifier games for Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool volition permission them exposed to missing retired connected the top-eight spots.
Liverpool eased to a 3-0 win astatine Marseille connected Wednesday, portion Barcelona were made to enactment for their 4-2 win astatine Slavia Prague and Real thumped Monaco 6-1 connected Tuesday. PSG missed retired connected the accidental to unafraid their transition past the playoffs erstwhile they mislaid 2-1 astatine Sporting Lisbon connected Tuesday.
Which teams person already been eliminated from the Champions League successful the league phase?
Of the 32 teams competing astatine this stage, lone 4 are already eliminated – Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Villarreal and Kairat.
Who person been the astonishment bundle successful the Champions League this season?
Tottenham presently clasp 5th spot with 14 points, which is successful stark opposition with their signifier successful the Premier League arsenic they are 14th successful their home array and person not won successful 4 games, losing 2 of those.
Which apical teams are astir astatine hazard of falling into the Champions League playoffs?
Barcelona: The La Liga champions are the biggest sanction presently extracurricular the automatic qualification positions arsenic they beryllium successful ninth spot. The bully quality for the Catalan nine is that with PSG playing Newcastle United successful the last circular – and some teams presently successful the apical 8 – a triumph successful Barca’s last crippled against Copenhagen volition spot them qualify.
PSG and Newcastle: Both teams person 13 points, arsenic bash Barca, truthful adjacent a gully astatine the Nou Camp connected Wednesday could beryllium capable to suffice – assuming determination is simply a victor successful the lucifer successful Paris.
The teams that beryllium beneath Barcelona cannot remainder connected having their destiny successful their ain hands, fixed Barca’s existent ranking.
From sixth presumption (PSG) to 13th spot, 8 teams are level connected 13 points.
Among those are Chelsea successful eighth, Manchester City and Atletico Madrid. Inter Milan and Juventus some person 12 points.
Could 1 of the smaller teams leap into the apical 8 Champions League spots?
Borussia Dortmund and Galatasaray spot conscionable beneath Juventus with 11 and 10 points, respectively, but besides level with the second is Qarabag. The Azerbaijan club, which was formed lone successful 1987, could theoretically ascent into the apical 8 if results spell their mode and they triumph their last game. That, however, is distant to Liverpool.
Although acold from being among the smaller clubs connected the European stage, Sporting Lisbon and Atalanta – presently successful the battalion of teams connected 13 points – could besides leap into the apical 8 successful the last ranking.
Which large teams could beryllium eliminated from the Champions League successful the league phase?
Four-time European champions Ajax are placed conscionable supra the bottommost 4 eliminated teams and indispensable bushed Olympiakos astatine location successful their last crippled to person immoderate accidental of qualifying for the playoff stage.
From the Dutch giants connected six points successful 32nd spot to Marseille successful 11th, conscionable 3 points abstracted those 14 teams.
Among those presently successful the bottommost 8 positions are Italian champions Napoli, who look a daunting travel to play Chelsea connected Wednesday, and Portuguese giants Benfica, who entertain Spanish ace nine Real Madrid.
Although Galatasaray and Qarabag tin inactive imagination of a top-eight finish, they are joined by Marseille, Bayer Leverkusen, Monaco, PSV, Athletic Bilbao and Olympiakos, who are each successful information of dropping into the league phase’s elimination zone.
Who are confirmed of advancement into astatine slightest the playoff stage?
The pursuing teams are assured of astatine slightest reaching the playoffs:
Atalanta, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Inter, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle, PSG, Real Madrid, Sporting CP and Tottenham.
When is the last circular of league signifier games successful the Champions League?
The last circular of games volition each beryllium played connected Wednesday, and each volition footwear disconnected astatine 20:00 GMT.
What are the last circular of league signifier games successful the Champions League?
- Ajax vs Olympiakos
- Arsenal vs Kairat
- Athletic Bilbao vs Sporting Lisbon
- Atletico Madrid vs Bodo/Glimt
- Barcelona vs Copenhagen
- Bayer Leverkusen vs Villarreal
- Benfica vs Real Madrid
- Borussia Dortmund vs Inter Milan
- Club Brugge vs Marseille
- Eintracht Frankfurt vs Tottenham Hotspur
- Liverpool vs Qarabag
- Manchester City vs Galatasaray
- Monaco vs Juventus
- Napoli vs Chelsea
- PSV Eindhoven vs Bayern Munich
- Pafos vs Slavia Prague
- Paris Saint-Germain vs Newcastle United
- Union Saint-Gilloise vs Atalanta
When volition the Champions League playoffs beryllium played?
The 2 legs volition beryllium played connected February 17-18 and February 24-25.
When volition the Champions League past 16 matches beryllium played?
The 2 legs of the circular of 16 volition beryllium played connected March 10-11 and March 17-18.
When and wherever is the UEFA Champions League final?
After the quarterfinals and semifinals, the finale of this season’s Champions League volition beryllium staged astatine Puskas Arena successful Budapest, Hungary. The crippled volition beryllium played connected May 30.
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