CHAMPIONS LEAGUE STATE OF PLAY: WHAT ARSENAL AND ASTON VILLA NEED TO SEAL AN AUTOMATIC SPOT IN THE LAST-16... WITH MAN CITY AND PSG AT RISK OF ELIMINATION
- Liverpool have booked their spot in the last-16 of the Champions League
- Arsenal and Aston Villa could seal automatic qualification on matchday eight
- Man City, PSG and Sporting Lisbon are all at risk of being eliminated
There is just one matchday remaining in the inaugural league phase of the revamped Champions League.
And as promised the new format has provided plenty of entertainment and will continue to do so heading into the final round as 25 of the 36 teams involved are still waiting to learn their fate.
Manchester City are in serious risk of being dumped from the competition following their 4-2 defeat to PSG on Wednesday and currently lie in the elimination zone.
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are on the cusp of guaranteeing automatic qualification, with Liverpool already securing their spot in the last-16.
Whilst Aston Villa and Celtic head into the final game fighting for a spot for automatic qualification.
Here is the current state-of-play in the Champions League heading into matchday eight plus what is required from the British clubs involved to advance to the next stage of the competition.
How many teams qualify for the knockout phase?
Out of the 36 teams involved in the league phase of the Champions League, those who finish in the top eight of the table will automatically progress to the last-16 of the tournament.
Team's who placed between ninth and 16th will be seeded and drawn against one of the club's who finished 17th to 24th, where they will play a two-legged knockout play-off.
The winners of the eight play-off games will then progress to the round of 16 where they will come up against those who finished in the top eight.
Those who finish 25th or lower will be eliminated from the tournament and unlike previous years, they will not go down to play in the Europa League but instead they will be knocked out of Europe all together.
Which teams have qualified
Top eight guaranteed (Last-16): Liverpool, Barcelona
Top 24 guaranteed (Play-off): Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa, Monaco, Feyenoord, Lille, Brest, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Juventus, Celtic
Uncertain of progression: PSV, Club Brugge, Benfica, PSG, Sporting, Stuttgart, Manchester City, Dinamo Zagreb, Shakhtar Donetsk
Eliminated: Bologna, Sparta Prague, Leipzig, Girona, Red Star Belgrade, Sturm Graz, Salzburg, Slovan Bratislava, Young Boys
What do Arsenal need to do to qualify?
The North London side head into their final league game away to Girona in 3rd place.
Mikel Arteta's Gunners might as well have booked their spot in the last-16 as they sit three points above the play-off and hold a substantial goal difference over their competitors, meaning even if they lose against the Spanish outfit they are all-but guaranteed a spot in the last-16.
Only a wild sequence of results in matchday eight would deny Arsenal a spot in the top eight and force them into the knockout play-offs stage.
What do Aston Villa need to do to qualify?
Aston Villa currently sit ninth in the league phase ahead of their last game against Celtic at Villa Park.
A win against the current Scottish Premiership leaders would give Unai Emery's men a good chance of securing automatic qualification.
However they would need one of the five teams above them to slip up and lose or draw their final game.
As it stands, the Villain's are at least guaranteed a place in the knockout play-off round as it is no longer possible for them to finish outside of the top 24.
What do Celtic need to do to qualify?
Celtic find themselves in a similar situation to their matchday eight opponents.
Brendan Rodger's side are just one point behind Aston Villa in the current league standings, meaning a win could potentially book them a spot in the last-16.
Although they would need a lot of the other results to go in their favour.
What do Man City need to do to qualify?
It is all or nothing for Manchester City in their last league phase fixture.
The Manchester outfit currently reside one spot and two points outside of the qualification places and host Club Brugge in their eight and final match.
A win against the Belgian side would only be enough for Pep Guardiola's side to advance to the next stage of the competition.
However, if they lose or draw at the Etihad on Wednesday, January 29, they will be eliminated from the Champions League and European football all together.
Who plays who?
Where a team finishes in the League table after the conclusion of matchday eight determines which side they will face in the knockout rounds and at which stage they will meet them.
Liverpool for example are guaranteed a top-two finish in the table, meaning they skip the playoff stage and go straight through to the last-16.
Where they will face a team who finished in either 15th, 16th, 17th or 18th in the league table.
Knockout Play-offs Bracket:
17th or 18th vs 15th or 16th
23rd or 24th vs 9th or 10th
21st or 22nd vs 11th or 12th
19th or 20th vs 13th or 14th
20th or 19th vs 14th or 13th
22nd or 21st vs 12th or 11th
24th or 23rd vs 10th or 9th
18th or 17th vs 16th or 15th
Round of 16 Bracket:
17th, 18th, 15th or 16th vs 1st or 2nd
23rd, 24th, 9th or 10th vs 7th or 8th
21st, 22nd, 11th or 12th vs 5th or 6th
19th, 20th, 13th or 14th vs 3rd or 4th
20th, 19th, 14th or 13th vs 4th or 3rd
22nd, 21st, 12th or 11th vs 6th or 5th
24th, 23rd, 10th or 9th vs 8th or 7th
18th, 17th, 16th or 15th vs 2nd or 1st
Who could the British teams involved face?
This is who the teams would face in the knockout round as it stands with the current table.
Liverpool (1st seed)
- Knockout playoffs: Avoid
- Round of 16: Bayern Munich (15th), Real Madrid (16th), Juventus (17th) or Celtic (18th)
Arsenal (3rd seed)
- Knockout play-offs: Avoid
- Round of 16: Brest (13th), Dortmund (14th), PSV (19th) or Club Brugge (20th)
Aston Villa (8th seed)
- Knockout play-offs: Sporting (23rd) or Stuttgart (24th)
- Round of 16: Atalanta (7th) or Leverkusen (8th)
Celtic (18th seed)
- Knockout play-offs: Bayern Munich (15th) or Real Madrid (16th)
- Round of 16: Liverpool (1st) or Barcelona (2nd)
Manchester City (25th seed)
As it stands Pep Gaurdiola's men lie in the elimination zone, therefore they would be knocked out of the competition and European club competition this season.
UEFA Champions League Standings
Remaining league phase fixtures
Matchday Six - Wednesday, January 29
- Aston Villa vs Celtic
- Bayer Leverkusen vs Sparta Praha
- Borussia Dortmund vs Shakhtar Donetsk
- Young Boys vs Crvena Zvezda
- Barcelona vs Atalanta
- Bayern Munich vs Slovan Bratislava
- Inter vs Monaco
- Salzburg vs Atletico de Madrid
- Girona vs Arsenal
- GNK Dinamo vs AC Milan
- Juventus vs Benfica
- LOSC Lille vs Feyenoord
- Manchester City vs Club Brugge
- PSV Eindhoven vs Liverpool
- Sturm Graz vs Leipzig
- Sporting CP vs Bologna
- Brest vs Real Madrid
- Stuttgart vs Paris Saint-Germain
- Paris Saint-Germain vs Manchester City
When are the 2024/25 Champions League knockout stages?
Knockout round play-offs:
- First Leg: February 11/12
- Second Leg: February 18/19
Round of 16:
- First Leg: March 4/5
- Second Leg: March 11/12
Quarter-finals:
- First Leg: April 8/9
- Second Leg: April 15/16
Semi-finals:
- First Leg: April 29/30
- Second leg : May 6/7
Final: Saturday, May 31
Read more 2025-01-23T13:23:29Z
