Premier League clubs are in the final round of the Champions League group phase, waiting to find their opponents for the knockout stages with draw rules determining the draw.
All 36 teams will take part in the Champions League on Wednesday night, aiming to advance to the final round.
The Champions League phase table remains in a delicate balance ahead of Wednesday’s chaotic match. All 36 teams have one game remaining to qualify for the final round.
All 18 games will kick off at the same time on Wednesday at 8pm. Six Premier League teams are taking part, five of which currently hold positions in the top eight.
Teams that finish in the top eight can earn seeding and advance directly to the Round of 16, while teams ranked 9th through 24th must participate in a two-legged playoff to join them. Arsenal are already almost certain to finish top of the table due to their overwhelming goal difference, but Liverpool and Tottenham need wins in their final games against Qarabag and Eintracht Frankfurt to secure a place in the last 16.
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Newcastle, Chelsea and Manchester City are still fighting to join them. And while we already know who each team is likely to face due to the Champions League’s new draw structure, it’s clear the tables will turn on the final night of league phase matches.
As it stands, 11th-placed Man City will be the only English club required to negotiate a two-legged play-off. According to our predictions, they will face either Monaco (21st) or PSV (22nd).
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A win would see City face either the fifth or sixth seed in the last 16. For now, they will face either Premier League rivals Spurs or European Cup holders PSG.
Spurs are aware that if they avoid City, the three rivals they are most likely to face in the first round of the knockout stages are Monaco (21st), PSV (22nd) and Atletico Madrid (12th).
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s prize for topping the group could be two games in the last 16 against one of four teams: Galatasaray (17th), Qarabag (18th), Juventus (15th) or Borussia Dortmund (16th).
Liverpool currently sit in fourth place and are expected to face one of four clubs in the Round of 16: Atalanta (13th), Inter Milan (14th), Marseille (19th) and Bayer Leverkusen (20th).
This graphic created by Foot Ranks shows the current Champions League picture (Image: X/@FootRankings)
Newcastle currently sit seventh in the table and could face a mouth-watering clash with Barcelona (ninth) if they can maintain their seeding. Other expected potential opponents are Sporting CP (10th), Athletic Club (23rd) or Olympiakos (24th).
Chelsea occupy 8th place and have the same list of opponents as Newcastle.
This draw structure means Arsenal will be on the same draw side as Newcastle and Chelsea, potentially leading to a quarter-final between both teams. Alternatively, five-time champions Barcelona could be waiting in the top eight.
Six-time champions Liverpool could face Man City or Tottenham in the quarter-finals, but PSG or Atletico are also strong contenders. With one game remaining for each team, the standings could still change significantly.
However, Arsenal are certain to take second place, and considering their goal difference, Liverpool are unlikely to rise above third place.
Tottenham can finish third at best, while Newcastle and Chelsea must avoid defeats away to PSG and Napoli respectively to secure a top-eight finish. City need to win at home against Galatasaray and hope the other results go in their favour.
Liverpool’s lead in the league didn’t help them last season, as they were eliminated in the last 16 by PSG. However, this year’s rule changes mean Arsenal are guaranteed home advantage in all second legs of the knockout stages if they finish top of the table.
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