There are only one matches left in this season’s league round UEFA Champions League (UCL), and even though qualification is still open for the majority of teams, stakes are high.
Some of Europe’s top clubs are on red alert heading into the final round of matches as teams look to bypass the playoff stage and qualify directly for the last 16.
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Many other teams, including past champions and current league champions across the continent, are dreading the reality of an early exit.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a close look at what it takes from the final match day of the league stage to stay alive in the UCL.
How is Champions League qualification in the league stage decided?
Of the 36 teams participating in the first round of this season’s Champions League, the top eight teams from the league stage will qualify directly for the last 16.
The bottom 16 teams in the table will be sent to the play-off stage, where the teams will play two-legged ties with each overall winner joining the eight automatic qualifiers in the next round of knockouts.
The bottom eight teams at the end of the league stage will be eliminated from all European competitions this season. In the old format, the third-placed teams in the group stage would be granted a place in the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League.
Who has qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League?
Arsenal: The north London club were the first team to book their place in the last 16 3-1 win at Inter Milan on Tuesday. The league leaders, who are seven points clear at the top of the English Premier League, are three points clear at the top of the UCL table and face bottom-club Cairat in the final round of games.
Bayern Munich: The German giants also qualified after a 2-0 home win over Union Saint-Gilois on Wednesday and will hope to challenge the Gunners for top spot when they travel to PSV Eindhoven in the final. It will be a tough task, however, with their Dutch hosts dangerously above the bottom eight.
Could Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and Liverpool miss out on automatic qualification for the UCL’s last 16?
yes
Final defeats to Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool in the league stage will see them miss out on a top eight spot.
Liverpool did it easily 3-0 win At Marseille on Wednesday, they made Barcelona work for them 4-2 win At Slavia Prague and Real Beat Monaco 6-1 on tuesday. PSG missed out on a place in the playoffs with a 2-1 defeat at Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday.
Which teams have already been eliminated from the Champions League in the league stage?
Of the 32 teams competing at this stage, only four have already been eliminated – Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Villarreal and Cairat.
Who are the surprise packages in the Champions League this season?
Tottenham currently sit in fifth place with 14 points, which is in stark contrast to their form in the Premier League as they sit 14th in their domestic table and are without a win in four games, losing two of them.
Which top teams are most in danger of making the Champions League playoffs?
Barcelona: The La Liga champions are currently the biggest name outside of the automatic qualification places as they sit ninth. The good news for the Catalan club is that with PSG playing Newcastle United in the final – and both teams currently in the top eight – Barca’s final win against Copenhagen will see them qualify.
PSG and Newcastle: Both teams have 13 points, as do Barca, so even a draw at the Nou Camp on Wednesday could be enough to qualify – assuming there is a winner in the match in Paris.
Teams sitting below Barcelona cannot take their fate into their own hands given Barcelona’s current ranking.
From sixth place (PSG) to 13th, eight teams are tied on 13 points.
Among them are Chelsea in eighth, Manchester City And Atlético Madrid. Inter Milan And Juventus Both have 12 marks.
Can one of the smaller teams leap into the Champions League top eight spots?
Borussia Dortmund And mistake Just below Juventus with 11 and 10 points respectively, but also tied with the latter Karabagh. The Azerbaijan club, which was only founded in 1987, could theoretically move into the top eight if the result goes their way and they win the final game. It’s away for Liverpool though.
Although far from being a small club on the European stage, Sporting Lisbon And Atlanta – currently among the pack of teams with 13 points – could also leap into the top eight in the final rankings.
Which big teams can be eliminated from the Champions League in the league stage?
Four-time European champion Ajax They are just above the bottom four relegated teams and need to beat Olympiakos at home in their final match to have any chance of qualifying for the play-off stages.
The Dutch giants are in 32nd place with six points Marcel At No. 11, just three points separated those 14 teams.
Currently in the bottom eight are the Italian champions NapoliWho face a tough trip to play Chelsea and the Portuguese giants on Wednesday Benficawho entertain Spanish super club Real Madrid.
Although Galatasaray and Qarabag can still dream of a top-eight spot, they have joined Marcel, Bayer Leverkusen, Monaco, PSV, Athletic Bilbao And OlympiakosWho are in danger of going into the elimination zone of the league phase.
Who is assured of progressing to at least the playoff stage?
The following teams are guaranteed to at least make the playoffs:
Atalanta, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Inter, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle, PSG, Real Madrid, Sporting CP and Tottenham.
When are the finals of the league stage games in Champions League?
The final round of games will be played on Wednesday and all will start at 20:00 GMT.
What is the final round of league stage games in 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
- Paphos vs Slavia Prague
- Paris Saint-Germain v Newcastle United
- Union Saint-Gilois vs Atalanta
When will the Champions League playoffs be played?
Two legs will be played on February 17-18 and February 24-25.
When will the Champions League last 16 matches be played?
The two legs of the Round of 16 will be played on March 10-11 and March 17-18.
When and where is the UEFA Champions League final?
After the quarterfinals and semifinals, this season’s Champions League final will be played at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary. This match will be held on May 30.