Only the leaders Liverpool and Barcelona, second, are guaranteed a place in the KO scene before the last day of the inaugural League.
In total, 16 teams have something to play, notably Arsenal, Aston Villa, Celtic and a Manchester City team that started as a favorite to win the competition but are likely to eliminate during the first obstacle.
Paris Saint-Germain, which was also one of the favorites of the pre-season for European glory, and the former Champions Benfica and PSV are among the parties which could also be eliminated when the series of closing matches will start at 20 GMT hours on Wednesday.
Here are six scenarios to look for in the matches of the matchday 8 champions League, as well as an overview of the permutations.
Man City vs Brugge: must win league champions
The collapse of the city at PSG last Wednesday means that they took a point of their last four games of the Champions League, occupy the highest elimination post and are guaranteed to go out if they do not beat the club Brugge at home.
The good news for City is that – as long as we win – they will spend because they only need to catch one of the teams above them to switch to a ko phase eliminatory to two legs to reach the sleeve of 16.
They are sure to realize it because they are three points behind Brugge with a difference in higher goals, but the second team in Belgium seems delicate, arriving on an undefeated European race of four games which included home victories for The villa and sport and a 1-1 draw in Celtic.
Despite the abolition of their worst set of results under the manager Pep Guardiola since November, City exhausted looked closer to their great best to beat Chelsea 3-1 out of the form on Saturday to extend its undeventeer interior race for seven games.
Even if the city is ahead, the second half could be nervous. The Guardiola team took place at home by Feyenoord after being 3-0 in advance in the 74th minute on day 5, and led 2-0 in the 55th minute of their 4-2 defeat at the Parc des Princes .
Bellingham bakery 😮💨
Muscade, rhythm and rhythm of Barcola 😍Two scandalous aid 🥵🥵#Uclassics | @Lays_football pic.twitter.com/aecxiurz40
– UEFA Champions League (@championsleague) January 22, 2025
Aston Villa vs Celtic: the British sides on waiting
A beautiful start in the Modern Champions League for Villa had a Blip last Tuesday when a 1-0 defeat in Monaco put them outside the automatic places for the eighth of the eighth goals.
A victory, then, would put them in a strong position to avoid a play-off, while a draw would be enough for the unlikely Leverkusen event losing at home to eliminate Sparta Prague.
Celtic needs to win and hope that several results go in their favor to progress automatically, but they are guaranteed a place of dam and a positive result could ensure that they finish in the first eight of the 16 dams teams , which could help them avoid a meeting with stronger opponents on paper.
Villa Will Be Wary of Opponents who Are 10 points Clear in Scotland and have Secured Draws at Atalanta and Dinamo Zagreb, Although they may have Enjoyed Analysing Celtic’s 7-1 Thrashing at Borussia Dormund on Matchday 2 and the fact that 26 games took place in a 3-0 defeat in Rangers on January 2.
The Scottish midfielder and Villa captain John McGinn could make his first departure following an injury to the hamstrings, being as a substitute during their 1-1 draw at home in West Ham on Saturday.
Some of Wednesday stops #Ucl The games were unreal! 🤯
Which of these 6 was the best stop for you?! ⛔@Qatarairways | #Letsfly pic.twitter.com/41jcbytaap
– UEFA Champions League (@championsleague) January 22, 2025
Stuttgart vs PSG: pair pushes for play-offs
The return of PSG against City was their second successive victory in the Champions League and released the pressure on the manager Luis Enrique around their European campaign.
A trip to adversaries at the level of the points with them and desperately for a result to extend their own campaign, however, represents a potentially difficult league phase final for French leaders, who hope to end the evening as one Eight best out -of -team players rather than thinking about a shock.
They lost 1-0 in Bayern Munich during a rehearsal of the final result of the 2019/20 Champions League during their last trip to Germany on Day 5 and hope better against opponents 16 points behind Die Roten in Germany.
Stuttgart played his first home game in the Champions League in 14 years when they succeeded with Sparta Prague as part of a mixed home campaign, also losing 2-0 for the pretenders to the seven-seven scene .
Luis Enrique rested Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos and Joao Neves among six changes in PSG 1-1 draw at home against Reims on Saturday, with Bradley Barcola, Vitinha and Willian Pacho who will also return from the start.
😳#Ucl pic.twitter.com/gknjrg6ntw
– UEFA Champions League (@championsleague) January 27, 2025
PSV vs Liverpool: League phase perfect for reds?
Before Manchester City ended the feat last season, the 2021/22 team from Liverpool had been the only English team to enjoy a perfect Champions League group scene.
With two additional matches in the initial phase in the new competition format, this would be another extremely impressive achievement for Arne Slot in her first season in charge if the Reds can win all their league phase matches.
At a more practical level, Liverpool’s defeat would allow Barcelona to go beyond them by winning at home in Atalanta, but Slot stressed that luck will play its role in the end of the end or the second is more favorable in terms of cycle 16 years old.
With this observation by thinking of slot in mind, Liverpool may be tempted to rest the best scorers Mohamed Salah before their trip to Bournemouth in shape on Saturday (3 p.m.).
At the top of Dutch Eredivisia, the PSV ended a series of three defeats straight in all competitions with a 3-2 victory at Crvena Zvezda eliminated and are almost mathematically assured of a barrage place, while They would count on a chain of channel chains. Other results to have the hope of automatically going with victory.
Slot has won one of his last seven meetings with PSV during his mandate in the former club Feyenoord. The absent from farmers include the first choice defender Ryan Flamingo while they are preparing to meet the Dutch again.
Curtis 🅰️
Salah ⚽️#Ucl pic.twitter.com/wianuuoc9j– UEFA Champions League (@championsleague) January 23, 2025
Real Madrid and Bayern in the hunting pack
real Madrid are the most successful team in the history of the competition and the 15 champions have attenuated any doubt about their place in the top 24 by winning 5-1 at home in Salzburg on day 7.
The Spanish leaders join six times the Champions of Bayern Munich, the two winners of Juventus and the finalists of 2023/24 dortmund among the teams which must win to have a chance to pass automatically rather than entering the play-offs.
Madrid has the most difficult match of these four teams, being the only one in the quartet to play when they go on one side Brest a point in front of them and with the conceptions of their own on a higher finish.
Dortmund animator Shakhtar Donetsk, who must win and hope for a considerable goal difference in goals if they want to stay in competition, and the host of Bayern Slovan Bratislava, who has not yet won a point.
Juve has won one of its last seven games in all competitions and is at home with twice Champions Benfica, who have a thin chance of going out if they lose.
🇧🇷🌟#Ucl pic.twitter.com/ut4q01hndh
– UEFA Champions League (@championsleague) January 22, 2025
Arsenal vs Girona: the artillerymen could sign in style
Arsenal is about to reach the stage with direct elimination for a second consecutive season, with only a heavy defeat for the elimination of Girona and heavy victories for the six teams immediately below them offering all luck that the Gunners enter the playoffs.
The 2005/06 finalists are six points behind Liverpool in the Premier league And the host of Manchester City Sunday (4:30 p.m.), manager Mikel Arteta could contemplate the rest players and Ben White, Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard may not be rushed by injuries and, in the case of the captain, the disease .
Depending on how Arteta, the views being sown higher in the draw, he can also target victory and a swing difference in goals of four in order to jump the Barça and finish second.
The beginners of the Girona competition have lost their last three games and their difficult situation was aggravated by doubts of injury in the back of the regulars of Paulo Gazzaniga – who was in order when Tottenham won 2-0 at Arsenal in the EFL Cup 2018/19 – Miguel Gutierrez and Daley 2018/19 blind.
Eighth in Spain, they lost four in a row in Europe and spent more than six hours without scoring their 2-0 victory at home against Slovan on day 3, giving them their only points in the Champions League so far .
Professional performance at home ⚡️
📺 Take advantage of the highlights of our victory against Dinamo Zagreb now 👇 pic.twitter.com/gnapxujila
– Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 23, 2025
When are the qualifiers for the Knockout phase of the Champions League?
The teams ending between the upper and lower eight will enter into two -legged dam links.
The first legs will take place on February 11 and 12, followed by the return matches a week later. The draw to decide the links will take place on January 31.
When is the RAD of the 16 -year -old Champions League?
The eight best teams and the qualifiers of the playoffs will participate in the round of 16 first legs on March 4 and 5, followed by the second legs a week later.
The draw of 16, quarter-final and semi-final will take place on February 21.
