The Champions League will enter the knockout stages next month (Image: Getty)
The Champions League league phase table stands on a knife-edge ahead of a potentially dramatic midweek finale. With just one fixture remaining for all 36 teams, places in the knockout stages hang in the balance. All 18 matches will kick off simultaneously at 8pm on Wednesday, January 28, promising an evening of high drama. Six Premier League sides will be involved, with five currently positioned within the coveted top eight.
Clubs finishing in the top eight receive preferential seeding and progress directly to the round of 16, whilst those placed ninth to 24th must compete in a two-legged playoff to advance. Arsenal are virtually assured of finishing top of the table given their superior goal difference, while Liverpool and Tottenham need only victory in their final fixtures against Qarabag and Eintracht Frankfurt, respectively, to secure their last-16 berths.
Newcastle, Chelsea and Manchester City remain in the hunt to join them.
Due to the Champions League’s revised draw format, there’s already some indication of potential opponents for each club, although the table remains fluid ahead of the final league phase matchday. Currently, City sit in 11th place, making them the sole English club facing a two-legged playoff, where they’re projected to meet either Monaco (21st) or PSV (22nd).
Victory in that playoff would see City drawn against either the fifth or sixth seed in the last 16. Based on current standings, that would mean a clash with either Premier League counterparts Spurs or reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Spurs are aware that should they avoid City, their most probable first knockout opponents would be Monaco (21st), PSV (22nd) or Atletico Madrid (12th).
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s potential prize for topping their group could be a two-legged round of 16 clash with Galatasaray (17th), Qarabag (18th), Juventus (15th) or Borussia Dortmund (16th).
Liverpool currently occupy fourth place and are projected to meet one of these four sides in the last 16: Atalanta (13th), Inter Milan (14th), Marseille (19th) or Bayer Leverkusen (20th).
Newcastle sit seventh and could therefore secure a tantalising encounter with Barcelona (ninth) if they maintain their seeding. Alternative projected opponents include Sporting CP (tenth), Athletic Club (23rd) or Olympiacos (24th).
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This graphic, created by Foot Rankings, shows the current Champions League picture (Image: X/@FootRankings)
Chelsea are eighth, meaning their pool of potential adversaries mirrors Newcastle’s.
This draw structure means Arsenal would share the same half of the bracket as Newcastle and Chelsea, potentially setting up an all-English quarter-final showdown. Alternatively, five-time champions Barcelona could be lying in wait at the last-eight stage.
Six-time winners Liverpool could potentially face either City or Tottenham in the quarter-finals as things stand, whilst PSG or Atletico represent other formidable challenges. With one fixture remaining for each club, the standings could still shift considerably.
However, Arsenal look set to secure second place, whilst Liverpool, given their goal difference, are unlikely to climb higher than third.
Spurs can finish no higher than third, whilst Newcastle and Chelsea must avoid defeat away at PSG and Napoli, respectively, to guarantee top-eight finishes. City require victory over Galatasaray at home and favourable results elsewhere.
Topping the league phase offered Liverpool little advantage last season as they faced PSG in the last 16 and were knocked out. However, under a rule change this year, Arsenal are guaranteed home advantage in the second leg of every knockout tie they contest, provided they finish top of the table.