Liverpool and Barcelona have certified for the Champions League knockout stage; Manchester Metropolis are in peril of elimination, whereas Arsenal and Aston Villa are in fine condition.
Celtic’s play-off hopes, in the meantime, are alive because the 36-team league section of the revamped Champions League approaches its climax.
The highest eight robotically progress to the final 16 and, crucially, skip the two-legged knockout play-off spherical.
Metropolis, the 2023 winners, are removed from the one heavyweights sitting uncomfortably.
What number of groups qualify for the knockout section?
First, this is a reminder of what the 36 league-phase groups are aiming for.
These ending within the prime eight robotically progress to the final 16, the place they are going to be seeded.
They’ll await the winners of eight two-legged knockout play-off ties that includes the golf equipment ranked from ninth to twenty fourth.
These ending between ninth and sixteenth will likely be seeded and face a group positioned seventeenth to twenty fourth, with the benefit of taking part in the second leg at residence.
The golf equipment twenty fifth or decrease are eradicated and don’t acquire entry to the Europa League.
Which groups have certified?
Liverpool and Barcelona turned the primary groups to qualify for the knockout stage on Tuesday evening with a recreation to spare.
Arne Slot’s aspect beat at Anfield to take care of their 100% file within the competitors this season.
The end result means the Reds are assured a top-two end and subsequently a prime seeding place within the knockout draw.
Barcelona’s means the Spanish membership are additionally assured a end within the prime eight, though they may slip additional down the desk relying on the ends in Wednesday’s video games and subsequent week’s.
What about Arsenal, Aston Villa, Man Metropolis and Celtic?
Arsenal and Villa are each assured locations in no less than the play-offs however they are going to be hoping to go straight by means of to the final 16 by ending within the prime eight.
The Gunners have two matches left, beginning with Wednesday’s residence recreation in opposition to Dinamo Zagreb. Relying on different outcomes, a victory might verify a top-eight end for Mikel Arteta’s aspect.
Villa’s possibilities have been dented by a on Tuesday, however they continue to be within the prime eight earlier than their last league-stage fixture in opposition to Celtic.
Celtic are twenty third within the desk – two locations above the elimination locations.
Brendan Rodgers’ aspect tackle Younger Boys – who’re backside of the desk and with no level within the Champions League this time period – at Celtic Park on Wednesday.
A win would virtually definitely assure Celtic a knockout play-off spot.
Manchester Metropolis are a spot and some extent behind Celtic in twenty fourth.
Pep Guardiola’s aspect face a frightening journey to Paris St-Germain on Wednesday earlier than a house tie in opposition to Membership Brugge on matchday eight.
A win in opposition to PSG would considerably enhance Metropolis’s possibilities of a knockout play-off spot however it might not assure it.
An exciting finale is assured on 29 January when all 18 last group video games will likely be performed concurrently at 20:00 GMT.
Does it matter the place you end in prime eight?
Positively.
The place a group finishes within the league desk determines which opponents they face and once they can face them within the knockout levels.
Take Liverpool for instance. The Reds at the moment are assured a top-two end, which provides them a seeded route by means of to the final 16.
Meaning the Reds will face a group who completed fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth or 18th within the final 16.
The identification of the group won’t be identified till after the play-offs, however the pre-determined draw means it will likely be the winner of the ties involving groups that end fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth or 18th.
Liverpool can not face the group who finishes second within the league section – or whoever finishes prime if they’re overtaken on the ultimate matchday – till the ultimate.
In contrast, a group that finishes seventh or eighth might face a aspect that had completed just under them within the league section – in ninth or tenth.
For extra on who performs who within the play-offs, maintain studying…
What is the distinction between ending ninth and twenty fourth?
Groups that end between ninth and sixteenth will likely be seeded within the knockout section play-off draw.
It means they are going to face a group that finishes between seventeenth to twenty fourth.
Who the seeded groups will face will likely be decided by a draw however golf equipment will solely have two attainable opponents.
For instance, the groups that end in eleventh and twelfth are paired collectively and can play a group that finishes twenty first or twenty second.
One other bracket will pair the groups that end ninth and tenth within the desk play both the group that was twenty third or twenty fourth.
The 2 pairs of fixtures will likely be drawn into reverse halves of the general draw and the seeded groups will play the second leg of the play-off at residence as a reward for ending larger than their opponent within the league section.
In contrast to in earlier years, groups eradicated from the Champions League – both within the group section or through dropping a play-off – won’t drop into the Europa League.
The draw for the play-off spherical is on 31 January at 11:00 GMT.
What number of factors are wanted to qualify?
Given that is the primary version of the brand new format, it stays to be seen precisely what number of factors will likely be required to attain a top-eight end, or keep away from elimination from the competitors.
Earlier than this season’s competitors, Opta calculated every group’s projected factors tallies and chance of progressing based mostly on 50,000 simulations of the league section.
They discovered that 16 factors – probably 5 wins and one draw from eight matches – would give a 98% likelihood of ending within the prime eight.
After gameweek 5, Opta recalculated and mentioned 16 factors would now give groups an 87% likelihood of a top-eight end.
In the meantime, reaching 10 factors – three wins and one draw, for instance – would give groups a 94% likelihood of securing a spot within the prime 24.
Nonetheless, any group gathering fewer than eight factors can anticipate their involvement in European competitors this season to come back to an finish.
Watch highlights of each Champions League recreation from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport web site and app.
There may also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.