It’s been a journey into the unknown, but the new-look 36-team Champions League is finally reaching the climax of the league phase.
While we’re starting to get some kind of idea of who’s going to go through, a lot can happen in the last two rounds. We don’t yet (officially) know any of the eight clubs who will go straight through to the round of 16, or the 16 teams who will have to take part in the knockout playoff round in February.
Three teams have already been eliminated, with nine more to come over the next week.
Unlike in previous seasons, no teams will drop into the Europa League from the Champions League.
Unexpectedly, there are some big clubs in real danger of being eliminated, which might not have been the case under the old format.
Let’s take a look at what’s at stake and how the final matchdays are shaping up.
How does it work?
The teams in position 1-8 go straight to the round of 16, and won’t have to play games in February.
The clubs in places 9-24 will face the playoff round next month.
Those in 25th to 36th are eliminated.
Does it matter where you finish in the table?
Yes, because the league placings create the knockout bracket. Unlike in previous seasons, where there would be open draws, paths will be set after this phase has been completed.
The new “seeding” system means the highest-placed teams can’t face each other until the latter stages of the knockout round.
For instance, if we look at the table right now, Liverpool and Barcelona are in 1st and 2nd and they would not be able to play each other until the final. The teams in third and fourth — currently Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen — can’t play Liverpool or Barcelona until the semifinals.
However, the value of being placed high in the table has been complicated by poor European seasons for Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, who have unexpectedly become possible opponents earlier in the knockout rounds.
The teams in 1st and 2nd will play 15th, 16th, 17th or 18th in the round of 16. A host of top clubs could yet finish in one of those positions, including Juventus (14th), Real Madrid (20th), Manchester City (22nd).
What are the league phase tiebreakers?
1 – Goal difference
2 – Goals scored
3 – Away goals scored
4 – Wins
5 – Away wins
6 – Higher number of total points collected by league phase opponents*
7 – Higher goal difference attained of league phase opponents*
8 – Higher goals scored by league phase opponents*
9 – Disciplinary points
10 – UEFA club coefficient.
*You add up the record of the eight teams faced in the league phase, effectively creating a difficulty level of opponents.
