New Delhi: The UEFA Champions League’s league stage has concluded which gives us a clearer picture as to which teams have qualified and which teams we have bid goodbye for the season. In the latest format of the UEFA Champions League, where 36 teams competed instead of the usual 32, the top eight would qualify for the final 16 spot.
The teams placed between ninth and 24th will now take part in a two-legged-knockout playoff round, in a seeded format and will play their second game on their home turf as an advantage for their better performance in the competition. The teams between 17 and 24 will play unseeded and will be drawn against stronger sides. This format has taken the number of games up from 125 matches to 189 excluding the qualifying round.
The teams from 25th place will be eliminated from the competition and are not going to be relegated to a lower-tier European league like the UEFA Europa League or the UEFA Conference League.
Biggest surprise? 🤔#UCL pic.twitter.com/jYj2IiT5UQ
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 29, 2025
How the qualified teams look
Liverpool and Barcelona’s amazing run in the competition had ensured that the sides were the first teams to qualify on matchday seven itself, for the round of 16. However, neither team managed to win their final game of the league stage, with Barca taking a single point in the gameweek while Liverpool lost to PSV. Arsenal and Inter Milan were unlikely to drop from the top eight either and with the conclusion of matchday eight, they have ensured that they get direct qualification for the knockout stage.
Lille have been a surprise package in the top eight, qualifying in seventh place, just behind Bayer Leverkusen on goal difference, with both sides having taken 16 points from their eight games. Aston Villa have just edged into the top eight. Atlanta, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and AC Milan all have 15 points. Defending champions Real were in a spot of bother early in the competition but have resurrected their campaign. The five teams sit just one point above PSV now.
Paris Saint-Germain at one point were sitting in the elimination zone and before matchday eight, even Manchester City were sitting on 25th. Both teams have managed to qualify for the knockout stage playoffs with PSG sitting in the 15th place. They have taken 13 points like Benfica, Monaco, Brest and Feyenoord and are divided by goal difference.
Both Juventus and Celtic have taken 12 points, losing their final fixture of the league stage and missing out on a place in the top 16 spot. Man City, Sporting CP and Club Brugge have all managed to clear off the elimination zone.
With the matchday eight of UEFA Champions League bringing an end to the league phase, here’s how knockout phase of the competition is shaping up. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
