Champions League 2024-25: Qualification & playoffs scenarios ahead of Matchday 8

All the teams will play at the same time on Matchday 8.

Big clubs like Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are in danger of being eliminated early when the Champions League’s new-look league phase comes to an end tonight.

Both six-time champion Bayern Munich and defending champions Real Madrid are battling to avoid a playoff berth.

UEFA’s redesign of European club football’s top competition appears to have worked, as there is a great deal of uncertainty heading into the last round of games before the knockout stages.

Final league stage matchday of the Champions League 2024-25

The league stage final has traditionally been separated into two days, but tonight, all 36 teams will play simultaneously and that will decide the fate of every club besides Barcelona and Liverpool.

Only Barcelona in second place and Liverpool in first place have guaranteed spots in the Round of 16. Real Madrid, the 15-time champion, are one of 16 teams competing to avoid play-offs and secure a place in the last 16.

• PSV vs Liverpool
• Bayern Munich vs Slovan Bratislava
• Borussia Dortmund vs Shakhtar Donetsk
• Bayer Leverkusen vs Sparta Praha
• Girona vs Arsenal
• Barcelona vs Atalanta
• Brest vs Real Madrid
• Man City vs Club Brugge
• Young Boys vs Crvena Zvezda
• LOSC vs Feyenoord
• Juventus vs Benfica
• Aston Villa vs Celtic
• Dinamo Zagreb vs AC Milan
• Inter vs Monaco
• SK Sturm Graz vs RB Leipzig
• RB Salzburg vs Atletico Madrid
• Sporting vs Bologna
• VfB Stuttgart vs PSG

18 games in one night 🤯Wednesday 🍿#UCL pic.twitter.com/OQjiMiwH2G

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 27, 2025

What games are at stake?

To guarantee a spot in the playoffs, Manchester City, the 2023 winner and reigning Premier League champions, must defeat Brugge to remain in the competition.

PSG moved into the playoff spots after defeating City last week, but a defeat to Stuttgart may still see them eliminated from the tournament.

Madrid’s 5-1 victory over Salzburg last week allayed fears of an early departure. With so many major clubs now occupying spots 9–24, the reigning champion might still have to settle for a playoff and the potential for an awkward draw.

Bayern, Juventus, PSG, and, the runners-up Borussia Dortmund from the previous year, are among them hoping to play in the play-off.

One matchday to go! 😲#UCL pic.twitter.com/jEYfEM9kTC

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 22, 2025

Do the top finishing side hold an advantage?

We’ll have to wait and see. There is a clear benefit to skipping the playoffs and two additional games in a season that is already crowded with the addition of two more league phase matches.

However, there is a chance of drawing one of the favourites in the round of 16, given the number of strong teams now occupying playoff slots.

Liverpool would have to contend with Madrid, Bayern, Juventus, or Celtic in the Round of 16 if the rankings were unchanged following Wednesday’s games.

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