Dramatic Finale Awaiting Six English Teams in Champions League

The Champions League’s final day of group stage matches is set to be a thrilling spectacle, as 30 teams await the outcome of their journeys. With six clubs from England vying for top-eight positions, the stakes are high, and former players are eager to face their old teams.

Arsenal has already secured their spot in the knockout round alongside Bayern Munich, yet the majority of clubs still need to push for critical victories in a tightly contested table featuring 36 teams. The Gunners lead the standings and are seen as the favorites to clinch the title for the first time, boasting a 31% likelihood of success, with Bayern trailing at 16.9%.

Other Premier League rivals, including Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle United, and Chelsea, currently hold positions in the top eight. Maintaining these standings will allow them to skip the playoffs and advance directly to the last 16. Meanwhile, Manchester City is clinging to a play-off position, tied with Newcastle and Chelsea on points but lagging behind due to goal difference.

Historically, this tournament has never seen six teams from a single nation progress to the knockout stages, making the current scenario particularly notable.

Who Will Reach the Last 16?

Leading the pack, Arsenal has achieved victory in all seven of their encounters, requiring just a single point from their home match against Kairat Almaty to secure first place ahead of Bayern. For seeding purposes in the next round, the top two teams will face off against the victors of the playoffs involving squads that finish from 15th to 18th in the league phase.

Bayern Munich can ensure a top-two finish by avoiding defeat against PSV Eindhoven. Additionally, the top two teams will host the second leg of each knockout round until the final, which will take place in Budapest.

Teams finishing between ninth and 24th will enter the playoffs, set for February 17/18 and 24/25, determining the final eight clubs to join those automatically qualifying for the last 16.

Can Mourinho and Conte Haunt Their Former Teams?

The competition for the top eight spots promises to be intense, given the close nature of the standings. Real Madrid and Liverpool, both sitting on 15 points, along with Tottenham at 14, can secure their advancement to the last 16 with victories in the eighth matchday.

Tottenham faces off against a now-eliminated Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany, where they previously triumphed on the way to last season’s Europa League victory that granted them Champions League qualification. Liverpool, managed by Arne Slot, will host Qarabag, who still hold a slim chance of breaking into the top eight.

“It’s all in our hands again. We need to ensure we finish in the top eight,” commented Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk after their recent win in Marseille. “Avoiding the playoffs is crucial, especially given our packed schedule. We’ve positioned ourselves well.”

Real Madrid will travel to face Benfica, coached by their former manager Jose Mourinho. Mourinho led Real to three consecutive Champions League semi-finals before departing in 2013, but Benfica, with only two wins in their initial seven matches, must defeat Madrid to have a shot at the playoffs.

Following Tottenham is a cluster of eight teams, including defending champions Paris St-Germain in sixth and Atalanta in 13th, all on 13 points. Newcastle, Chelsea, and Manchester City are integrated into this group, all seeking vital victories while recognizing that goal difference could determine their fates.

Chelsea will encounter their former coach Antonio Conte, who won Serie A with Napoli last season. Conte’s Napoli, positioned just outside the playoff spots on goal difference, will be aiming for a favorable outcome against the Blues.

Manchester City will host Galatasaray, and Eddie Howe’s Newcastle faces a challenging away match against PSG. Remarkably, every team down to Qarabag in 18th place still retains a mathematical chance of qualifying as a top-eight finisher.

This is largely due to the fact that, astonishingly, despite 16 teams still in contention for the six remaining top-eight positions, only two of the 18 matches feature those teams facing each other. The matches that involve potential playoff contenders include Newcastle’s trip to Paris and Borussia Dortmund’s home game against Inter Milan.

Playoff Aspirations

The race for the playoffs is equally competitive, with every team down to Ajax in 32nd place still in the running for a top-24 finish. Only the bottom four teams—Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Villarreal, and Kairat—have been eliminated.

A mere three points separate Marseille in 19th from Ajax, while Dortmund in 16th, two points ahead of the French club and still harboring hopes of a top-eight finish, are not yet assured of a high enough ranking to reach the playoffs.

Final Day Matches

The concluding fixtures are as follows:

• Ajax vs. Olympiacos
• Arsenal vs. Kairat Almaty
• Athletic Club vs. Sporting
• Atletico Madrid vs. Bodo/Glimt
• Barcelona vs. Copenhagen
• Bayer Leverkusen vs. Villarreal
• Benfica vs. Real Madrid
• Borussia Dortmund vs. Inter Milan
• Club Brugge vs. Marseille
• Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Tottenham
• Liverpool vs. Qarabag
• Manchester City vs. Galatasaray
• Monaco vs. Juventus
• Napoli vs. Chelsea
• PSV Eindhoven vs. Bayern Munich
• Pafos vs. Slavia Prague
• Paris St-Germain vs. Newcastle
• Union Saint-Gilloise vs. Atalanta

All matches are scheduled to kick off at 20:00 GMT on January 28. Highlights of every Champions League encounter will be available at 22:00 GMT that Wednesday on a streaming platform and the sports section of a major broadcasting website and app. Additionally, a special Champions League Match of the Day will air on a specific channel from 22:40 to 00:00.