As the group stage of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League nears its conclusion, the competition has reached a critical juncture. With several teams already securing their places in the knockout stages, others find themselves in precarious positions, battling to avoid an early exit. The talk of the town have definitely been Manchester City and their struggles throughout the season that leave them in a tricky position heading into the final round of the league phase.
Who’s safe?
Undoubtedly, the two biggest ‘winners’ of the new UCL format are Liverpool and Barcelona, the only two sides to secure a top 8 spot after seven games. Arne Slot’s Liverpool got past everyone they found on their way with 7 wins from 7, including emphatic displays against Real Madrid (2-0) and Bayer Leverkusen (4-0) at Anfield. Barça slipped up in their opener against Monaco (2-1 defeat), but haven’t looked back since – six straight wins, with the thrashing of Bayern München (4-1) and a historical comeback against Benfica (4-5) stand out the most.
Arsenal and Inter Milan also enjoyed decent campaigns, both only needing a point to secure a spot in the Top 8. Elsewhere, Atlético Madrid, Milan and Atalanta are looking solid, as three points on the final matchday locks them in for the Round of 16. Atalanta’s task, however, might not be that simple as they are facing FC Barcelona away from home.
The closer we get to the middle of the table, more complicated the things are. All the teams up to 18th placed Celtic have secured a place in the top 24, but are still fighting for a seeded spot in the play-offs, or even a chance to snatch a place in the top 8 and avoid playing additional two matches.
The middle of the table, however, features some unlikely names – Borussia Dortmund, Bayern München and Real Madrid lie in 14th, 15th and 16th respectively. Even furher down, we can find Juventus.
Who will have it all to play for on the last day?
The two biggest names who are yet to secure their participation in the playoff round are Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City. Les Parisiens managed to overcome The Citizens in their encounter this Wednesday, turning around not only the game itself, but their recent struggles in the competition as well.
As for Manchester City, their crisis seems to have deepened and nobody can quite tell how and when will it end. There was some intensive activity in the transfer window, and while it should eventually strengthen the squad, there are some concerns over whether the incoming players will have an instant impact which is, quite clearly, needed at the Etihad.
Sitting way down the table in 25th, Manchester City need a win against Club Brugge to stay above water, and even that might not be enough if all the results elsewhere go against them.
Conclusion
All in all, it’s set to be an exciting and somewhat chaotic round of matches next week, as all the 18 games will have the same kickoff time. As always, you can consult the schedule, all the stats and follow the action live once it gets underway on the world’s fastest livescore platform.