Khaberni - After 126 matches witnessed the scoring of 426 goals including 5 hat-tricks and 28 red cards, the league stage in the UEFA Champions League football reaches its climax, tomorrow Wednesday.
30 out of 36 teams have varying chances of progressing in the tournament on the last night of this stage across Europe.
Arsenal and Bayern first to qualify for the round of 16
Arsenal, the only team with a perfect record of seven wins, and Bayern Munich have already secured their spots among the first 8 positions, thus qualifying directly for the round of 16.
The last four teams in the standings, "Kairat Almaty," "Villarreal," "Slavia Prague," and "Eintracht Frankfurt," have been eliminated from the tournament while at least 13 clubs have secured their places in the play-offs.
However, the scenarios remain complicated, as some teams try to avoid the risk of playing in the play-offs by securing one of the top eight positions.
Meanwhile, other teams are trying to grab a lifeline by avoiding finishing the league stage below the 24th place exit threshold.
Battle for the top 8 spots.. Paris Saint-Germain vs. Newcastle United match
There are 6 available spots left for direct qualification to the round of 16 on the last night, with the fates of Real Madrid, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, title-holder Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle United, and Chelsea in their own hands to secure one of these seats.
A win for Real Madrid at Benfica, Liverpool against their guest Qarabag, and Tottenham against host Eintracht Frankfurt would directly qualify these three teams for the knockout phase.
The match between sixth-placed Paris Saint-Germain and seventh-placed Newcastle United, both with 13 points and equal goal differences, stands out as tomorrow's highlight.
The winner will directly qualify, while the loser will likely play in the play-offs, though a "draw" keeps both teams anxious.
Chelsea, in eighth place with 13 points, is likely to qualify if it beats Napoli, who are fighting to stay in the tournament, although slipping to the play-off spots is possible with many teams having 13 points just below the direct qualification line.
With either Paris Saint-Germain or Newcastle or both certain to lose points, Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon, Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, and Atalanta, all holding 13 points, will play the last round with a chance to finish among the top 8.
Barcelona needs a big win
A big win for Barcelona against its guest Copenhagen will likely be enough, but a narrow victory might expose them to goal difference risks, although Sporting will face a tough test against Athletic Bilbao who also competes for a playoff spot.
City needs to win against its guest Galatasaray and other results to play in their favor to avoid the playoffs, which they exited last season, while a win would ensure the Turkish team a spot in the playoffs.
A City victory might result in six English teams finishing the league stage in the top eight, a remarkable achievement.
Atlético Madrid could also qualify within the top eight with a significant win against its guest Bodø/Glimt, while Atalanta needs to stack goals against Union Saint-Gilloise and hope for other teams to falter to sneak into the eighth spot.
Searching for an advantage in the play-off draw
Although Inter Milan, 14th, and Juventus, 15th (both with 12 points), have secured a playoff spot, they seek to guarantee an advantageous position in the draw by finishing the league stage between the 9th and 16th positions.
Inter, last season's finalists, are guests at Borussia Dortmund, holding the 16th position with 11 points, while Juventus travels to Monaco.
Many teams, including Marseille, Bayer Leverkusen, and PSV Eindhoven, can still finish the league stage among the top 16 or exit the tournament, and Marseille's match against Club Brugge, who must win to avoid elimination, is one of several exciting matches.
Avoiding elimination
Both Benfica and Ajax Amsterdam, former European champions, find themselves in a critical situation as the risk of elimination looms.
Benfica (29th place), led by coach José Mourinho, needs to beat Real Madrid and hope for favorable outcomes in other matches, while Ajax, a four-time title winner (32nd place), must overcome Olympiacos (24th place) and then hope for a miracle.
