UEFA Champions League 2024-25: Qualification scenarios, which teams will go to playoffs, who will go out?

The Champions League’s new-look league phase reaches its conclusion on Wednesday with big names like Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain in danger of early elimination.

Holder Real Madrid is fighting to avoid a playoff and so is six-time winner Bayern Munich.

With so much jeopardy going into the final round of games before the knockout stages, UEFA’s revamp of European club football’s elite competition looks to have delivered.

How was the Champions League revamped?

The European Cup is the most prestigious trophy in European club football and has evolved since its inception in 1955 when it was a straight knockout tournament played over four rounds. It expanded over the years as more teams were entered and in 1992 was rebranded the Champions League.

With a new name came various new formats. From 2003 the format involved 32 teams playing in eight mini groups of four, with 16 advancing to a knockout stage.

ALSO READ: Bayern’s Davies ruled out ‘for time being’ with hamstring tear

That was until this season when the group stage was scrapped and replaced by a 36-team league phase. The revamp saw each team play one-off games against eight different opponents based on a seeded draw.

The top eight teams automatically advance to the round of 16. Teams placed ninth to 24th go into a playoff and those below are eliminated.

How will the final round of games work?

Traditionally the group stage finale was split over two days, but all 36 teams will play at the same time on Wednesday. Kickoff is 9 p.m. CET ( 8 PM GMT and 1:30 AM IST on Thursday, January 30).

Only leader Liverpool and second-place Barcelona are guaranteed a place in the last 16. Record 15-time winner Real Madrid is one of 16 teams vying to be one of the other six teams to automatically qualify for the round of 16 and avoid a playoff.

What are the big stories to look out for?

Manchester City, the winner in 2023 and four-time defending Premier League champion, needs to win against Brugge just to secure a place in the playoffs. Anything less and it will be eliminated.

PSG beat City last week to move into the playoff spots, but a loss to Stuttgart could still see it go out.

Madrid eased concerns about a potential early exit with a 5-1 win against Salzburg last week. The defending champion may yet have to settle for a playoff and the possibility of an uncomfortable draw, given so many big teams are currently positioned in places 9-24.

Those include Bayern, Juventus, PSG and last year’s beaten finalist Borussia Dortmund. City will be hoping to join that list as well.

Who tops the league?

Liverpool is in first place with a 100% winning record from its first seven games and has already booked its place in the round of 16 along with second-place Barcelona.

Arne Slot’s men need a point against PSV Eindhoven to win the league phase. Barcelona is three points behind and could yet take top spot with a win against Atalanta if Liverpool loses.

Is there an advantage to coming first?

That remains to be seen. In a season that has already been congested by the addition of two extra league phase games, there is an obvious advantage to avoiding the playoffs and two more matches.

ALSO READ: Feyenoord fans banned from Champions League match vs Lille due to violence fears

But the number of big teams currently in the playoff spots means there is the chance of drawing one of the favourites in the round of 16.

If the standings remained the same after Wednesday’s games, Liverpool would face the prospect of Madrid, Bayern, Juventus or Celtic in the last 16.