Liverpool are leading the way and on course to progress in the Champions League – but could Manchester City and Arsenal risk missing out on a top eight place?
We are halfway through the new 36-team league phase of the revamped Champions League and the table is starting to take shape.
Each club has now played four of the eight different teams they must face to decide who will qualify for this season’s knockout stages, following the most significant update to Europe’s elite competition since 1992.
There was no shortage of heavyweight clashes, major shocks and high-quality entertainment.
But where does all this leave us and what does it mean for each club’s qualification hopes?
Who qualifies for the knockout stages?
Before we find out which teams are headed to the Round of 16 and which are potentially in trouble, here’s a reminder of what they’re aiming for.
Teams finishing in the top eight automatically advance to the round of 16, where they will be seeded.
They will await the winners of eight two-legged knockout play-offs featuring clubs ranked ninth to 24th.
Those who finish between ninth and 16th place will be seeded and will face a team ranked 17th to 24th, with the advantage of playing the second leg at home.
Clubs ranked 25th or lower are eliminated and cannot access the Europa League.
How many points do you need to qualify?
Given that this is the first edition of the new format, it remains to be seen exactly how many points will be needed to finish in the top eight or avoid elimination from the competition.
Ahead of this season’s competition, Opta calculated each team’s projected points total and progression probability based on 50,000 simulations of the championship stage.
They found that 16 points – potentially five wins and a draw from eight matches – would give a 98% chance of finishing in the top eight.
Meanwhile, getting 10 points – three wins and a draw, for example – would give a 99% chance of securing a place in the top 24.
However, any team collecting fewer than nine points can expect their participation in European competitions this season to come to an end.
Which clubs are on the right track and who is in danger?
Leaders Liverpoolwho next face champions Real Madrid, are the only team with a perfect record after four games and would need just four more points from their remaining four games to be assured of a place in the round of 16, according to Opta’s calculation before the tournament. .
These figures suggest Sporty – following their dizziness 4-1 victory against Manchester City – Monaco, Brest And Inter Milan are all in top form, having already achieved the 10 points likely needed to confirm qualification in one form or another.
Villa Aston – despite a perfect start finished by Club Brugge – complete the current top eight behind Barcelona And Borussia Dortmundeach on nine points.
Many European heavyweights remain outside these positions, with Manchester Cityin 10th grade, and Arsenalthe 12th after lose to Inter Milanwith seven points and therefore not able to reach the target of 16 points.
City have Juventus and Paris St-Germain among their remaining fixtures, while Arsenal face high-flying Sporting and Monaco in their next two fixtures.
Celtic are 15th and also on seven points, having boosted their hopes with a second victory by beating Leipzig 3-1 on Tuesday. They travel to Villa in the final match on Wednesday January 29, when all 36 teams play at the same time.
The trio is joined on seven points by players like Juventus (11th), Bayern Munich (17th) and Real Madrid (18th).
Champions of France Paris Saint-Germain are the biggest name outside the top 24, having won just one of their first four games and with City and Bayern Munich to come.
View the full Champions League table here.
Watch highlights of every Champions League match on Wednesday from 10:00 p.m. on BBC iPlayer and on the BBC Sport website and app.
There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 10.40pm to midnight.
