Only Liverpool leaders and runner -up Barcelona are guaranteed a place in the Nokaut Champions League stage before the last day in the inaugural league phase.
Total 16 teams have a lot to play, including ArsenalAston Villa, Celtic and Manchester City side that started as favorites to win the competition, but are at risk of elimination at the first obstacle.
Paris Saint-Germain, who were also among the pre-season favorites for European fame, both former champions of Benfica and PSV among the sides that could also knock out when the GMT matches will start on Wednesday at 8 pm.
Here are six stories to look out for in the Champions League match devices, as well as to look at on permutation.
Man City vs Brugge: Champions League Mandatory-Win-Win
The city collapse on PSG last Wednesday means that they took one point from their last four Champions League games, occupy the highest position of elimination and are guaranteed to come out if they do not beat Club Brugge at home.
The good news for City is that they will be all over, because they need to capture only one of the teams above them to progress to the two-legged play-off Nokaut phase to reach the 16th car.
They will surely achieve this, because three points behind Brugge are with a superior goal-difference, but the runner-up in Belgium looks ticklish, coming to a undefeated European ride in four games that included victories at home in Villa and Sporting and A 1-1 draw on Kelta.
Despite the fact that they endured their worst running under the manager of Pep Guardiola, the exhausted City looked closer to their great best U Chelsea 3-1, on Saturday, to extend their undefeated home run at seven games.
Even if the city is forward, the second half could be nervous. Guardiola held Feyenoord at home after in the 74th minute in the 74th minute in the 74th minute, led 2-0 in the 55th minute of his 4-2 defeat at Parc des princess.
Bellingham’s Backheel Flick 😮💨
Barcoli is a nutmeg, pace and withdrawal 😍Two amazing assistants 🥵🥵#UKLASISTS | @Lays_football pic.twitter.com/aecxiurz40
– UEFA Champions League (@championsleague) 22. January 2025
Aston Villa vs Celtic: British sides
The fine debut in the Modern Champions League for Villa had last Tuesday, when a 1-0 defeat in Monaco put them out of automatic places for 16.
The victory would therefore put them in a strong position to automatically pass and avoid play-offs, while the draw is sufficient in the unlikely event that Leverkusen loses at home to eliminate Sparta Prague.
Celtics should win and hope that several results will be automatically progressed, but they are guaranteed a place to playoff and a positive result could ensure that they end up in the top eight of the 16 play-off teams, helping them to avoid and meet with stronger opponents on paper .
The villa will be cautious about opponents who are in Scotland’s 10 points in Scotland and have secured drawing in Atalanta and Dinamo Zagreb, although they may have enjoyed an analysis of Celtics throwing from 7-1 in Borussia Dortmund at the match 2 and the fact that their only defeat in their The last 26 games came in a 3-0 defeat in Rangers on January 2.
Scottish captain John McGinn could start his first start after a knee injury, because on Saturday he came as a replacement at Villa’s 1-1, at the West Ham home.
Some savings on Wednesday #Ucl The games were unreal! 🤯
Which of these 6 was the best stop for you?! ⛔@Qatarairways | #Letsfly pic.twitter.com/41jcbytaap
– UEFA Champions League (@championsleague) 22. January 2025
Stuttgart vs Psg: Pair Pusti for Play-offs
PSG’s return against City was their second consecutive Champions League victory and relieved the pressure on manager Luis Enrique about their European campaign.
A trip to the level of opponents on the points with them and desperately due to the results to extend his own campaign, however, it is a potentially difficult finals of the Foreign Foreign League Foreign Phase, which will hope to end the evening as one of the best eight players- off teams, not They think about shock.
They lost 1-0 at Bayern Munich in the repeated finals of the 2019/20 Champions League on their last trip to Germany at the Matchday 5 and will expect better against the opponent 16 points behind Die Roten in Germany.
Stuttgart played his first home game of the Champions League in 14 years, when they played with Sparta Prague as part of a mixed campaign at home, also losing 2-0 from the Nocaut Stage of Atalanta and winning 5-1 against young boys, who lost Seven exits from seven.
Luis Enrique rested like Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos and Joao Neves among the six changes in PSG’s draw 1-1 at home on Saturday at Reims, and Bradley Barcola, Vitinh and Willian Pacho are also likely to come back from the beginning of this time.
😳#Ucl pic.twitter.com/gknjrg6ntw
– UEFA Champions League (@championsleague) 27 January 2025
PSV VS Liverpool: The perfect league phase for red?
Before Manchester City finished the feat of last season, the Liverpool team 2021/22 was the only English side to enjoy the perfect group stage of the Champions League.
With two additional games in the initial phase under the new competition format, this would be another extremely impressive achievement for Arne Slot in their first season, if the Reds can win all of their League phase games.
At a more practical level, the defeat for Liverpool would allow Barcelona to overcome them with a victory at the Atalanta home, but Slot pointed out that Luck would play his role in whether he would end the first or other evidence more favorable in terms of circle-17. opponents.
With this observation in mind, Liverpool may be tempted to rest like the top scorer Mohamed Salah ahead of their trip to the Bournemouth Form on Saturday (15:00).
The top of the Netherlands Eredivisie, PSV ended three direct defeats at all competitions with a 3-2 win in the eliminated Red Star and all are only mathematically safe in the play-offs, while they would rely on the series of other results that hope that they automatically pass by win.
Slot won one of his last seven meetings with PSV during his term at the former Feyenoord club. Absent farmers include the first choice defender Ryan Flamingo while preparing to meet Dutchman again.
Curtis 🅰️
Salah ⚽️#Ucl pic.twitter.com/wianuuoc9j– UEFA Champions League (@championsleague) 23 January 2025
Real Madrid and Bayern in the chase
Real Madrid are the most successful team in the history of the competition, and the 15-plow champions have mitigated any doubt in their place within the top 24, with a 5-1 victory at home in Salzburg in Dan 7.
Spanish leaders are joined by sixfold champions Bayern Munich, double winners of Juventus and 2023/24 finalists Dortmund among teams who have to win to have the opportunity to go automatically rather than entering the play-off.
Madrid has the hardest fixing of these four teams, which is the only one of the quartets playing when traveling on a battle point in front of them and with their own design on the first eight finishes.
Dortmund host Shakhtar Donjecsk, who needs to beat and hope for a significant swing of goals if they want to stay in the competition, and Bayern host Slovan Bratislava, who has yet to earn a point.
Juve won one of his last seven games at all competitions and at home are the double champions of Benfica, who have little chances to come out if they lose.
🇧🇷🌟#Ucl pic.twitter.com/ut4q01hndh
– UEFA Champions League (@championsleague) 22. January 2025
Arsenal vs Girona: Gunners could be unsubscribed in style
Arsenal is on the verge of reaching the knockout stage for the second season in a row, with just a big defeat in the eliminated Girona and heavy victories for six teams just below them, offering any opportunity to go to Gunners to play-offs.
The 2005/06 finalists are lagging behind six points behind Liverpool in Premier league And Host Manchester City on Sunday (4.30pm), so manager Mikel Arththa could think about the resting players, and Ben White, Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard may not be withdrawn from injuries and, in the case of captains, illness.
Depending on how the portrayal of Arteta is planted more in drawing, he will also be focused on winning and a goal -a difference of four to skip Barca and finish second.
The Girona Competition debutants lost the last three matches, and their troubles have agreed suspicion of injuries on their backs over regular Paul Gazzaniga-which was in goal when Tottenham won 2-0 in Arsenal in EFL Cup 2018/19-Miguel Gutierrez and Daley blind .
The eighth was placed in Spain, lost four in a row in Europe and passed more than six hours without scoring from their 2-0 victory at home in Slovan in today’s match 3, which has been given to them so far by the only Champions League points.
Professional effect at home ⚡️
📺 Enjoy the smallest parts of our victory against Dinamo Zagreb 👇 pic.twitter.com/gnapxujila
– Arsenal (@arsenal) 23 January 2025
When are the Champions League play-offs Champions League?
Teams ending between the upper and lower eight will enter two legs knockout stages of play-offs.
The first legs will be held on February 11 and 12, followed by matches for return a week later. Drawing on the decision -making will be held on January 31.
When is the 16th Circle of the Champions League?
The top eight pages and the winners of the play-offs will participate in the 16th round of the first legs 4th and 5th March, followed by other legs a week later.
The draw for the 16th round, the quarterfinals and the semifinals will be held on February 21.
