There are only two games left in the Champions League, but which teams are aiming to advance to the knockout stages and which are facing early elimination?
The Opta supercomputer has predicted the final table for the remaining two games. And some big clubs will face playoffs to reach the knockout stage.
With six matches played, Arsenal are the only team with a 100 per cent record, ahead of second-placed Bayern Munich and third-placed Paris Saint-Germain.
Opta predicts that the top two teams will remain where they are, with Manchester City ahead of PSG, Atalanta fifth and Liverpool sixth.
Last year, in the first edition of this new format, you needed 16 points to get into the top 8 and 11 points (with a convenient goal difference) to get into the top 24. Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid are currently expected to finish in 7th and 8th place, with expected points totals of 15.8 and 15.5.
This means Tottenham, Chelsea and Newcastle will finish in 11th, 13th and 14th place respectively.
See the full forecast table below…
Who will qualify for the knockouts?
The top eight teams at the end of the league phase will automatically qualify for the Round of 16.
The next 16 teams, from 9th to 24th place, will participate in a two-legged playoff against each other for a spot in the final round.
The bottom 12 teams will be eliminated and will not qualify for the Europa League.
So, is there a chance that the English teams ranked 9th to 24th will play against each other?
Teams placed 9th through 16th will be seeded, and teams 17th through 24th will be unseeded.
Seeded teams cannot play against each other, and the same goes for unseeded teams.
All three England teams are currently seeded and expected to finish there, so they will avoid each other.
Who will the English side face?
Tuesday, January 20th
Bodo/Glimt vs. Man City, 5.45pm kick-off Inter Milan vs. Arsenal, 8.00pm kick-off Tottenham vs. Borussia Dortmund, 8.00pm kick-off
Wednesday, January 21st
Chelsea vs Paphos, 8pm kick-off Marseille vs Liverpool, 8pm kick-off Newcastle vs PSV Eindhoven, 8pm kick-off
Wednesday, January 28th
Arsenal vs Kairat Almaty, 8pm kick-off Eintracht Frankfurt vs Tottenham, 8pm kick-off Liverpool vs Qarabag, 8pm kick-off Man City vs Galatasaray, 8pm kick-off Napoli vs Chelsea, 8pm kick-off Paris Saint-Germain vs Newcastle, 8pm kick-off
When is the playoff draw for the knockout phase?
The draw for the Champions League knockout phase play-offs will take place on Friday 30th January at 11am UK time.
When is the draw for the round of 16?
The draw for the Round of 16 will take place on Friday, February 27th.
When is the Champions League knockout stage in 2025/26?
Playoff Draw: January 30, 2026
Knockout Playoffs: February 17-18 and 24-25, 2026
Round 16: March 10-11 and 17-18, 2026
Quarterfinals: April 7-8 and 14-15, 2026
Semi-finals: April 28-29 and May 5-6, 2026
Finals: Saturday, May 30, 2026
Where will the Champions League final be held in 2026?
The 2025/26 Champions League final will be held on Saturday 30th May at the Puskas Arena in Budapest.
