Champions League preview: Who is thru, who will not be as first section will get set for frantic finale | Soccer Information – The Instances of India

The brand new league section of this season’s expanded UEFA Champions League is about for a frantic conclusion on Wednesday.
18 matches shall be performed concurrently throughout Europe and the likes of Manchester Metropolis and Paris Saint-Germain are the groups in focus as they battle to keep away from an early exit.
The way it works for playoffs
The highest eight groups, within the 36-club format, will qualify mechanically for the subsequent stage within the competitors. In the meantime, the groups that end between ninth to 24th within the standings will go into Friday’s draw for the playoffs. There, the primary legs shall be performed on February 11 and 12 and the return matches every week later.
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The groups that end increased up within the standings shall be rewarded by dealing with groups that completed additional down the desk within the playoffs. So, groups ending ninth and 10th will face the aspect both in 23rd or 24th place, whereas 15th and 16th will face both 17th or 18th.

On this revised format, groups from similar nation will be drawn collectively and there’s a potential for groups which have already performed this season to satisfy as soon as once more.
Having mentioned all that, a lot can change, or will change, on Wednesday, however primarily based on the present factors desk PSG may play Lille within the playoffs, whereas Bayern or Actual Madrid may play Juventus or Celtic.
The High eight locations up for grabs

For the groups that end within the top-eight locations, there may be the motivation of skipping the two-legged knockout spherical playoffs, getting some treasured relaxation as they advance straight to the last-16 in March.
Liverpool, with seven wins out of seven, and Barcelona are the one two groups to have already booked their place within the last-16.
Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen occupy the opposite six spots. That might change dramatically on this closely-contested new construction.
Take this into consideration: Stuttgart, in 24th place, are solely three factors behind Bayer Leverkusen in eighth, with 15 sides in between them.
Arsenal and Inter Milan want solely draw away to Girona and at house to Monaco, respectively, with a view to safe their last-16 spots.
Who’s getting ready to elimination?

Solely 9 of the 36 groups come into the ultimate matchday nonetheless preventing to safe qualification for the subsequent section, together with former European Cup winners PSV Eindhoven and Benfica.
Large names like defending champions Actual Madrid, final season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Juventus are all hoping to keep away from going into the playoffs. Nonetheless, they’re already assured to no less than be in February’s playoff spherical.
In the meantime, the largest identify beneath menace of going out fully is Manchester Metropolis. The 2023 champions are at present languishing in 25th place, one place and two factors outdoors the qualifying spots.
Pep Guardiola’s crew had been crushed 4-2 away at PSG final week and have taken a single level from their final 4 video games within the competitors.
“As we speak we do not deserve it,” Guardiola mentioned when requested following the PSG defeat if the brand new format was honest.
“What’s the argument that it’s not honest? I mentioned to the gamers to simply accept it and get well. We’ve got to get well our recreation, that’s what we’ve got to do.”
Metropolis, sitting in a difficult place, know a win of their final match – in opposition to Membership Brugge on the Etihad Stadium – will take them by way of.