The Champions League group phase reaches a head-spinning climax today, with 30 of the 36 clubs still having everything to play for on the final night of action across Europe.
After 126 matches, 426 goals, five hat-tricks and 28 red cards, only Arsenal boast a 100 per cent record, while Bayern Munich cannot finish outside the top eight and are therefore already assured of a place in the last 16.
Six more automatic qualification spots are up for grabs on the final night, with Real Madrid, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, holders Paris St Germain, Newcastle United and Chelsea all having their top-eight destiny firmly in their own hands.
Wins for Real Madrid away at Benfica, Liverpool at home to Qarabag and Tottenham away to Eintracht Frankfurt would confirm their progression straight into the knockout phase.
The standout clash of the night sees sixth-placed Paris St Germain host Newcastle United. Both teams sit on 13 points with identical goal differences, meaning the winner is guaranteed qualification, while the loser would likely drop into the playoffs. A draw would leave both sides anxiously watching other results.
Eighth-placed Chelsea, also on 13 points, could secure qualification with victory away to Napoli, who are fighting for survival. However, they could still slip on goal difference, with several teams just below the cut-off line also level on points.
Barcelona, Sporting, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Atalanta all go into the final round on 13 points with hopes of finishing in the top eight. Barcelona will expect a big home win against Copenhagen, although a narrow victory could leave them vulnerable on goal difference.
Sporting face a tough test away to Athletic Bilbao, who are themselves battling for a playoff place. Manchester City must beat Galatasaray and hope for favourable results elsewhere to avoid the playoffs, where their campaign ended last season. A win for the Turkish side would guarantee them a playoff spot.
Atletico Madrid could surge into the top eight with a convincing home win over Bodo/Glimt, while Atalanta would need to run up the score against Union Saint-Gilloise and rely on slip-ups elsewhere.
Inter Milan and Juventus, both on 12 points, are already assured of playoff places but will aim to secure seeding by finishing between ninth and 16th. Inter travel to Borussia Dortmund, while Juventus face Monaco.
Several clubs, including Marseille, Bayer Leverkusen and PSV Eindhoven, still face either qualification or elimination, with Marseille’s clash at Club Brugge shaping up as one of the most tense encounters of the night.
Former champions Benfica and Ajax Amsterdam find themselves staring at possible elimination. Benfica must beat Real Madrid and hope for favourable results elsewhere, while Ajax must defeat Olympiacos and rely on an unlikely sequence of outcomes.
At the bottom, Kairat Almaty, Villarreal, Slavia Prague and Eintracht Frankfurt are already eliminated, while 13 clubs have secured at least a playoff spot.
With so many permutations, the final night promises drama as clubs battle to avoid the playoff trap door or secure a coveted top-eight finish. —Reuters
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