There is less and less left and there are teams that are going to need one last push to stay alive in this new Champions League. The accounts of the next ‘play-off’ phase or round of 32 are becoming clearer and clearer. In fact, when this group stage ends, up to sixteen teams will have to compete to find their place in the round of 16, where the teams that are doing their homework will already be waiting for them. A next phase that has many differences from what this competition has traditionally been and that leaves everything open until the last moment.
Images of the footballers from Atlético, Real Madrid, Girona and FC Barcelona in their matches on Matchday 5 of the Champions League
The crosses of the Champions League playoffs in day 5
After finishing the fifth day of the new Champions League, there is only one team that is leading the standings: Liverpoolclosely followed by Inter Milan, FC Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Arsenal and MonacoNow, one could already guess what the confrontations of the teams that are not directly classified to the round of 16 would be like.
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Focusing on the Spanish teams and with the Gironawhich today would be eliminated, only FC Barcelona would avoid playing the Play Offs round that would be held in February for its regular major league. The two Madrid teams in the largest European competition should play in the previous round of the round of 16. Atlético de Madrid with the factor and Real Madrid today would play the second leg of this phase away from the Santiago Bernabéu.
Although that’s not all, right now Atlético de Madrid could face Manchester City or PSV in the playoffs. Rival still to be determined since it would be done by draw where the 15th will face the 17th or the 18th in the crossroads. Just like him Real Madrid that right now would face Aston Villa or Sporting de Portugal since the whites occupy 24th place and that would put them against the 9th or 10th classified.
The method of distributing the teams for the play-off round and round of 16
Taking this into account, this is what the matches in the playoffs or round of 32 of the Champions League would look like right now:
- 9º/10º vs 23º/24º – Aston Villa/Sporting de Portugal x Dinamo Zagreb/Real Madrid
- 11º/12º vs 21º/22º – Brest/Lille vs Feyenoord/Brujas
- 13º/14º vs 19º/20º – Bayern/Benfica vs Juventus/Celtic
- 15º/16º vs 17º/18º – Atlético/Milan vs Manchester City/PSV
The round of 16, on matchday 5
Once the playoff round or round of 32 had passed, the traditional round of round of 16 would arrive in which the way of drawing the qualifiers would have changed. The first would go to the opposite side of the square from the second, the third from the fourth, and so on. Taking this into account, FC Barcelona would now be waiting for a rival that could be Bayern Munich, Benfica, Juventus or Celtic. A situation that becomes shorter in the case of those who would go through the Play Offs. As the classification stands right now, If Atlético de Madrid manages to win the playoffs, it would play against Liverpool or Inter Milan and the Real Madrid against Arsenal or Monaco. A picture where nothing has been decided yet and where all options are possible.
In the same way as with the playoffs or round of 32, this is what the round of 16 matches would be like right now:
- 1st/2nd vs Ganadores 15th/16th vs 17th/18th – Liverpool/Inter vs Winners Atlético/Milan vs Manchester City/PSV
- 3rd/4th vs Ganadores 13th/14th vs 19th/20th – FC Barcelona/Borussia Dortmund vs Ganadores Bayern/Benfica vs Juventus/Celtic
- 5th/6th vs Ganadores 11th/12th vs 21st/22nd – Atalanta/Bayer Leverkusen vs Winners Brest/Lille vs Feyenoord/Bruges
- 7th/8th vs Ganadores 9th/10th vs 23rd/24th – Arsenal/Monaco vs Winners Aston Villa/Sporting de Portugal vs Dinamo Zagreb/Real Madrid
