The Champions League’s league phase table is beginning to take shape after three rounds of fixtures, with all six Premier League representatives in reasonable shape
After three rounds of fixtures, we’re starting to get a better idea of how things might shape up in the league phase of this season’s Champions League. It’s just the second season of the new Swiss-style system, which replaced the group stage system which had been a fixture for most of the competition’s existence.
The top eight finishers in the league phase will progress directly to the round of 16, where they will each take on the winner of a play-off round involving teams finishing between ninth and 24th in the overall standings. Teams placed 25th and below will be eliminated from European competition for the season.
Last season, three of the Premier League’s four representatives finished in those top eight places, while Manchester City lost a play-off against Real Madrid after finishing 22nd. Curiously, the other three English clubs were all eliminated by eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain – Liverpool in the round of 16, Aston Villa in the quarter-finals and Arsenal in the semis.
This year, there are six Premier League teams in the competition. England earned a fifth spot due to the performance of Premier League teams in European competitions last season, while Spurs’ Europa League final win earned them a spot as well.
So far, results have been a mixed bag for those six clubs. Here, Mirror Football examines the state of play as we begin to get an idea of which teams are best placed to make it through to the knockout stages.
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The top eight
After three rounds of fixtures, there are still five teams with 100 percent records. The group includes last season’s finalists Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan, with the former in much better shape than last season when it took them until gameweek seven to earn their third win.
Inter are one of two teams, along with Arsenal, with maximum points and no goals conceded. Bayern Munich and Real Madrid also have three wins from three, with the latter squeaking past Juventus on Wednesday thanks to a solitary Jude Bellingham goal.
As things stand, Premier League sides Newcastle and Manchester City are also on track for a top eight finish, as are Borussia Dortmund of the Bundesliga. Dortmund and City each have seven points, while Newcastle’s 3-0 victory over Benfica on Tuesday ensures they have the best goal difference of the seven teams currently on six points,
The play-off contenders
The other three Premier League representatives are all in this section. Liverpool and Chelsea are on six points, having won twice and lost once, while Spurs’ return of five points from three games is enough to put them 15th of the 36 teams in the overall table.
Galatasaray and Barcelona have both claimed victories over English sides this term, and both have six points from their matches. Sporting Lisbon and surprise package Qarabag also have two wins and one defeat, while PSV Eindhoven round off the top 16 with four points and a better goal difference than Atalanta.
Teams finishing between ninth and 16th will enjoy home advantage in the play-offs over those ranked 17th-24th. Those in the latter camp who could provide a tricky play-off test include Atletico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao and Napoli.
The teams at risk
There are a few big-hitters struggling so far, with Ajax and Benfica in particular trouble. Both are former European Cup or Champions League winners, but neither has a single point after three rounds of fixtures.
Juventus are also at risk of elimination, having drawn their first two matches before their midweek defeat at the Bernabeu. Two of Juve’s three remaining home games are against currently winless sides – Benfica and Pafos – so there are opportunities to turn things around.
Last season, 11 points was the magic number to see teams through to the play-offs – though not every team on 11 got through. Man City, Sporting and Club Brugge all got through with 11, but Dinamo Zagreb missed out on goal difference.
Gameweek four fixtures
Two of the teams with maximum points will face off at the Parc des Princes, with the winner of Paris Saint-Germain’s game against Bayern Munich likely to all but confirm their progress. Last season, 16 points was enough for a top eight finish.
Man City vs Dortmund, Liverpool vs Real Madrid and Qarabag vs Chelsea are the other matches between some high-flyers in the next round of fixtures. As for the other English representatives, Arsenal are away at 28th-placed Slavia Prague, Spurs host 32nd-placed FC Copenhagen and Newcastle welcome 21st-place Athletic to St James’ Park.
Down the bottom of the league phase table, the match between underperforming sides Benfica and Bayer Leverkusen stands out. Both are winless after three games, and defeat in Lisbon would make it difficult for the losing side to progress.
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