Who can join Arsenal & Bayern in Champions League knockouts?

2 hours ago 1

The league phase of the Champions League is reaching its conclusion.

With one round of fixtures remaining, what each side needs to progress has finally become clear. Or a little bit clearer, at least.

While Arsenal are safely through to the last 16, where they will be joined by Bayern Munich, everybody else still has work to do.

So who needs what to secure a place in the knockout phase?

Leaders Arsenal have won all seven of their matches and just a point at home to Kairat Almaty would be enough to clinch top spot ahead of Bayern Munich.

In terms of seedings for the last 16, it makes no difference with the top two paired in the draw and facing either the winners of the play-off game between 15th and 18th or 16th and 17th.

Bayern need a point at PSV Eindhoven to secure a top-two finish.

The top two are also guaranteed to play the second leg at home in every round until the final.

This is where things get interesting.

Let's start with the easy bit. For Real Madrid and Liverpool, both on 15 points, and Tottenham, on 14 points, a victory on matchday eight will secure direct entry into the last-16 draw.

While Spurs face already eliminated Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany, Arne Slot's side are at home to Qarabag, who can still make the top eight.

"It's very important as you miss the play-offs, and it helps with the intense programme that we're having," Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told Uefa.

"It's all down to us again next week, at home. Let's make sure we're in the top eight. We've put ourselves in a good position, but that's for next week."

Madrid are away to Joe Mourinho's Benfica, who need a win to have a chance of sneaking into the play-offs.

Behind Spurs come a group of eight teams, starting with holders Paris St-Germain in sixth down to Atalanta in 13th, on 13 points.

Newcastle, Chelsea and Manchester City are all in that group needing a win - and even then knowing their fate could come down to goal difference.

Eddie Howe's side face the daunting task of travelling to PSG, while Chelsea are away to Napoli and City host Galatasaray.

Everyone down to Qarabag in 18th still have a mathematical chance of automatically advancing.

That is in part because, remarkably, despite 16 teams still being in contention for the six remaining top-eight spots, only two of the 18 matches next Wednesday have those sides facing each other.

Newcastle's trip to Paris is one, Borussia Dortmund at home to Inter Milan is the other.

It is also incredibly tight in the fight for the play-offs with everyone down to Ajax in 32nd still in the mix.

Only the bottom four of Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Villarreal and Kairat have been eliminated.

Just three points separate Marseille in 19th and Ajax, while even Dortmund in 16th, two points ahead of the French side and still with faint hopes of a top-eight finish, have not officially secured a play-off berth.

Again, the way the fixtures have fallen means only two games are direct match-ups between play-off hopefuls - Ajax against Olympiacos and Marseille's trip to Club Brugge.