10 UCL talking points as Liverpool eye history and Klopp wants revenge

After more than a month, the Champions League is back.

There are still two matchweeks left in the revamped competition, with the first starting on Tuesday. Liverpool currently lead the way in the league phase, with Arsenal and Aston Villa joining them in the top eight.

This season's competition has been more difficult for Manchester City, who find themselves at serious risk of missing out on the knockout phase entirely. Villa will kick things off with a trip to Monaco on Tuesday evening.

And by the time the 8pm kick-offs come to an end on Wednesday, we could have our first qualifiers for the Last 16. Here, Mirror Football looks at the biggest talking points heading into this week's games.

Liverpool's historic achievement

Arne Slot's side need just a draw against Lille to confirm their place in the Last 16. They would become the first side to do so in the Champions League's new era, with a win likely to see them claim top spot.

They are the only team whose fate lies in their own hands in the penultimate matchday. The Reds have won all six of their games in this year's competition, though Tuesday's game could be a difficult test.

Lille are also in the automatic qualification places, having won four of their six games. Their only loss came on Matchday 1, with the French side having beaten both Real Madrid and Atletico since then.

Man City's six-pointer

While Liverpool are on the verge of qualifying for the knockout stages, Manchester City are battling to save their future in the competition. Pep Guardiola's men are just one point above the elimination places.

The club who could replace them in the play-off places are PSG, who travel to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday. It is a six-pointer for both sides, with a win for PSG, potentially seeing City drop into the elimination zone, depending on other results.

City have won just two of their six games in their European campaign so far. But they have history on their side, having lost just one of their seven games against Les Parisiens in UEFA competition.

More questions for PSG

A defeat to City would be a disaster for PSG, who have already fallen to three Champions League defeats this season. The club have long stated that winning the competition is their main target, but a defeat on Wednesday would put them on the verge of being knocked out before the knockout stages begin. They have reached the final just once in the last 13 years, though were semi-finalists last season.

The French giants come into the game having splashed out £59million to sign Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli, with another loss potentially piling the pressure on manager Luis Enrique.

Klopp's revenge mission

This will be the first round of Champions League games since Jurgen Klopp started work with Red Bull. And one of the clubs he now oversees could help him to claim revenge over a Real Madrid side which were his kryptonite at Liverpool.

The German failed to beat the La Liga giants in any of his six games against them as Reds boss, falling to five defeats. His new job as Red Bull's global head of soccer, with Salzburg one of the teams under his charge.

They travel to the Bernabeu on Wednesday night with the chance to seriously dent Madrid's chances of progression. Los Blancos are 20th in the table and a defeat to Salzburg would end their hopes of automatic qualification to the Last 16.

Arsenal try to bounce back

It has been a difficult two weeks for Arsenal, who have fallen to three defeats in four games in that spell. Their Carabao Cup hopes are on life support, they were dumped out of the FA Cup and the draw with Aston Villa has seriously dented their title challenge.

One place where things are going right though is the Champions League, with Mikel Arteta's side sitting third in the table. Wednesday's clash against Dinamo Zagreb presents a prime chance for the Gunners to bounce back from their disappointing draw with Villa.

Zagreb are 24th in the table, the final play-off qualification place, having won just two games so far. This appears to be the perfect game for Arteta to get his side's season back on track.

Villa hit their target

It has been a near-dream return to the top level of European competition for Aston Villa. They have won four games, losing just once, to sit fifth in the table, with a huge chance of claiming automatic qualification to the Last 16.

Unai Emery's men travel to Monaco on Tuesday night, with a win likely all but confirming their spot in that knockout phase. That would satisfy the target laid out by captain John McGinn following the win over RB Leipzig last time out.

He said: "It's exciting. We're taking each game as it comes, but if we get into the top eight, that's brilliant. That's the target now."

Gyokeres' message

Viktor Gyokeres has emerged as one of the top strikers in Europe and could well cement his place in the minds of Europe's leading clubs this week. The Swedish star has already netted five goals in Sporting Lisbon's six games so far.

The Portuguese side travel to winless Leipzig on Wednesday, with the German side having conceded 13 goals in their six games. They have already been eliminated from this year's competition and have little to play for.

That presents Gyokeres with a prime chance to boost his scoring record. Sporting are currently mid-table and still have work to do to make sure of their place in the knockout stages.

Brest close in on miracle

Brest have been one of the stories of the Champions League this season. Four wins in six games have put the French side in seventh place and they are all but assured of a place in the knockout stages.

It is a remarkable achievement for Eric Roy's side, who are ninth in Ligue 1 as it stands. If they beat Shakhtar Donetsk this week, it would be the first time they have qualified for knockout football in European competition.

It would appear to certainly be doable, with their Ukrainian opponents on the verge of elimination. Shakhtar have won just once in the Champions League this season, with Brest the favourites to complete a miracle.

Celtic look to end drought

It has been 12 long years since Celtic reached the knockout stages of the Champions League. But that drought could be ended on Wednesday night when the Hoops host Young Boys at Celtic Park.

The Swiss side are rock bottom of the table, having lost all six games, scoring just three times and conceding 22 goals in the process. Brendan Rodgers side have a golden opportunity to all but secure thewirplace in at least the play-off round.

A win would take them to 12 points, which would likely send them into the knockout stages. Young Boys have nothing to play for, having already been eliminated from this year's competition.

Play-off picture becomes clear

The play-off picture should become much clearer by the end of Wednesday's games. As it stands, every team down to Bologna in 33rd place have a chance of at least reaching the play-off stage.

Anything less than a win this week for the Italians, along with Salzburg, Red Star Belgrade, Girona and Sturm Graz, will end their chances of reaching the knockouts. Sparta Prague and Donetsk both need to at least draw to keep their hopes alive.

All of those teams are in last-chance saloon territory, with PSG and Stuttgart both also at serious risk of missing out on the knockout stages. They play each other in the final gameweek in what is already shaping up to be a crucial clash.