Wednesday night promises to be a chaotic one with the new-look Champions League group stages coming to an end.
For the first time in the new format, every team in the competition will be in action at the same time. And there's plenty still at stake - particularly for clubs in the Premier League.
Liverpool have already sealed their spot in the next round, while Arsenal are on the verge of securing a spot in the last-16 and avoiding a perilous play-off. Meanwhile, Aston Villa are also in a positive position heading into the final group game.
At the other end of the spectrum, 2023 champions Manchester City face a nightmare scenario and could be eliminated altogether. Take a look at the permutations that could occur on what promises to be a thrilling evening of European action.
The top eight teams in the league phase qualify automatically for the last 16 while the teams from ninth to 24th enter a play-off round, with those from 25th downwards eliminated from Europe altogether.
City occupy 25th spot after a troubled start to the season and are two points adrift of the cut-off.
The good news for the 2023 winners comes with a winnable fixture on paper, at home to the Belgian champions, and a straightforward calculation – win and City will finish above Brugge on goal difference, taking all other considerations off the table and advancing them to the play-off.
A loss or even a draw, though, will see Pep Guardiola’s side eliminated.
Liverpool, by contrast, are top of the standings with seven wins from seven and their last-16 qualification guaranteed.
They are, indeed, secure in the top two – a boost to their last-16 seeding – and need only a point in manager Arne Slot's native Netherlands to wrap up first place ahead of Barcelona.
Mikel Arteta also heads to his homeland needing a point, in his case to secure Arsenal’s top-eight place and skip the play-off round.
Victory could lift them from third to second, and a more favourable seeding separating them from Liverpool until the final, in the event that Barca drop points at home to a seventh-placed Atalanta side still needing to clinch direct qualification.
A second-place finish in the group phase also guarantees that the Gunners will have every second leg throughout the knockout stages at home. A significant advantage,
Aston Villa lie one place and one goal outside the top eight, currently completed by Bayer Leverkusen, with Celtic a further point back but down in 18th.
Victory would lift the Premier League side into the top eight above Atalanta or Leverkusen if either drop points, AC Milan, Atletico Madrid or Inter Milan if they lose or even the Gunners if they were beaten with a significant goal difference swing. Atalanta’s tough assignment offers particular encouragement, while a draw would be enough if Leverkusen were to lose.
Celtic are the last team with a play-off place already secure but victory would see them seeded for that round – potentially at the expense of European powers such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus or a Borussia Dortmund side who beat the Hoops 7-1 in October.
Even automatic qualification is technically still possible but would require seven results all to go Celtic’s way, including a draw between Lille and Feyenoord.
Bayern Munich – who are hosting the final in May – and holders Real Madrid are in the same boat on 12 points in 15th and 16th respectively, needing victories to have a chance of automatic progression and making sure of a seeding in the play-off round as a minimum.
Bayern host pointless Slovan Bratislava but Real travel to Brest, a point ahead of them in 13th.
PSG’s win over Pep Guardiola’s men last week boosted their chances but, in 22nd place on 10 points, they would still be at risk should City win or Dinamo Zagreb upset AC Milan. A point against Stuttgart would effectively secure the French side’s place, given Dinamo’s poor goal difference.
Shakhtar Donetsk are the other team who could still break in with PSV, Brugge, Benfica, Sporting Lisbon and Stuttgart also vulnerable.