Nine Teams Eliminated from Champions League Ahead of Final Matchday

Nine Teams Eliminated from Champions League Ahead of Final Matchday

  • It's been a journey into the unknown, but the revamped 36-team Champions League is nearing the thrilling climax of its league phase
  • While we're starting to get some kind of idea of who's going to go through, a lot can happen in the final round
  • So far, only two teams are confirmed for the round of 16, with 18 of the 24 teams who will be in the knockout rounds

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The revamped Champions League format has seen nine teams mathematically eliminated from the competition with one game still to play in the league phase.

The new structure, which replaced the traditional group stage with a 36-team league, has significantly changed qualification.

Nine Teams Eliminated from Champions League Ahead of Final Matchday
The revamped 36-team Champions League is nearing the thrilling climax of its league phase. Photos: Alex Pantling/Craig Williamson.
Source: Getty Images

The top eight teams after eight matches automatically progress to the knockout rounds, while those finishing between 9th and 24th enter a play-off. The bottom 12 teams are eliminated entirely, per the BBC.

Liverpool have dominated the new format, securing a perfect record and confirming their place in the next stage before their final match against PSV.

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Meanwhile, nine clubs, including Swiss side Young Boys and Slovakian underdogs Slovan Bratislava, have had their fates sealed early, with both teams yet to earn a single point after seven matches.

As the competition heads into its final league matchday, the remaining clubs continue to fight for their positions, hoping to secure a spot in the play-offs or automatic qualification.

The revamped format has added new dynamics to the tournament, but for some teams, the journey has already come to an early end.

The nine clubs eliminated after round seven

-Slovan Bratislava

-Young Boys

-RB Salzburg

-Sturm

-Crvena Zvezda

-Girona

-RB Leipzig

-Sparta Praha

-Bologna

Who is already through to the knockout rounds?

Round of 16:

Liverpool are through and are guaranteed to finish first or second, and thus take a top seeding position in the bracket.

Barcelona have also secured a top-eight finish with a dramatic winner in a 5-4 comeback victory at Benfica.

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Guaranteed at least a place in the knockout playoff round:

Atlético Madrid, Atalanta, Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Internazionale, AC Milan, Feyenoord, Aston Villa, Brest, AS Monaco, Lille, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Juventus, Celtic.

How does the knockout draw work?

In the playoff round draw, teams are matched based on their final league standings.

Each team will have two potential opponents before the draw.

For example, the 21st-ranked team (Benfica) and 22nd-ranked team (PSG) will face either the 11th-ranked (Feyenoord) or 12th-ranked team (Lille).

The resulting pairs are then placed in opposite halves of the bracket to ensure balance.

Teams ranked 9th to 16th are seeded, granting them the advantage of playing the second leg at home.

Man City fans blocked from leaving Juventus Stadium

YEN.com.gh reported earlier that Manchester City were beaten 2-0 by Juventus to leave their hopes of qualifying for the next round in jeopardy.

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Pep Guardiola's side sit in 22nd place with eight points, one above the elimination places from the Champions League.

Their fans were treated to an embarrassing moment after they were blocked from leaving the stadium before the game was over.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Isaac Darko avatar

Isaac Darko (Sports Editor) Isaac Darko is a Sports Editor at Yen, boasting over 10 years of experience in the media industry. He has produced award-winning TV shows such as "Football 360" and "Sports XTRA" on ViaSat 1/Kwese TV. Isaac began his career as an Assistant Producer at TV3 Ghana Limited (Media General) and also contributed as a Writer and Weekend Editor for Pulse Ghana. He earned his bachelor's degree in Communication Studies from the Ghana Institute of Journalism (now University of Media, Arts and Communication). Email: isaac.darko@sportsbrief.com.