The league phase of the UEFA Champions League comes to an end on January 29 with 18 matches that will determine the teams that will qualify directly for the round of 16, those that will go to playoffs, and those that will be eliminated. This season, the Champions League adopted a new format with a general table of 36 participants. The top eight will advance to the round of 16, where Liverpool and Barcelona have already secured their places. Teams ranked ninth to twenty-fourth will move on to the playoffs, while those ranked 25 to 36 will be eliminated.
Real Madrid, the current Champions League champion, is at risk as they occupy 16th place with 12 points, putting them in danger of not qualifying directly. Another team in a complicated situation is Manchester City, in 25th place with 8 points, which means they could only aspire to the repechage. The results of the last matchday will be decisive.
All matches will take place at 14:00 hours, broadcast in Mexico by Caliente TV. Some highlighted matches include PSV vs. Liverpool, Barcelona vs. Atalanta, Manchester City vs. Club Bruges, and Juventus vs. Benfica. If the necessary combinations do not occur, teams like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich may have to play in the playoffs to advance in the competition.
The Spanish team will have to win their match against Brest and hope that Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen do not win their respective games to secure their advancement. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich, in fifteenth place, will face Slovan Bratislava in a crucial match for their aspirations in the Champions League.
