This Wednesday, the first phase of the UEFA Champions League will be defined with a super matchday where all matches will take place simultaneously. The 18 matches of the eighth round will begin at 17:00, which will prevent teams from speculating on the results.
Liverpool and Barcelona are the only teams that have already secured their qualification for the round of 16. Liverpool, with Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, has accumulated 21 points out of 21 possible. Meanwhile, Barcelona clinched their spot on the last matchday by defeating Benfica 5-4 in an impressive comeback.
Arsenal and Inter are also close to guaranteeing their place in the round of 16 with 16 points each, needing only a draw. Following them are Atlético Madrid and Milan with 15 points, and Atalanta with 14. The eighth slot for the round of 16 is held by Bayer Leverkusen with 13.
Teams such as Aston Villa with Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Juventus are practically qualified for the playoff stage and are awaiting results that will place them automatically among the top 16 teams to avoid playing an additional phase.
Manchester City, currently in twenty-fifth place after a complicated season, needs to defeat Club Brugge of Belgium to qualify for the playoffs. Among the matchups of the eighth round are key matches like PSV against Liverpool, Barcelona facing Atalanta, Manchester City versus Club Brugge, and more.
This matchday will be crucial in determining the teams qualified for the next stages of the competition, and there will be much anticipation surrounding the results of the teams looking to advance in the UEFA Champions League.
