Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are facing the possibility of a surprising early exit from the Champions League, a scenario that has not occurred in over a decade. As the final round of games approaches on Wednesday to determine the new 36-team standings, both clubs find themselves in precarious positions.
With all 18 games set to kick off simultaneously at 9 p.m. Central European Time, Manchester City currently sits outside the top-24 places required to advance to the knockout stage, occupying the 25th spot. Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain is in 22nd place and risks failing to progress.
Manchester City must secure a victory against Club Brugge at home to climb safely from 25th place. On the other hand, a draw for PSG against 24th-place Stuttgart should be sufficient for both teams, unless Dinamo Zagreb manages a significant win over AC Milan to surpass them on goal difference among teams finishing on 11 points.
A defeat for PSG in Germany could bring an end to their streak of 12 consecutive years playing in the knockout stage. The final-day jeopardy is unexpected for Manchester City, the Champions League winner two years ago, following a 4-2 loss to PSG last week after squandering a two-goal lead.
The new league-phase format was introduced by UEFA to cater to the demands of prominent clubs seeking more lucrative games against top-tier opponents. However, the potential exclusion of influential clubs like Manchester City and PSG from the knockout phase highlights the unpredictability of the competition.
Real Madrid, the reigning 15-time European champion, currently sits in 16th place and faces the challenge of playing 17 games to defend their title. Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga leader, is in 15th place and also on 12 points alongside Madrid, with both teams aiming to secure a top-8 finish for direct entry to the round of 16 in March.
As the league-leading Liverpool prepares to face 19th-place PSV Eindhoven, they have already secured a top-two seeding in the upcoming knockout rounds. Liverpool and Barcelona are the only teams guaranteed top-8 places, with Arsenal and Inter likely to join them. The draw for the knockout rounds will take place on February 21, setting the stage for the journey to the final in Munich on May 31.
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