Celtic’s Champions League permutations and what is on line for worried European powerhouses.
Celtic’s win over Young Boys on Wednesday evening has secured them at least a play-off place in the Champions League with one round of fixtures left to play.
However, Manchester City’s defeat to Paris St Germain left them needing a win over Club Brugge next week to avoid Champions League elimination.We take a look at the permutations affecting the five British teams and other European powerhouses in the final round of league phase matches.
Aston Villa v Celtic
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.
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 next Wednesday.
City currently occupy that 25th place 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.
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