Borussia Dortmund has had a very strong season so far in the new Champions League format. BVB won four group games; head coach Nuri Sahin’s team only lost to Real Madrid. Is the points tally so far enough to securely qualify for the round of 16 with a win on Wednesday evening against FC Barcelona?
No, BVB cannot yet qualify for the round of 16 against Barca. Even if things go optimally in the remaining games on Wednesday evening, if BVB wins against Barca, there would still be teams that could mathematically overtake Borussia and push them out of the top eight.
A club must be among the top eight teams in the new Champions League in order to securely qualify for the round of 16. The remaining eight teams will be played in an intermediate round, for which places nine through 24 qualify.
In fact, BVB could already book their ticket for the second round with a win over FC Barcelona. However, Feyenoord Rotterdam is unlikely to win in the parallel game against Sparta Prague.
But it is still too early for calculation games of this kind. BVB, currently in seventh place, could move up to second place with a win against Barca. With two group games still outstanding, the Black and Yellows can – mathematics or not – almost certainly plan for the intermediate round. Since there are still two viable opponents in FC Bologna and Shakhtar Donetsk, direct qualification for the round of 16 is also within reach.
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