He FC Barcelona plays tonight (9 p.m./Movistar Champions League) in Of Light before him Benfica with the aim of taking a giant step to qualify directly for the round of 16 of the Champions League. Currently in second place in the ‘league phase’ with 15 points, three behind the leader LiverpoolHansi Flick’s team will virtually be in the round of 16 if they win in Lisboa thanks to their very wide overall goal difference (+14), the largest of the 36 participating teams. The ‘goal-average’ is the first criterion in the event of a tie on points and their pursuers should win by many goals in the last two rounds to improve the culés’ scoring figures. Almost impossible.
Based on the results of this Tuesday, the Barça He could already be mathematically classified tonight (without depending on the ‘goal-average’) in case of victory against Benfica and setbacks by some of those who follow him in the table. With 13 points are Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa y Lillewho play today in the fiefdom of Atlético de Madrid (9 p.m.), one Monaco (6:45 p.m.) and in Liverpool (9:00 p.m.), respectively. With 12 points, and now out of the ‘top 8’, they are Borussia Dortmund y Atléticoalso in contention today. The Germans are going to Bologna (9:00 p.m.) and the colchoneros play the aforementioned duel against the current Bundesliga champion.
Take away the lead tonight Liverpool It seems difficult for Barça since the Reds are a priori favorites at Anfield against the Lille.
Calendar of the last two days of the Champions League 2024-25
MD
-The rest of the teams in the top eight, all with 13 points, will play tomorrow. He Arsenal will receive Dinamo Zagreb (9:00 p.m.), Inter will visit the Sparta Prague (9:00 p.m.) and Brest will go to Hamburg to face the Shakhtar Donetsk (18.45 h.).
On the last day, on Wednesday, January 29 at unified time (9:00 p.m.) for the 18 games, there will be no direct duels between the teams that currently have between 18 and 12 points, all classified between first and 12th place. He Barça will receive in the Olympic Stadium of Montjuïc al Atalantanow 13th with 11 points. Those who finish in the first two places will be avoided in the playoffs until a hypothetical final at the Allianz Arena in Munich on May 31.
He playoff pairing draw Among those who finish between 9th and 24th place, the Friday January 31. The winners of those eight qualifying rounds will face each other in eighths with the first eight as the situation dictates drawing for Friday, February 21the day on which the rest of the draw until the final will be defined.
The ‘field factor’, only until the second round
In the playoff, those who finish from 9th to 16th will play the second leg at home, while in the round of 16 the clubs from the ‘top 8’ of the ‘league phase’ will play. Starting in the quarterfinals and also in the semifinals, the round-trip order will be determined by draw and will be defined in the draw on Friday, February 21, the last of this season.
