Champions League scenarios: What Barcelona, Chelsea and others must do to advance to knockout stages
Barcelona and Chelsea both find themselves far from where they want to be, but what do they need to move on?
By
Chuck Booth
•
7 min read

Champions League Matchday 6 has come to a close, and every spot in the league phase is still up for grabs. Only five teams have clinched their places in the knockout stage, but none have clinched their place in the top eight. Arsenal, Bayern, PSG, City, and Atalanta are through no matter what happens, but with two match days remaining, no team has been eliminated from knockout stage contention either.
Let's take a look where each team stands:
Arsenal
- Points: 18
- Remaining games: Inter (a), Kairat (h)
- Can make the top eight with: A win or a draw in their remaining two matches.
- Can make knockouts with: Arsenal have clinched a place in the top 24.
Bayern Munich
- Points: 15
- Remaining games: Union Saint-Gilloise (h), PSV (a)
- Can make the top eight with: A win in their remaining two matches.
- Can make knockouts with: Bayern have clinched a place in the top 24.
Paris Saint-Germain
- Points: 13
- Remaining games: Sporting CP (a), Newcastle United (h)
- Can make the top eight with: A win and at least a draw in their remaining two matches.
- Can make knockouts with: PSG have clinched a place in the top 24.
Manchester City
- Points: 13
- Remaining games: Bodo/Glimt (a), Galatasaray (h)
- Can make the top eight with: A win and at least a draw in their remaining two matches.
- Can make knockouts with: Manchester City have clinched a place in the top 24.
Atalanta
- Points: 13
- Remaining games: Athletic Club (h), Union Saint-Gilloise (a)
- Can make the top eight with: A win and at least a draw in their remaining two matches.
- Can make knockouts with: Atalanta have clinched a place in the top 24.
Inter
- Points: 12
- Remaining games: Arsenal (a), Dortmund (h)
- Can make the top eight with: Wins in their final two matches.
- Can make knockouts with: At least three points in their final two matches.
Real Madrid
- Points: 12
- Remaining games: Monaco (h), Benfica (a)
- Can make the top eight with: Wins in their final two matches.
- Can make knockouts with: At least three points in their final two matches.
Atletico Madrid
- Points: 12
- Remaining games: Galatasaray (h), Bodo/Gimt (a)
- Can make the top eight with: Wins in their final two matches.
- Can make knockouts with: At least three points in their final two matches.
Liverpool
- Points: 12
- Remaining games: Marseille (a), Qarabag (h)
- Can make the top eight with: Wins in their final two matches.
- Can make knockouts with: At least three points in their final two matches.
Borussia Dortmund
- Points: 11
- Remaining games: Tottenham (a), Inter (h)
- Can make the top eight with: Bettering the results of at least two teams placed ahead of them.
- Can make knockouts with: A win in their remaining two matches.
Tottenham
- Points: 11
- Remaining games: Borussia Dortmund (h), Eintracht Frankfurt (a)
- Can make the top eight with: Bettering the results of at least two teams placed ahead of them.
- Can make knockouts with: A win in their remaining two matches.
Newcastle United
- Points: 10
- Remaining games: PSV (h), PSG (a)
- Can make the top eight with: bettering the results of at least five teams placed ahead of them.
- Can make knockouts with: Securing at least four points in their final two matches.
Chelsea
- Points: 10
- Remaining games: Pafos (h), Napoli (a)
- Can make the top eight with: bettering the results of at least five teams placed ahead of them.
- Can make knockouts with: Securing at least four points in their final two matches.
Sporting CP
- Points: 10
- Remaining games: PSG (h), Athletic Club (a)
- Can make the top eight with: bettering the results of at least five teams placed ahead of them.
- Can make knockouts with: Securing at least three points in their final two matches.
Barcelona
- Points: 10
- Remaining games: Slavia Praha (a), Copenhagen (h)
- Can make the top eight with: bettering the results of at least five teams placed ahead of them.
- Can make knockouts with: Securing at least three points in their final two matches.
Marseille
- Points: Nine
- Remaining games: Liverpool (h), Club Brugge (a)
- Can make the top eight with: Bettering the results of nine teams ahead of them.
- Can make knockouts with: Securing at least four points in their final two matches.
Juventus
- Points: Nine
- Remaining games: Benfica (h), Monaco (a)
- Can make the top eight with: Bettering the results of nine teams ahead of them.
- Can make knockouts with: Securing at least four points in their final two matches.
Galatasaray
- Points: Nine
- Remaining games: Atletico Madrid (h), Manchester City (a)
- Can make the top eight with: Bettering the results of nine teams ahead of them.
- Can make knockouts with: Securing at least four points in their final two matches.
Monaco
- Points: Nine
- Remaining games: Real Madrid (a), Juventus (a)
- Can make the top eight with: Bettering the results of nine teams ahead of them.
- Can make knockouts with: Securing at least four points in their final two matches.
Bayer Leverkusen
- Points: Nine
- Remaining games: Olympiacos (a), Villarreal (h)
- Can make the top eight with: Bettering the results of nine teams ahead of them.
- Can make knockouts with: Securing at least four points in their final two matches.
PSV
- Points: Eight
- Remaining games: Newcastle United (a), Bayern Munich (h)
- Can make the top eight with: A lot of help, bettering the results of 10 teams placed ahead of them.
- Can make knockouts with: Two wins in their remaining two matches.
Qarabag
- Points: Seven
- Remaining games: Eintracht Frankfurt (h), Liverpool (a)
- Can make knockouts with: Two wins in their remaining two matches.
- Eliminated with: Securing one point or less in their remaining two matches while a team behind them betters their results.
Napoli
- Points: Seven
- Remaining games: Copenhagen (a), Chelsea (h)
- Can make knockouts with: Two wins in their remaining two matches.
- Eliminated with: Securing one point or less in their remaining two matches while a team behind them betters their results.
Copenhagen
- Points: Seven
- Remaining games: Napoli (h), Barcelona (a)
- Can make knockouts with: Two wins in their remaining two matches.
- Eliminated with: Securing one point or less in their remaining two matches while a team behind them betters their results.
Benfica
- Points: Six
- Remaining games: Juventus (a), Real Madrid (h)
- Can make knockouts with: Bettering the results of one team ahead of them.
- Eliminated with: Failing to pick up a point in their remaining two matches.
Pafos
- Points: Six
- Remaining games: Chelsea (a), Slavia Praha (h)
- Can make knockouts with: Bettering the results of one team ahead of them.
- Eliminated with: Failing to pick up a point in their remaining two matches.
Union Saint-Gilloise
- Points: Six
- Remaining games: Bayern Munich (a), Atalanta (h)
- Can make knockouts with: Bettering the results of one team ahead of them.
- Eliminated with: Failing to pick up a point in their remaining two matches.
Athletic Club
- Points: Five
- Remaining games: Atalanta (a), Sporting CP (h)
- Can make knockouts with: Securing at least two points while bettering the results of four teams ahead of them.
- Eliminated with: Failing to secure at least two points in their last two matches, while also not getting help elsewhere.
Olympiacos
- Points: Five
- Remaining games: Bayer Leverkusen (h), Ajax (a)
- Can make knockouts with: Securing at least two points while bettering the results of four teams ahead of them.
- Eliminated with: Failing to secure at least two points in their last two matches, while also not getting help elsewhere.
EIntrach Frankfurt
- Points: Four
- Remaining games: Qarabag (a), Tottenham (h)
- Can make knockouts with: Winning at least one remaining match while bettering the results of five teams ahead of them.
- Eliminated with: Failing to secure at least three points in their last two matches, while also not getting help elsewhere.
Club Brugge
- Points: Four
- Remaining games: Kairat Almaty (a), Marseille (h)
- Can make knockouts with: Winning at least one remaining match while bettering the results of five teams ahead of them.
- Eliminated with: Failing to secure at least three points in their last two matches, while also not getting help elsewhere.
Bodo/Glimt
- Points: Three
- Remaining games: Manchester City (h), Atletico Madrid (a)
- Can make knockouts with: Winning their remaining games while bettering the results of eight teams ahead of them.
- Eliminated with: Dropping any points in their remaining matches.
Slavia Prague
- Points: Three
- Remaining games: Barcelona (h), Pafos (a)
- Can make knockouts with: Winning their remaining games while bettering the results of eight teams ahead of them.
- Eliminated with: Dropping any points in their remaining matches.
Ajax
- Points: Three
- Remaining games: Villarreal (a), Olympiacos (h)
- Can make knockouts with: Winning their remaining games while bettering the results of eight teams ahead of them.
- Eliminated with: Dropping any points in their remaining matches.
Villarreal
- Points: One
- Remaining games: Ajax (h), Bayer Leverkusen (a)
- Can make knockouts with: Winning their remaining games while 11 teams ahead of them fail to pick up points.
- Eliminated with: Dropping any points in their remaining matches.
Kairat Almaty
- Points: One
- Remaining games: Club Brugge (h), Arsenal (a)
- Can make knockouts with: Winning their remaining games while 11 teams ahead of them fail to pick up points.
- Eliminated with: Dropping any points in their remaining matches.
















