Liverpool might face a frightening path to the Champions League ultimate after the league part is wrapped up this week.
Liverpool might run into some heavyweight groups within the knockouts (Picture: Getty)
Liverpool need to assure their spot within the final 16 of the Champions League by beating Qarabag at Anfield tomorrow night time. The Reds presently occupy fourth spot within the desk with 15 factors. Their objective distinction means they’re unlikely to climb any increased than third, with second-placed Bayern Munich, on 18 factors, boasting a +13 objective distinction in comparison with Liverpool’s +6. And simply three factors separate third and fifteenth, that means there Arne Slot’s aspect might simply nonetheless end exterior of the highest eight.
Whereas the Premier League champions are winless within the league in 2026, they beat Marseille in Europe final week. And they are going to be closely fancied to beat Qarabag, who sit 18th within the desk, to safe their spot within the knockouts and keep away from a two-legged playoff match. Ought to they handle to cling on to fourth spot, and even end third, then the Reds know they are going to face one in every of 4 groups: both thirteenth place, 14th place, nineteenth place or twentieth place.
Because it stands, Atalanta are thirteenth and Inter Milan 14th. If the playoffs had been performed primarily based on the present desk, the 2 Italian groups can be pitted towards Marseille (nineteenth) or Bayer Leverkusen (twentieth), respectively.
Liverpool would then face the winner of a type of ties, relying on which half of the draw they go into. Inter can be probably the most harmful opponent, though the Reds beat them 1-0 on the San Siro in December. That was solely courtesy of an 88th-minute Dominik Szoboszlai penalty.
Inter sit high of Serie A and have reached two of the final three Champions League finals so are to not be underestimated over two legs. However having misplaced to Liverpool, in addition to Arsenal, Slot and co. would nonetheless be hopeful of dumping the Italians out.
Based mostly on the present desk, the quarter-finals might then throw up a heavyweight conflict towards one in every of Tottenham (fifth), PSG (sixth), Manchester Metropolis (eleventh) or Atletico Madrid (twelfth). Monaco (twenty first) and PSV (twenty second) are additionally doable opponents however can be big outsiders towards any of the 4 aforementioned sides.
A rematch with holders PSG, who outclassed Liverpool final season regardless of solely successful the tie on penalties at Anfield, can be the scariest present chance for the six-time European Cup winners. However a two-legged tie with home rivals Metropolis would even be a really troublesome prospect in April.
Liverpool are in place to complete within the Champions League’s high eight (Picture: Getty)
The draw for the spherical of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals takes place on February 27. Which means Liverpool is not going to know which half of the draw they’re in till then. They are going to fall on both the identical aspect as first place – presently Arsenal – or second, which is Bayern Munich at current.
Both of these groups would undoubtedly pose probably the most fearsome semi-final opponent. Liverpool have received and drawn towards Arsenal this season however there is no such thing as a doubting the Premier League leaders’ high quality and the way cagey they might make it within the ultimate 4, having conceded simply two targets in seven video games in Europe and 17 targets in 23 league video games.
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And Bayern, who’ve former Liverpool winger Luis Diaz and England captain Harry Kane, might blow the Merseyside group away. The Bavarians are the joint-top scorers within the Champions League with 20 targets scored and have additionally plundered 72 targets in simply 19 Bundesliga matches as they saunter in the direction of one other title.
They don’t seem to be the one potential semi-final opponents with Barcelona or Chelsea among the many different difficult groups who might await. However having to face Inter, PSG and Arsenal would definitely be among the many most troublesome doable paths to Budapest if Liverpool need to be there on Could 30.
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