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As the UEFA Champions League group stage draws to a close, three European giants, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich, find themselves in precarious positions. The top eight teams in the 36-team league will directly qualify for the next round while the team between the ninth and 24th will progress to the playoffs.
With the final matchday approaching, the qualification scenarios for Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich teams are far from straightforward.
Manchester City will need a miracle
Manchester City, currently in 25th place with eight points from seven games, faces a must-win match against Club Brugge. Sitting just two points shy of the qualification spots, Pep Guardiola’s side has no margin for error.
A draw would see them eliminated, provided other teams vying for the spot pick-up points. If City fails to win, it will be their first early exit from the Champions League in 12 years, leaving fans questioning the team’s European ambitions.
Real Madrid are 16th in the table with 12 points. While they will reach the playoffs, their direct path to the Champions League Round of 16 is complicated, requiring a series of favourable results. To stand a chance for direct qualification, they must defeat Brest by at least three goals. However, that alone will not be enough. In order to qualify, Real Madrid will need:
Atalanta to lose to Barcelona, eliminating them from the top eight.
Aston Villa to drop points against Celtic, allowing Real Madrid to surpass them.
Monaco to fail to win against Inter Milan, enabling Los Blancos to move ahead.
Feyenoord and Lille must draw, preventing either from securing 16 points.
Bayer Leverkusen must not win against Sparta Prague.
Even if all these conditions are met, Real Madrid’s automatic qualification could come down to goal difference, with Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and Juventus needing to drop points for a direct qualification spot.
Bayern Munich’s fight for a spot in the Round of 16
Bayern Munich, like Real Madrid, find themselves on the edge of qualification, holding 12 points and sitting one place ahead of the Spaniards in 15th. A win against Slovan Bratislava is crucial, but Bayern’s hopes will also depend on other results, much like Real Madrid. If the scenarios align, both teams will rely on goal difference to secure automatic qualification.