The penultimate matchday of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League group phase gets underway on Tuesday evening, with matchday seven carrying immense significance for every team still vying for their spot in the competition’s knockout rounds.
With only two rounds left to secure a coveted place in the top 24, and the added incentive of bypassing the knockout phase play-off round by finishing in the top eight, the stakes could not be higher.
Every point earned or dropped could now be the difference between progression and elimination, meaning these matches are sure to bring huge entertainment and drama. But how exactly does qualification work in this new league phase format?
With the change from groups to a single league format, the way to qualify for the knockout rounds of the competition has significantly changed.
The top eight after eight matchdays will automatically advance to the round of 16, while the following 16 teams that finish between ninth and 24th will advance to the knockout phase play-offs, with the victors progressing to the last 16.
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Now that the qualification process has been explained, let’s take a closer look at what to look out for in UCL matchday seven:
Monaco to regain form and push for top eight?
Monaco, now 16th-placed, will be disappointed to have fallen down the table after such a strong start to the campaign, which saw them pick up three wins from their first four fixtures, including a statement victory against Barcelona.
They will take on current fifth-placed side Aston Villa, who will be hoping to secure their place in the top eight, while a win for Monaco would see Adi Hutter’s side move onto level points with the Villans and strengthen their charge for a return to the top eight.
Bet on Aston Villa to win at 2.76
The pressure is on for Stuttgart
Stuttgart had an encouraging start in the league phase, narrowly losing 3-1 to Real Madrid before drawing with Sparta Praha and beating Juventus, leaving them on course to qualifying in the top 24 places.
However, back-to-back defeats, including a shock 5-1 loss to Crvena Zvezda saw
fall down the standings and out of the qualification places altogether, before a 5-1 victory against Young Boys last time out left them with hope of qualifying.
Stuttgart now sit 26th in the table, just a point outside the top 24 places, leaving their upcoming matches as crucially important, particularly Tuesday’s fixture against a Slovan Bratislava team that can no longer qualify for the knockout round.
Atletico Madrid & Bayer Leverkusen battle for top eight
Atletico Madrid currently sit 11th in the table with 12 points from six games, while Bayer Leverkusen are fourth with 13 points, meaning the winner of this game could play a huge role in determining which of the two finishes inside the top eight places.
Atletico Madrid’s 15-game winning run came to a surprise end in their last game, leaving them desperate to return to winning form as they host Bayer Leverkusen, who have won all of their last 11 heading into this one.
Liverpool to remain flawless?
Liverpool are the only team to have secured a perfect 18 points from six matches in the league phase this campaign, impressively beating the likes of Milan, Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid to already all-but secure their place in the next round.
With just two matches remaining of the league phase, Arne Slot will be looking for his side to continue their flawless run and pick up two victories, extending their statement to the rest of the competition that they are the favourites to lift the trophy this term.
Their opponents, Lille, are no pushovers, however, with the French side currently in eighth and battling to remain in the top eight places, while they also head into this one having avoided defeat in their last 21 outings.
Paris Saint-Germain & Manchester City battle to survive
PSG and Man City would have been tipped to finish inside, or at the very least battle, for a place inside the top eight of the league phase, but that has been far from the case.
Both sides are staring down the barrel of elimination, with PSG currently 25th with just seven points after two wins, one draw and three defeats, while Man City are 22nd with eight points, from two wins, two draws and two defeats, including coming into this one without a win in their last three Champions League fixtures.
A win for PSG would see them climb above the Citizens, which could leave them
heading into the final matchday outside the qualification places, while a win for City would likely see them qualify and leave PSG with a slim chance of progressing.
Bet on PSG to win here at 2.55
The rest of the competition
Elsewhere, Real Madrid will be hoping to strengthen their place in the top 24, with Los Blancos currently just two points above 25th-placed PSG. Celtic, PSV and Dinamo Zagreb will all be fighting to remain in the top 24 and secure a fantastic qualification to the knockout play-off phase, while Club Brugge, Feyenoord, Sporting and Benfica could confirm their place in the next
round with victories.
There is still plenty of room for drama at the top of the table too, with just two points separating third-placed Arsenal and 14th-placed Juventus, meaning the battle for a place in the top eight will continue.