Champions League 23 24

It seems a long time coming, but we are back in the Champions League (unless Brighton win 9 on the bounce and we lose all our remaining games).

It will be the last CL in the current format, with qualifying rounds, 32 team group stage and then the knockout rounds. We will go straight into the group stage, and will be top seeds if we win the PL...
If, as becomes seemingly more inevitable by the day, we finish 2nd our coefficient has taken a bit of a beating in recent years and we sit 23rd - which means if all teams above us qualify we will be in the 3rd pot at best...

There will be a minimum of 4 teams from England, Spain, Italy and Germany in the group stage, while France and Portugal have 2 clubs each, plus one each in the qualifiers. Scotland, Netherlands and Austria have a guaranteed place in the Group Stage while Red Star Belgrade were the first team to book their group stage place.

Over in Spain, the usual suspects Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are pretty comfortable. Real Sociedad have a bit of a gap to 5th with Betis and Villarreal still hanging on in the fight.

Germany is a bit tighter, with Dortmund currently atop the league with Bayern second. Union Berlin and RB Leipzig make up the top 4, but Freiburg are just a point behind.

Napoli have run away with Serie A, but the fight for the other 3 places has taken a massive twist with Juventus' reprieve. One of the Milan clubs will contest this seasons Champions League final, but as it stands neither will be in next seasons edition. AC sit 5th, 3 points off Roma in 4th, while Inter are 6th and 5 points outside the CL places. Lazio join their Rome rivals in the top 4, sitting 2nd.

Benfica and Porto are fighting it out for the Primeira title, Benfica having a game in hand and a point advantage. Braga are the team looking to upset them, just 2 points off Porto. Braga look certain of at least the CLQ place though, with Sporting 10 points adrift.

PSG, as expected, are clear in Ligue 1, but the battle for the second CL is hotting up. Lens took a big step with a 3-0 win over rivals Monaco to go second, but Marseille go to Lyon tonight with a chance of getting back to 2nd.

Feyenoord and Celtic look good bets to take their countries group stage place, while Salzburg and Sturm Graz are battling it out in Austria.


Of the teams above us in the coefficients, the following are struggling to qualify; Chelsea, Liverpool, Inter, Sevilla, Villarreal, Spurs, Frankfurt, Ajax potentially boosting us up to 15th, with 6 probable title winners above us. It would be good for us if Real or Inter win the CL and Juve or Roma win the EL if we don't win the PL. As it stands it will be tight between pot 2 and 3 for us.


It will be good to hear that Champions League music ring around the Emirates, it has been a while.