Liverpool has become the first club to secure a spot in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages after Matchday 5, underscoring their dominance with 11 points and a +11 goal difference. Arne Slot’s unbeaten side has maintained an impressive run, making them early favorites for a deep tournament run.
Tight Margins for Knockout Qualification
The race for the top eight spots, guaranteeing a direct path to the Round of 16, is fiercely contested. Inter Milan (11 points, +7 GD) and Borussia Dortmund (11 points, +12 GD) are in a strong position, with both teams needing just a point from their final games to secure advancement.
EPL Giants in Peril
While Arsenal and Aston Villa fly high, Manchester City faces a rare crisis. The defending Premier League champions sit 17th with just 8 points, a precarious position that leaves their qualification hanging in the balance. Pep Guardiola’s men have been uncharacteristically off-color, and with just three games left, they are dangerously close to a humiliating early exit.
Real Madrid: A Crisis Unfolding
Perhaps the biggest shock of the tournament so far is Real Madrid’s freefall. The 14-time European champions are languishing in 24th place with just 5 points and a neutral goal difference. Despite strong performances from Jude Bellingham in domestic competitions, Carlo Ancelotti’s side has failed to translate that form into European success.
Bayern Munich, PSG Struggle
Both Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain—two clubs expected to breeze through the group stage—find themselves in troubling positions. Bayern Munich sits in 12th place with 9 points. While they remain in a playoff spot, their form has been inconsistent, and Vincent Kompany will need to rally his side to avoid slipping further.
PSG, on the other hand, is in full-blown crisis mode. With only 4 points and a -3 goal difference, the Parisians sit in 25th place. Luis Enrique’s tenure has been turbulent, and unless PSG can pull off a miracle in their final games, their European campaign will end in disaster.
Elimination Confirmed
Several clubs have already been eliminated from contention, including Crvena Zvezda, RB Leipzig, and Young Boys, who have failed to win a single match and are at the bottom of the table. Salzburg, Bologna, and Bratislava have also been confirmed to miss out, with their European dreams now over for this season.
The next few weeks promise high drama, stunning upsets, and the potential for some of football’s biggest names to miss out on the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League.
