Which teams can still qualify for the UEFA Champions League knockouts?

There is only one round of matches remaining in the league phase of this season’s UEFA Champions League (UCL), and the stakes remain high with qualification still wide open for the vast majority of the teams.

Some of Europe’s top clubs remain on red alert going into the final round of matches as teams seek to bypass the playoff stage and qualify directly for the last 16.

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A number of other teams, though, including past winners and current league champions from around the continent, are dreading the reality of an early exit.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a close look at who needs what from the final match day in the league phase to stay alive in the UCL.

How is Champions League qualification from the league phase decided?

Of the 36 teams competing in the first round of this season’s Champions League, the top eight teams from the league phase will qualify directly for the last 16.

The following 16 teams in the table will be sent to the playoff stage, where the teams will play two-legged ties with each aggregate winner joining the eight automatic qualifiers in the next round of the knockout stage.

The bottom eight teams at the end of the league phase will be eliminated from all European competition this season. In the old format, teams finishing third in the group stages would be offered the comfort of being relegated to the knockout rounds of the UEFA Europa League.

Who has already qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League?

Arsenal: The north London club were the first team to book their place in the last 16 with an impressive 3-1 win at Inter Milan on Tuesday. The league phase leaders, who also top the English Premier League by seven points, are three points clear on the UCL table and face bottom-club Kairat in the final round of games.

Bayern Munich: The German giants have also qualified after their 2-0 win at home to Union Saint-Gilloise on Wednesday and will hope to challenge the Gunners for top spot when they travel to PSV Eindhoven in the final round. It is set to be a tough task, however, as their Dutch hosts are perilously placed just above the bottom eight.

Could Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and Liverpool miss out on automatic qualification for the UCL’s last 16?

Yes.

A defeat in the final round of league phase games for Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool will leave them exposed to missing out on the top-eight spots.

Liverpool eased to a 3-0 win at Marseille on Wednesday, while Barcelona were made to work for their 4-2 win at Slavia Prague and Real thumped Monaco 6-1 on Tuesday. PSG missed out on the chance to secure their passage past the playoffs when they lost 2-1 at Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday.

Which teams have already been eliminated from the Champions League in the league phase?

Of the 32 teams competing at this stage, only four are already eliminated – Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Villarreal and Kairat.

Who have been the surprise package in the Champions League this season?

Tottenham currently hold fifth spot with 14 points, which is in stark contrast with their form in the Premier League as they are 14th in their domestic table and have not won in four games, losing two of those.

Which top teams are most at risk of falling into the Champions League playoffs?

Barcelona: The La Liga champions are the biggest name currently outside the automatic qualification positions as they sit in ninth spot. The good news for the Catalan club is that with PSG playing Newcastle United in the final round – and both teams currently in the top eight – a win in Barca’s final game against Copenhagen will see them qualify.

PSG and Newcastle: Both teams have 13 points, as do Barca, so even a draw at the Nou Camp on Wednesday could be enough to qualify – assuming there is a victor in the match in Paris.

The teams that sit below Barcelona cannot rest on having their fate in their own hands, given Barca’s current ranking.

From sixth position (PSG) to 13th spot, eight teams are level on 13 points.

Among those are Chelsea in eighth, Manchester City and Atletico Madrid. Inter Milan and Juventus both have 12 points.

Could one of the smaller teams leap into the top eight Champions League spots?

Borussia Dortmund and Galatasaray place just below Juventus with 11 and 10 points, respectively, but also level with the latter is Qarabag. The Azerbaijan club, which was formed only in 1987, could theoretically climb into the top eight if results go their way and they win their final game. That, however, is away to Liverpool.

Although far from being among the smaller clubs on the European stage, Sporting Lisbon and Atalanta – currently in the pack of teams on 13 points – could also leap into the top eight in the final ranking.

Which big teams could be eliminated from the Champions League in the league phase?

Four-time European champions Ajax are placed just above the bottom four eliminated teams and must beat Olympiakos at home in their final game to have any chance of qualifying for the playoff stage.

From the Dutch giants on six points in 32nd place to Marseille in 11th, just three points separate those 14 teams.

Among those currently in the bottom eight positions are Italian champions Napoli, who face a daunting trip to play Chelsea on Wednesday, and Portuguese giants Benfica, who entertain Spanish super club Real Madrid.

Although Galatasaray and Qarabag can still dream of a top-eight finish, they are joined by Marseille, Bayer Leverkusen, Monaco, PSV, Athletic Bilbao and Olympiakos, who are all in danger of dropping into the league phase’s elimination zone.

Who are confirmed of progress into at least the playoff stage?

The following teams are assured of at least reaching the playoffs:

Atalanta, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Inter, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle, PSG, Real Madrid, Sporting CP and Tottenham.

When is the final round of league phase games in the Champions League?

The final round of games will all be played on Wednesday, and all will kick off at 20:00 GMT.

What are the final round of league phase games in the Champions League?

• Ajax vs Olympiakos
  
• Arsenal vs Kairat
• Athletic Bilbao vs Sporting Lisbon
• Atletico Madrid vs Bodo/Glimt
• Barcelona vs Copenhagen
• Bayer Leverkusen vs Villarreal
• Benfica vs Real Madrid
• Borussia Dortmund vs Inter Milan
• Club Brugge vs Marseille
• Eintracht Frankfurt vs Tottenham Hotspur
• Liverpool vs Qarabag
• Manchester City vs Galatasaray
• Monaco vs Juventus
• Napoli vs Chelsea
• PSV Eindhoven vs Bayern Munich
• Pafos vs Slavia Prague
• Paris Saint-Germain vs Newcastle United
• Union Saint-Gilloise vs Atalanta

When will the Champions League playoffs be played?

The two legs will be played on February 17-18 and February 24-25.

When will the Champions League last 16 matches be played?

The two legs of the round of 16 will be played on March 10-11 and March 17-18.

When and where is the UEFA Champions League final?

After the quarterfinals and semifinals, the finale of this season’s Champions League will be staged at Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary. The game will be played on May 30.