Champions League: Manchester City and PSG Face Elimination in Final Round

The Champions League reaches its climax as Manchester City and PSG face elimination, while top teams like Liverpool and Barcelona jockey for position in the final round of matches.

The 2024/25 Champions League season has introduced several innovations, including a revolutionary new format that has teams competing in a 36-team table. This format has resulted in a thrilling competition, with most teams still fighting for a spot in the next round. The close margins throughout the table are creating an unprecedented level of excitement among fans.

On Wednesday evening, the Champions League will reach its climax with all 18 games of the final round being played simultaneously. This will lead to a chaotic two hours of matches, with teams' fates being decided by the slimmest of margins. While Liverpool and Barcelona have already secured their progression to the eighth round, and nine teams, including RB Leipzig, have been eliminated, virtually every other team remains in contention.

The competition is incredibly tight, with only a three-point gap separating third-placed Arsenal and thirteenth-placed Brest. This means that every goal scored could have a significant impact on the final standings. Similarly, the battle for positions between ninth and 24th place, which guarantees a spot in the February playoffs for qualification to the round of 16, is also intensely competitive. Teams like PSV Eindhoven, Club Brugge, and Benfica are still hoping to advance.

However, the main focus on Wednesday night will be on Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, two of the biggest clubs in the competition, which are both at risk of being eliminated. The stakes are high, and the outcome is far from certain, adding to the excitement and tension of the final round of matches.

For some top contenders, the final round of the Champions League has become a battle for survival. Manchester City, in particular, find themselves in a precarious position after a string of disappointing results, including a 4-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in their most recent match. As a result, their chances of advancing to the next round have taken a significant hit. In their final game, Pep Guardiola's team must secure a win at home against Club Brugge; otherwise, they will be eliminated from the competition.

The stakes are incredibly high for Manchester City, a team that has consistently featured in the knockout stages of the Champions League in recent years. Failure to advance would be nothing short of a disaster. Consequently, the match at the Etihad Stadium will not only be about securing promotion but also about protecting the reputation of the entire club. The pressure is on, and City will need to rise to the occasion to avoid an embarrassing exit.

𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪

🆚 Club Brugge (H)
🏆 @ChampionsLeague
🎙️ @PepTeam & @JoskoGvardiol4
⤵️ Watch live

— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 28, 2025

Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, moved up to 22nd place with their win over Manchester City, a result that currently secures a playoff berth. However, nothing is certain, and PSG's position is far from guaranteed. In the final round, they will face a formidable challenge in the form of Stuttgart, a team that has been fighting valiantly in the Champions League and has the same number of points as their French opponents. Stuttgart, currently in 24th place, require at least a draw to keep their qualification hopes alive.

The German team will have the advantage of playing at home and are in solid form, having won four consecutive games until the weekend. For PSG, a loss could spell disaster, making their final match a high-pressure encounter. With so much on the line, both teams will be desperate to secure a positive result and advance to the next stage of the competition.

For teams that have already secured promotion, their final position in the table is far from a mere formality. In fact, it will have a significant impact on their journey through the competition. The top four teams will be rewarded with a more favorable draw in the knockout stage, as they will be split into separate divisions and avoid facing each other until the quarter-finals at the earliest.

📑 The Parisian squad for the trip to Stuttgart! 🔴🔵#UCL pic.twitter.com/oNByhHQYy9

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) January 28, 2025

The implications of the final standings are clear: teams that finish seventh or eighth could face a daunting opponent from the top ten in the round of 16. This adds an extra layer of tension to the final round of matches, as teams jockey for position. Liverpool and Barcelona, who have already secured direct qualification to the round of 16, will be watching the standings with interest, as their next opponents could be giants like Bayern Munich, Juventus, or Real Madrid.

Other top teams, such as Arsenal, Inter, and Atletico Madrid, are not yet assured of a top-eight finish and will need to be cautious in the final round of matches. The stakes are high, and the final standings will have a significant impact on the teams' prospects in the knockout stage.