With two rounds to go in the opening phase of the Champions League, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are in real danger.
Teams must finish in the top eight to achieve automatic qualification for the round of 16. Teams ranked ninth through 24th will enter a round of two-legged play-offs in February, with the winners taking the remaining eight spots in the knockout stages.
Teams finishing anywhere between 25th and 36th will be eliminated from the competition – without entry into the Europa League.
As it stands, three of European football's heavyweights are in danger.
Paris Saint-Germain faces complete elimination and sits 25th despite a much-needed win over Red Bull Salzburg in their final Champions League match.
Manchester City is also having a hard time. Pep Guardiola's side are 22nd, a long way from a coveted spot in the top eight, and face PSG on Wednesday, January 22 in a big game for both sides.
Real Madrid are only slightly better in twentieth place and took a first win in three games by surpassing Atalanta last time out.
It seems increasingly likely that a big gun will fall.
Complete stages table of the Champions League competition
Upcoming crucial Champions League matches
More frustration on the way for Man City?
Two big names continue to struggle in the lower tiers of the rankings: Man City and PSG.
City, the 2022/23 champions, suffered an alarming decline in Europe towards the end of 2024, failing to win any of their last three Champions League games, having taken seven points from their first three competitions.
However, their domestic form has improved in recent weeks as they play two crucial European matches, with their clash with PSG on January 22 likely to be a must-win match.
Luis Enrique's PSG side are themselves struggling in Europe, and their win in Salzburg was only the second of their six games so far, having already lost to Bayern, Atletico Madrid and Arsenal.
They are in a state of rebuilding after losing Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid in the summer, and earlier this season named their youngest-ever starting XI in Ligue 1 when they expressed president Nasser Al-Khelaifi's wish to join the young people through acquisitions with a lot of money. .
When are the 2024/25 Champions League knockout stages?
When and where is the 2025 Champions League final?
The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League season will take place on May 31, 2025 in Munich at the Allianz Arena.
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