Official: Juventus secure spot in Champions knockout stage | OneFootball

Juventus have officially qualified to the knockout stage of the Champions League despite settling for a disappointing draw against Club Brugge.

The Bianconeri have thus far collected 12 points from the first seven matchdays of the Europa League stage, registering three wins, three draws and one defeat.

Thiago Motta’s men began their European campaign on a very promising note, shrugging aside PSV Eindhoven by three unanswered goals, before pulling off a sensational comeback victory over RB Leipzig despite being reduced to 10 men.

However, the team soon ran out of steam, suffering a surprising defeat at home to Stuttgart, before recording back-to-back draws with Lille and Aston Villa. Nevertheless, Juve ended the year on a high note with a 2-0 victory over Manchester City, before resuming their campaign with a stalemate in Belgium.

(Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

At the moment, Juventus sit 17th in the 36-team table, but their 12 points is enough to secure a spot in the knockout stage. With 25th-placed Man City only having 8 points in the tally, the Old Lady is certain to finish among the Top 24 sides.

The Bianconeri will end their group-stage campaign by hosting Benfica at the Allianz Stadium, and they’ll be gunning for a victory in an attempt to break into the Top 8 which will allow them to qualify directly for the Round of 16, otherwise, they will have to go through a play-off round with two more matches added to their already congested schedule.

Nevertheless, even a victory over the Portuguese giants might prove insufficient on that front, as it will hinge on the results of the other fixtures.

Juve’s fellow Serie A representatives Inter, Atalanta and Milan have also qualified for the next stage, with all three Lombardian clubs currently sitting in the Top 8. On the other hand, Bologna have been eliminated, despite stunning Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.