6 things to watch out for in Champions League league phase finale | OneFootball

The Champions League and unadulterated drama go hand-in-hand.

Europe's leading competition seldom fails to deliver anything but excitement and chaos, with this season's expanded and new-look format having continually set pulses racing across the opening seven weeks of the inaugural league phase.

Wednesday's final round of fixtures is unlikely to disappoint as European giants battle for their berth in the last 16 or knockout play-off round. Plenty will be decided on and there will be no shortage of narratives.

Here are six things to watch out for during the last round of league phase matches.

Man City desperately seek play-off berth

Man City need victory on Wednesday / Michael Regan/GettyImages

Few would have anticipated Manchester City's 2024/25 struggles and their underperformance has seeped into a torrid European campaign. Two wins, two draws and three defeats have left them in a perilous position, sitting outside the top 24 heading into a final encounter with Club Brugge.

Victory will secure their spot in the knockout phase but any other outcome will see them eliminated. Their Belgian opponents, in knockout contention themselves, should be unable to cope with the wealth of superstars. But this is not a City team we recognise despite improvements in recent weeks.

Any slip-up will cost them their place in the Champions League and see them fail to make the knockout stage of the competition for the first time since 2012/13.

Kylian Mbappe returns to France

Kylian Mbappe is in exceptional form / Angel Martinez/GettyImages

Despite having now secured their place in the next phase, Real Madrid were in a similar position to Manchester City several weeks back. An underwhelming beginning to the defence of their European crown left them in jeopardy and they still could miss out on automatic qualification for the last 16.

However, victory in a Matchday 8 clash with French overperformers Brest may see them breach the top eight and Kylian Mbappe could be the difference-maker for Los Blancos against the surprise success story of this year's competition.

The former Paris Saint-Germain star returns to France in exceptional form, having scored eight times in his last five outings, including a hat-trick at the weekend. Mbappe, who has also scored nine goals in ten past games against Brest, suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Lille on his most recent French adventure and will want to avoid a similar outcome on Wednesday.

Battle of Britain

Celtic make the trip to England / Ian MacNicol/GettyImages

Rangers have already faced Tottenham and Manchester United in all-British duels in the Europa League this season but there have been no such battles in the Champions League thus far. That changes on Wednesday.

Aston Villa and Celtic, both of whom have secured at least a knockout play-off spot, will lock horns in England's west midlands as the former seek to finish in the top eight, with this being the first competitive fixture ever played between these two former European champions.

It should be a feisty affair at Villa Park as Celtic face English foes for the first time since 2016/17.

Dutch reunion for Arne Slot

Arne Slot returns to the Netherlands / Richard Sellers/Allstar/GettyImages

Arne Slot knows all about Liverpool's upcoming Champions League opponents PSV Eindhoven. They are the side who prevented his Feyenoord team from winning the Eredivisie last season by accumulating a record-breaking points total.

Slot has only faced Heerenveen on more occasions than PSV, whom he has battled nine times as a coach. He has a balanced record in those fixtures, winning, drawing and losing three duels.

Liverpool have already secured their place straight through to the last 16 with seven wins from seven and need just a point to finish the league phase in top spot.

But could PSV, who have not yet guaranteed their place in the knockout rounds, hand them their first Champions League defeat of the season on Slot's Netherlands return?

Chaos in Catalonia?

Barcelona face the in-form Atalanta / Pedro Salado/GettyImages

Barcelona are the only other team to have guaranteed their position in the last 16 - although several teams are also pretty much certain of a top eight finish - following a truly bonkers and controversial 5-4 victory over Benfica last week. Raphinha's late winner means they can breathe easily on Matchday 8 and could even secure top spot should they win and Liverpool lose.

They face an Atalanta side who have hugely impressed in Serie A and are still fighting for a last 16 spot, even if they are guaranteed to at least be in the knockout play-offs. Last term's Europa League winners are the second highest scorers in the Italian top flight and have netted an impressive 18 goals in seven European games.

Barcelona's high defensive line caused them repeated issues against Benfica but they have been in scintillating attacking form. Similarly, Atalanta are strong offensively but occasionally susceptible at the back, potentially leading to a chaotic and goal-laden affair in Catalonia.

All to play for in Stuttgart

PSG are not yet guaranteed to make the knockouts / Franco Arland/GettyImages

Stuttgart vs Paris Saint-Germain may not be the fixture most will tune into on Wednesday night but it's a match that could have seismic consequences. Both sides currently sit in the top 24 but are not guaranteed to progress, with the winner securing their place in the play-offs.

PSG's victory over Manchester City last weekend put them in a promising position to qualify after a shaky campaign but the French giants will not find a trip to MHPArena straightforward. Stuttgart have hammered struggling Young Boys and Slovan Bratislava in their last two and have taken points off Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga this term.

Wednesday's encounter may be a thriller as both sides know their jobs, but it could be only one that progresses to the knockout phase.