MANCHESTER, England (AP):
Premier League teams are powering ahead in the Champions League with five of England’s top-flight clubs in position to advance to the round of 16.
Arsenal top the standings and have already secured their place in the next round, while wins for Liverpool, Newcastle, and Chelsea yesterday saw them move into the top eight automatic qualifying positions with one game of the league phase to go.
Tottenham are fifth, with Manchester City the only English team in the play-off positions going into next week’s matches.
“Let’s make sure we’re in the top eight. We’ve put ourselves in a good position, but that’s for next week,” Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said.
Liverpool are fourth after a 3-0 win at Marseille. Newcastle beat PSV Eindhoven by the same score and Chelsea won 1-0 against Pafos.
Bayern Munich are second and joined Arsenal in advancing to the round of 16 with Harry Kane scoring twice in a 2-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise.
Barcelona are ninth after a 4-2 win at Slavia Prague and risk having to go through the play-offs to advance.
But there is much to play for in the final round of league phase games with just three points separating third-placed Real Madrid and Juventus in 15th.
The top eight qualify directly to the round of 16. Teams placed from nine to 24 enter a two-legged play-off to advance.
Prepare for a dramatic final round of games before the knockouts.
While the remaining six automatic qualification spots are still up for grabs, just two points separate the last of the play-off places and Ajax, who are 32nd in the standings.
One standout game sees Italian champion Napoli host Chelsea. Napoli is 25th — one place below the play-offs. It also means a reunion for Napoli coach Antonio Conte and his former club Chelsea.
“It’s a massive game. For Napoli as well. They need to win to stay in the competition; we need to win to be in the top eight,” Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior said. “It’s going to be a great game against a massive club, with a great manager.”
Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) host Newcastle and dropped points for either team could see them fall into the play-offs.
Man City’s home game against Galatasaray also has much riding on it if the 2023 European champions are to avoid the danger of the play-offs.
Jose Mourinho needs a win at his former club Madrid to give Benfica any chance of making the play-offs.
Liverpool topped the league phase last year — only to be eliminated by PSG in the round of 16. Arne Slot’s team have made harder work of it this time around, but victory in Marseille leaves the Premier League champions in a strong position going into its final game at home to Qarabag.
Dominik Szoboszlai’s free kick put Liverpool ahead in the first half. A Geronimo Rulli own goal doubled the advantage, and Cody Gakpo sealed the win that also saw Hugo Ekitike hit the bar and Mohamed Salah miss a golden chance.
Newcastle cruised past PSV at St James’ Park, with Yoane Wissa, Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes on the score sheet, while it took a Moises Caicedo header to see Chelsea break down a stubborn Pafos.
YESTERDAY’S GAMES
Galatasaray 1-1 Atletico
Qarabag 3-2 Eintracht
Marseille 0-3 Liverpool
Newcastle 3-0 PSV
Slavia Praha 2-4 Barcelona
Juventus 2-0 Benfica
Chelsea 1-0 Pafos
Bayern 2-0 Union Saint-Gilloise
Atalanta 2-3 Athletic Club
