The third round of Europe’s premier club tournament has concluded, giving participants a clearer understanding of their prospects. Those with three straight wins have just about secured a place in the next round. Meanwhile, teams that have dropped points now face a difficult situation and must catch up. However, with five matches still ahead, the standings could change for anyone.
The Champions League playoff bracket is taking shape after three rounds, following a specific set-up. It is now possible to make preliminary guesses about which teams might face each other in the knockout matches, although the final line-up will only be determined after the group stage concludes. At this stage, potential matchups might include: Barcelona or Liverpool facing Napoli or Union Saint-Gilloise; Chelsea or Sporting against Athletic or Eintracht; Qarabag or Galatasaray taking on Atletico or Brugge; and Tottenham or PSV meeting Atalanta or Marseille.
As for the round of 16, for now only preliminary combinations can be discussed. Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern await the winner of the Tottenham/PSV – Atalanta/Marseille matchup. Inter or Arsenal could face the winner of Qarabag/Galatasaray – Atletico/Brugge. Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund are monitoring the results of Chelsea/Sporting – Athletic/Eintracht. Manchester City or Newcastle will play the winner of Barcelona/Liverpool – Napoli/Union Saint-Gilloise.
Such predictions remain purely theoretical for now, as most of the group stage is still ahead. Clubs that have earned nine points can feel more confident, but the final standings will only be determined in January.
At the bottom of the table are the teams that have not secured a single victory. Among them are Juventus, Villarreal, Ajax, and Benfica. The last two have suffered three consecutive defeats. Nevertheless, they all still have time to turn things around and fight for a spot in the next round.
