A total of 18 Champions League matches take place on Wednesday from 21:00. It is the final round of the league stage and all matches are played at the same time. This is because the competition is open for many positions and because most of the matches are of great importance.
Arsenal and Bayern Munich are the only teams to have qualified directly for the last 16. Arsenal have won all seven of their matches so far and are top of the table with 21 points. Bayern are second with 18 points and will play in the last 16 regardless of the result of their last match.
Currently in the zone that ensures qualification for the round of 16 are Real Madrid and Liverpool, who have 15 points each, Tottenham with 14 points, and PSG, Newcastle United and Chelsea, who have 13 points each.
After eight rounds of the league stage, the top eight teams in the standings advance directly to the round of 16. Teams ranked ninth to 24th advance to the knockout stage play-offs. Meanwhile, teams ranked 25th to 36th are eliminated.
With one round to go, the only teams without a chance of advancing are Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Villarreal and Kairat. All other teams are in the race.
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The current Italian champions, Napoli, are outside the play-off zone. They are in 25th place with eight points. Napoli have a very difficult match at home against Chelsea.
The Londoners are also looking for a win to stay in the top eight in the table.
"I know Chelsea very well. I know the ambitions of this club. They are the winners of the Club World Cup. We have to give everything. We cannot underestimate the opponent. We know what it means to play in our stadium. It will be a pleasure to see the blue fans supporting us," said Napoli coach Antonio Conte.
He is facing numerous injuries to players. Among others, center back Amir Rrahmani is also missing.
The reigning Champions League winners, Paris Saint-Germain, host Newcastle. This is another match with great weight. None of these teams has yet secured a place in the round of 16. In addition to Paris, Newcastle and Chelsea, Barcelona, Sporting, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Atalanta have 13 points each, and are currently in the play-off zone.
"It's a very important competition for us, for the club and for the fans. Our aim is to qualify for the round of 16 by beating a very good Newcastle team. Newcastle have a completely different style. The players of this team are brave and strong, with a lot of individual quality. We know this team because we have played against them in previous years. It will be really difficult," said PSG coach Luis Enrique.
Borussia Dortmund – Inter is another interesting match. Dortmund is in 16th place with 11 points, but still has a chance of qualifying directly for the round of 16. Inter has fallen to 14th place after three consecutive losses. They have 12 points thanks to victories in their first four matches.
Real Madrid faces a difficult trip to Benfica in Portugal.
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Jose Mourinho's Benfica are in 29th place with six points, but are likely to advance to the play-offs. However, they need a win against Madrid to do so.
"Madrid have top players. They have such a high level that if we don't score, they will punish us. They wait for your mistake and punish you immediately," Mourinho said.
