Champions League: Who joins Arsenal and Bayern in the top 8?

Top 8 qualification fights; Arsenal/Bayern secure, Liverpool/Real need points; key clashes PSG vs Newcastle, Man City vs Galatasaray.

Arsenal is the only English side that is guaranteed of a top 8 finish, can the other five join them on Wednesday night? (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

It’s the day of reckoning in the Champions League for teams hustling to finish in the top 8 of the group phase to avoid a two-legged playoff in February.

Arsenal has the chance to finish off on a high, as they have won seven out of seven, conceding only twice, while Bayern Munich is the only other side that is guaranteed to, at least, finish in the top 8. This leaves up to twelve teams with a possibility of nicking one of the remaining six automatic qualification slots.

Fighting for a top 8 spot is one thing; staying in the competition is another. Eight teams who currently sit outside the top 24 could still survive with a win, which means some teams at the lower end of the top 24 can still lose out. Wednesday will define a lot in the Champions League.

Starting from the top 8 fight, Liverpool and Real Madrid both only need a point each to be in a strong position for a top 8 finish, and both should earn that as they both play Qarabag and Benfica, respectively. Benfica is currently outside the top 24, while Qarabag needs a draw to be safe; let’s see how that plays out.

Thomas Frank is embattled at Tottenham, but he could earn some lease with a trip to already eliminated Frankfurt. Eight teams are on 13 points, and that is where the magic of Wednesday night will come from. You snooze, you lose. It will be frenetic across grounds.

Napoli sits just one place outside the top 24; hosting Chelsea, who needs a result to finish in the top 8, would be tough. PSG against Newcastle in Paris is arguably the game of the night. Both are on 13 points, and both need to win to guarantee a top 8 finish. Can the champions survive Eddie Howe’s onslaught?

Sporting is away at Athletic Bilbao; the latter can only stay in the competition with a win. This makes this a tough game for Sporting, who needs a win to advance automatically. Manchester City must beat Galatasaray to advance automatically; the Turkish outfit cannot afford to lose. This will be tough.

Ajax’s recent resurgence could still see them survive the drop. The Dutch side is home to Olympiakos; the Greek side occupies the last spot on the playoff log. This will be a tough game for both sides. Bodo Glimt’s hard work against Manchester City will be tested again when they face Atletico Madrid. How will they fare in Spain?