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The revamped competition phase has officially caused plenty of drama in the UEFA Champions League, leaving several European heavyweights in a perilous position with three games remaining to secure a spot in the knockout rounds.
Although the stage of the competition guaranteed stiff competition for teams of all strength levels, few expected Real Madrid and Manchester City to find themselves in tricky situations after Matchday 5. However, they are far from the only ones whose hopes for progress could disappear. down to the wire – Paris Saint-Germain are surprisingly outside the top 24, while RB Leipzig are somehow still waiting for their first point in the Champions League this season.
Those currently in the top eight – including top sides like Liverpool and Barcelona and surprise contenders like Monaco and Atalanta – have the knockouts in their sights, but otherwise there’s still a lot of work to be done. There are reasons to panic for many teams sitting outside the top eight, but their concerns certainly vary.
As the competition phase draws closer, you can see how panicked Europe’s top teams should be.
Champions League Standings
Key: Positions 1-8 qualify for Round of 16, while positions 9-24 qualify for the Knockout Stage Play-Offs and positions 25-36 are eliminated.
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | G.F | GO | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | +11 | 15 |
| 2 | Below | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 13 |
| 3 | Barcelona | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 5 | +13 | 12 |
| 4 | Borussia Dortmund | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 6 | +10 | 12 |
| 5 | Atalanta | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 1 | +10 | 11 |
| 6 | Bayer Leverkusen | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 10 |
| 7 | Arsenal | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 10 |
| 8 | Monaco | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 7 | +5 | 10 |
| 9 | Aston Villa | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 10 |
| 10 | Sporty Lisbon | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 10 |
| 11 | Brest | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +3 | 10 |
| 12 | Lille | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 10 |
| 13 | Bayern Munich | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 7 | +5 | 9 |
| 14 | Benfica | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 9 |
| 15 | Atletico Madrid | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 9 | +2 | 9 |
| 16 | AC Milan | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 9 | +2 | 9 |
| 17 | Manchester city | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 8 |
| 18 | PSV | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 8 |
| 19 | Juventus | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 8 |
| 20 | Celtic | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 8 |
| 21 | Feyenoord | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 13 | -3 | 7 |
| 22 | ClubBruges | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | -3 | 7 |
| 23 | Dinamo Zagreb | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 15 | -5 | 7 |
| 24 | Real Madrid | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 6 |
| 25 | Paris Saint Germain | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 4 |
| 26 | Shaktar Donetsk | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 4 |
| 27 | Stuttgart | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 11 | -7 | 4 |
| 28 | Sparta Praha | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 14 | -9 | 4 |
| 29 | Sturm Graz | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | -4 | 3 |
| 30 | Girona | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 9 | -5 | 3 |
| 31 | Crvena Zvezda | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 17 | -8 | 3 |
| 32 | RB Salzburg | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 15 | -12 | 3 |
| 33 | Bologna | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | -6 | 1 |
| 34 | RB Leipzig | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 10 | -6 | 0 |
| 35 | Slovan Bratislava | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 18 | -14 | 0 |
| 36 | Young boys | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 17 | -15 | 0 |
Let’s assign panic levels to the big dogs that are struggling. One reason is very little reason to worry, while 10 is a full-on panic mode where changes are needed immediately.
Bayern Munich
Remaining schedule (all times US/East):
- December 10, 3:00 PM: Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Bayern Munich
- January 22, 3 p.m.: Feyenoord vs. Bayern Munich
- January 29, 3 p.m.: Bayern Munich vs. Slovan Bratislava
Things haven’t exactly been smooth sailing for Bayern Munich in the league phase so far, but apart from the 4-1 defeat to Barcelona, they have generally been the better side in each of the matches they have played so far. They have earned a solid spot in the top 24 and the top eight are still well within reach, putting them in a strong position to progress. That’s without looking at their upcoming schedule, which is very favorable for the German giants.
Panic level: 4/10
Real Madrid
Remaining schedule (all times US/East):
- December 10, 3 p.m.: Atalanta vs. Real Madrid
- January 22, 3 p.m.: Real Madrid vs. RB Salzburg
- January 29, 3 p.m.: Brest vs. Real Madrid
With only six points from 15th and 24th, a place in the top eight feels out of reach at the moment, even though a place in the knockout rounds is within reach. The good news for Real Madrid is that they are undoubtedly good enough to win their remaining games, even if Atalanta have surprisingly made it into the top eight and Brest are not far behind in 11th place. The bad news is that the reigning European champions aren’t playing like a heavyweight, and they need to figure out how to fix that to actually take advantage of the opportunities in front of them.
Panic level: 7/10
Manchester city
Remaining schedule (all times US/East):
- December 11, 3 p.m.: Juventus vs. Man City
- January 22, 3 p.m.: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Man City
- January 29, 3 p.m.: Manchester City vs. Club Bruges
Manchester City is doing slightly better than Real Madrid with eight points, but the situation is very similar: the 2023 champions have the ability to beat anyone, but certainly don’t play like that. However, unlike Madrid, City’s remaining fixture list is fraught with some obvious challenges. Juventus have conceded just five goals this season, which could make things difficult for an increasingly stifled City attack, while Paris Saint-Germain’s desperation for points could make their matchday 7 encounter interesting. Pep Guardiola and company have enough to dig themselves out of this hole, but they will really have to prove that with three games to go in the competition phase.
Panic level: 8/10
Paris Saint Germain
Remaining schedule (all times US/East):
- December 10, 3 p.m.: RB Salzburg vs. Paris Saint Germain
- January 22, 3 p.m.: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Man City
- January 29, 3 p.m.: Stuttgart vs. Paris Saint Germain
If there was a prize for the surprise team outside the top 24, PSG would be the obvious choice. They may have been dealt the worst hand after being drawn against Arsenal, Bayern and Manchester City in the league stages, but there are few positives to take from this season in the Champions League so far. They have recorded just one win in five, which does little to inspire confidence in Luis Enrique’s rebuild after Kylian Mbappe, even in the only match they won. They can still turn things around and find a place in the top 24, but they have no points to waste with three games to go and so the games against RB Salzburg and Stuttgart are essentially must-wins. However, PSG may also have to hope that City’s form continues for another two months as they may also need something from that crucial match.
Panic level: 9/10