Official: Juventus secure spot in Champions knockout stage.
Juventus has officially qualified for the Champions League knockout stage, despite a dismal stalemate with Club Brugge. The Bianconeri have gained 12 points from the first seven matchdays of the Europa League stage, with three victories, three draws, and one loss. Thiago Motta’s team began their European season on a high note, defeating PSV Eindhoven with three consecutive goals before pulling off an incredible comeback victory over RB Leipzig despite being reduced to ten men. However, the team quickly ran out of steam, suffering an unexpected defeat at home to Stuttgart, before recording back-to-back draws with Lille and Aston Villa. Nevertheless, Juve ended the year on a high note with a 2-0 victory over Manchester City, before resuming their campaign with a stalemate in Belgium.
Juventus is now ranked 17th out of 36 teams, but their 12 points are enough to guarantee a spot in the knockout stage. With 25th-placed Manchester City only on 8 points, the Old Lady is almost guaranteed to finish among the top 24. The Bianconeri will conclude their group-stage campaign by hosting Benfica at the Allianz Stadium, and they will be looking for a win in order to break into the Top 8, which will allow them to qualify directly for the Round of 16, otherwise they will have to go through a play-off round, adding two more matches to their already hectic schedule.
Nonetheless, a victory over the Portuguese giants may be insufficient on that front, depending on the outcome of the other matches. Juve’s fellow Serie A representatives Inter, Atalanta, and Milan have all advanced to the next round, with all three Lombardian teams presently ranked in the Top 8. Despite defeating Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, Bologna has been eliminated.
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