Celtic hope to qualify for the final 16 of the Champions League for the first time since 2012/13.
Celtic return to Champions League action this evening, hosting Bundesliga club RB Leipzig at Celtic Park in what they hope will be a memorable night in Glasgow’s east end.
Brendan Rodgers’ team enters the game full of confidence after a resounding victory against Aberdeen in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals. Daizen Maeda’s hat-trick, along with goals from Cameron Carter-Vickers, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Nicolas Kuhn, led to a surprise 6-0 win over previously unbeaten Aberdeen at Hampden Park.
Rodgers’ team earned a well-deserved point against Atalanta in their last Champions League appearance, drawing 0-0 in Italy to move on to four points from their first three games and placing them in 20th place ahead of tonight’s visit from RB Leipzig in matchday four of the league.
Tonight’s Bundesliga opponents arrive in Glasgow with no points, having lost all three of their first League Phase games. Back-to-back defeats to Liverpool, Juventus, and Atletico Madrid have put them on the verge of elimination from Europe’s elite competition, with a win at Celtic Park nearly unavoidable.
Ahead of the game, Celtic are in a solid position to advance to the competition’s last 16 for the first time since 2012/2013. But how do they advance to the knockout stage? Here’s what they need to do to qualify for the knockout stages before of tonight’s game:
Have Celtic advanced to the Champions League knockout stage?
No, Celtic has not yet advanced to the Champions League knockout stage. In their first three games, they defeated Slovan Bratislava 5-1, drew 0-0 with Atalanta, and lost 7-1 to Borussia Dortmund. They are presently in 20th place.
Celtic’s remaining Champions League fixtures
Nov 27: Club Brugge (H) – 8pm
Dec 10: Dinamo Zagreb (A) – 5.45pm
Jan 22: Young Boys (H) – 8pm
Jan 29: Aston Villa (A) – 8pm
If Celtic beat Leipzig, will they go to the Champions League round of 16? No, Rodgers’ team cannot confirm qualification to the competition’s knockout stage today, but a win over Leipzig offers them a great opportunity of doing so in the weeks ahead.
Where do Celtic need to finish in the League Path to advance to the Champions League Round of 16?
The top eight teams in the Champions League table will automatically advance to the round of 16. Teams finishing 9th to 24th will, however, compete in a two-legged knock-out phase play-off to clinch their spot in the competition’s last 16.
Clubs that finish their League Phase campaign in 25th or lower will be eliminated. They will also not enter the UEFA Europa League.
What do Celtic need to do to reach the Champions League knockout stage?
With tonight’s game versus Leipzig at Celtic Park, the Scottish champions have five league phase games left. Their 0-0 draw against Atalanta last month could be crucial to their qualification to the round of 16, with the result adding 0.2 points to Scotland’s Coefficient (now 3.6 points).
Another two wins will see the Hoops conclude the league phase with at least 10 points, ensuring a play-off position. If they win against Leipzig this evening, they will be able to secure their place in the last 16 play-off against Club Brugge on November 27.
While the exact figure required to place in the top eight and qualify automatically has yet to be determined, the Opta supercomputer believes 16 points out of a potential 24 will almost probably be enough to finish in the top eight, ensuring a spot in the last 16. A total of 15 points could also be enough to get into seventh place.
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