UEFA Europa League has also closed up for the year. Following the same calendar and format as Champions League, the competition won't return until late January, Thursday January 23 and Thursday January 30, for Matchdays 7 and 8.
So, as we did with Champions League yesterday, after the latest results, which teams would qualify, which teams would be eliminated, and how would the parings go for the knockout match?
8 teams that would go to round of 16
The top 8 clubs would move automathically to the round of 16. Those games are to be played in in March 6 and March 13, so they would have February free of UEFA games.
The position they finish (1-8) would determinate how the pairings would be, and they would play the second leg at home.
Lazio
Athletic
Anderlecht
Lyon
Frankfurt
Galatasaray
Manchester United
Rangers
16 teams that would play knockout
The top 8 would avoid playing a knockout, two-legged game in February. If they win, they would be seeded with the best eight. Loosing them would mean elimination from all European competitions.
Pairings also work depending on the positions: 8th and 9th would play against 23th and 24th, 11th and 12th would play against 18th and 19th, and so on. Also, finishing between 9 and 16 means playing the second leg of the knockout at home.
So, if the pairings would be made today, this is how it would look like:
Tottenham or FCSB vs. Midtjylland or Elfsborg
Ajx or Real Sociedad vs. Fenerbahçe or PAOK
Bodo/Glimt or Roma vs. AZ or Union Saint-Gilloise
Olympiacos or Ferencáros vs. Viktoria Plzen or Porto
12 teams that would be eliminated
Finishing below 25th spot means elimination. And so far, only one team has 0 points and no chance of qualifying.
Braga
Hoffenheim
M Tel-Aviv
Besiktas
Slavia Praga
Twente
Malmo
Ludogorets
Qarabag
Rigas FS
Niza
Dinamo