How can Liverpool progress? All Champions League qualification scenarios explained

The Champions League rolls on to its final matchday as 12 of the 16 spots in the knock-outs have been decided. Group C with Napoli, PSG, Liverpool and Red Star Belgrade will go down to the wire with one of the first three set to miss out.

Tottenham kept their hopes alive with a last-gasp win against Inter Milan that sees them draw level on points with the Italian side. One of the two will miss out while only three of the groups have their group toppers decided.

With the winners getting a favourable draw in the next round and the third-place sides getting an Europa League place, there is plenty to play for in the final round of matches scheduled for 11-12 December.

Legend for tables:

Q - Qualified, T - Group Toppers, EL - Europa League, R - Eliminated from European competition

Group A

Atletico Madrid survived a 4-0 shellacking at the hands of Borussia Dortmund to lead their group, going to into matchday six. Dortmund also lost 2-0 in Madrid. Their 0-0 draw with Brugge at home, meant that they will need to beat Monaco away and hope that Atleti drop points, in order to finish group toppers. Los Rojiblancos can seal top spot with a win irrespective of Dortmund’s result.

Club Brugge’s 4-0 thrashing of Monaco in the principality will mean that they cannot finish last and thus the Belgian side will proceed to the Europa League. Monaco’s shocking season under Thierry Henry continues and their European campaign for the season will come to an end.

Group B

Barcelona stormed to the top of the table courtesy a variety of Lionel Messi masterclasses. Messi has six goals to his name this season and is predictably the top scorer of this year’s Champions League.

Tottenham kept their hopes alive courtesy Christian Eriksen’s late winner at Wembley on Wednesday and just sneak into second spot, due to an away goal scored at the San Siro. Nonetheless, they face a daunting task of matching Inter’s result from the final game. While Inter host rock-bottom PSV, Tottenham have an away date with the Blaugrana at the Camp Nou. Perhaps the fact that Barcelona cannot be dislodged as group toppers will comfort Mauricio Pochettino.

Group C

The only group without a single slot decided. The sixth and final matchday will take place with Napoli, PSG and Liverpool all capable of qualifying for the next stage.

Liverpool’s 2-0 loss to Red Star Belgrade means that last season’s finalists are in real danger of dropping to the Europa League. Napoli, who travel to Anfield on the final day, can qualify with a draw.

The Reds can qualify if they can better Napoli’s 1-0 win at home against them earlier in the group stages. Anything else and they will hope that Red Star can pull off another upset win, this time over the Parisien giants. Liverpool’s head-to-head record with the French giants, a 3-2 win at home and a 1-2 loss away means that PSG will finish above them if both teams end up level on points.

Group D

Porto have stormed through this group and will end up as toppers of this relatively benign draw that they were handed. Schalke, struggling for form domestically in the Bundesliga, have also secured a place in the Round of 16.

Turkish giants Galatasaray and Lokomotiv Moscow are yet to decide on who will finish third and go the Europa route with the other crashing out of continental competition altogether. Galatasaray have a faint one-point edge at this point.

Group E

Bayern Munich lead this group despite a floundering attempt back home to retain the Bundesliga. A 1-1 draw with Ajax at home has been the only blip in a near-flawless European campaign.

Ajax Amsterdam, with one of the youngest squads in competition history, have made it through to the knockout rounds of the Champions League for the first time in 13 years. Mathias de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong and Hakim Ziyech are few among the many in this side who could be potential superstars in the future.

Benfica will drop to the Europa League while AEK Athens are the only team in the competition without a point.

Group F

Pep Guardiola’s men haven’t had the smoothest of campaigns, yet have secured safe passage to the next round. A 2-1 opening day loss to Lyon was followed by another draw in France, as City have failed to impose their will on Les Gones. The Citizens need a point to top the group.

Despite taking four points off City, Lyon have drawn all of their other matches. The French side are hugely entertaining at both ends of the pitch, conceding as many as they’re scoring. Lyon will qualify if they avoid defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk on the last day.

Hoffenheim can still qualify for the Europa League, provided they beat City and Shakhtar lose.

Group G

Real Madrid, despite their domestic campaign crumbling, came up with a crunch 2-0 win in Rome to leave them with top spot in their Champions League group. Roma have lost both ties to Real Madrid but last season’s semi-finalists have qualified for the next round.

Viktoria Plzen hold the edge over Russian rivals CSKA for a Europa League spot, courtesy of a 2-1 win in Moscow. The Czech side welcome Roma in their final group stage clash.

Group H

Juventus and Manchester United traded blows at each other’s home stadiums, as the Old Lady triumphed 1-0 courtesy Paulo Dybala’s strike at Old Trafford, while Manchester United struck late to win 2-1 in Turin.

The Italians need to match United’s result away to Valencia on the final day to clinch top spot. Valencia are through to the Europa League while Young Boys are out of Europe.