The final game of the UEFA Champions League group phase takes place on Jan. 28, and only two teams have sealed their place in the Round of 16 so far. Barcelona is among the teams fighting to reach the Top 8, but not everything is under its control.
Barcelona Needs a Little More Than Just a Win To Make It to the Round of 16
The Catalan side goes into the final game sitting in ninth in the table. They are level on points with Paris-Saint-Germain, who are No. 6, and Atalanta, who are No. 13, making it a tricky situation for Hansi Flick’s side.
Barca face FC Copenhagen at home in the final match of the group phase. Their only previous meeting in the European competition was back in the 2010/11 season, when the Spanish giants eased to a 2-0 win with Lionel Messi scoring a brace.
To finish in the Top 8 and qualify directly for the Round of 16, Blaugrana has an advantage over the teams right below them. They are ninth and with PSG and Tottenham, the two sides inside the Top 8, facing each other on the final day, Flick’s side can jump ahead of the loser of the clash in Paris, or both if their game ends in a draw.
However, the issue for them will be the goal difference (GD), though they improved it after the 4-2 win over Slavia Prague last week. Their GD of five is one behind Chelsea, who sit a place above them, and level with Sporting CP, who are a place below them.
If Flick’s side wins, the only way they do not make it through is if Chelsea wins their match, while Sporting CP, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, and Atalanta also pick up wins and have a better result than the Catalan side.
Should Blaugrana draw their match, they would need a lot more than luck to make the Top 8. Unless all the aforementioned teams fail to win their matches, they would also need Inter Milan, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, and Galatasaray to drop points.
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Flick is confident his side will get the job done on Wednesday, saying it is important to finish in the Top 8 to avoid the burden of playing two playoff matches in an already jam-packed season.
“We have the opportunity to finish in the top eight, and that’s our goal. We didn’t start this Champions League well, but ultimately, we have a chance to be among the eight, and that’s what we want, because it would mean having two fewer games and would help us recover. But if we have to play two games, we’ll play them.”
Barcelona finished second in the table last season, reaching the semifinals, where they lost to Inter Milan.
