MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Liverpool and Barcelona are leaving it late to secure automated qualification to the Champions League spherical of 16.
With just two rounds remaining, the defending champions of England and Spain presently sit outside of the high eight spots that will advance routinely.
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Teams positioned from 9 to 24 enter a two-legged playoff to go through to the spherical of 16.
Liverpool topped the league part last 12 months, but then confronted the daunting job of enjoying eventual winner Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16. Arne Slot’s crew is going a totally different means about it this time around and may have to navigate a playoff to advance.
Liverpool is away to Marseille on Wednesday and could be boosted by the return of Mohamed Salah from the Africa Cup of Nations. He headed off to signify his nation last month after a public row with Slot raised doubts about his future.
Salah was sad with his lack of recreation time and aired his views in an explosive interview. He returns to Liverpool at a time when the Merseyside membership wants more firepower following damage to file signing Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, who has only not too long ago returned to motion.
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Barcelona was runner-up to Liverpool during the league part last 12 months and progressed to the semifinals before shedding to Inter Milan.
Now it is enjoying catch up as it heads to Slavia Prague.
Chelsea’s new coach Liam Rosenior takes charge of his first Champions League recreation with the membership at home to Pafos.
Rosenior changed Club World Cup-winning coach Enzo Maresca this month after main Chelsea’s sister membership Strasbourg to the high of the third-tier Conference League standings.
Bayern Munich — one of this season’s favorites — hosts Union Saint-Gilloise.
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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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