The composition of the final sixteen teams for this season’s Champions League is underway. At the end of the five rounds of the group stage games, twelve teams have progressed to the final sixteen, leaving only one matchday of the group schedule remaining.

Manchester City (the defending champions), Real Madrid, and Real Sociedad have all preserved perfect records thus far. Furthermore, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid remain undefeated.

In the interim, Barcelona has successfully advanced from its group for the first occasion in three years, while the audiences are captivated by Arsenal’s extraordinary assortment of attacking prowess during their tenure in the UCL thus far.

In relation to the other teams headquartered in the United Kingdom competing for dominance in the Champions League, Celtic has been eliminated. Meanwhile, Manchester United and Newcastle are the only clubs from the English Premier League still contending for a spot in the last 16.

Continue reading for our preview of the anticipated performance of British clubs in the next stage of the 2023/24 Champions League.

Newcastle United

It is an utter shame and a detriment to the game. Last week at Parc des Princes, the home team (PSG) was awarded a penalty in injury time, which was unjust and resulted in the visitors (Newcastle) losing three crucial points. Kylian Mbappe scored from the penalty spot, securing a 1-1 draw for Paris Saint-Germain.

Nevertheless, Eddie Howe’s club, despite being plagued by injuries, still has a faint ray of optimism. If they win at home against AC Milan and PSG fails to defeat group leaders Borussia Dortmund, they will qualify ahead of the French team based on their better head-to-head performance. As a result, expect St. James’ Park to provide a memorable ambience in a fortnight!

Champions League Group F Standings

Manchester United

Most recently, in Istanbul, Erik ten Hag’s team was expected to emerge victorious against Galatasaray. They had a two-goal advantage on two occasions, courtesy of Fernandes’ exceptional performance. However, they could not clinch a win, resulting in their third tie in the competition.

United must hope for a draw between Copenhagen and Galatasaray as they strive to get three points against the formidable Bavarian powerhouse. Indeed, Bayern Munich has already progressed as the victors of their group. However, it is hard to see Ten Hag’s really poor defence being able to restrict Harry Kane and his teammates if Thomas Tuchel chooses a strong team.

United’s season has been characterised by unpredictability and a lack of inspiration in terms of entertainment value. Among the two Premier League teams vying for a spot in the last sixteen, Newcastle is the more probable candidate to accomplish this achievement.

Champions League Group A Standings

What must Newcastle & Manchester United achieve to qualify for the UCL playoffs?

To advance to the round of sixteen, Manchester United need to take three points from Bayern Munich at Old Trafford on Dec 12 and hope Galatasaray and Copenhagen draw their meeting.

In the event that United emerge victorious against Bayern and the other contest in Group A finds a winner, Erik ten Hag’s squad will secure the third position and be relegated to the Europa League.

In order to maintain their Champions League aspirations, Newcastle United must secure a victory over AC Milan in their final match of Group F at St James’ Park. Additionally, already-qualified Borussia Dortmund must avert a home loss to Paris St-Germain.

Champions League 2023/24 Betting Odds

Current titleholders of the Champions League Manchester City’s odds of winning the trophy again are 2/1 following their comeback from a two-goal deficit to defeat RB Leipzig 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium last time out.

Arsenal currently have better odds than Barça and PSG at 7/1 following their dominant 6-0 victory against Lens. Mikel Arteta’s team demonstrated their exceptional offensive prowess, with six players finding the back of the net, thus making them an ideal selection to utilise in conjunction with a guide to free betting offers.

Nevertheless, as anticipated, the remaining English Premier League teams vying to live the prestigious trophy, Newcastle and Manchester United, have extremely low chances of success. This is due to the fact that a remarkable transformation in their performance would be required to accomplish such a remarkable achievement, and they’ve yet to even qualify for the group stage.

Manchester City

While the champions have a pristine record, the team’s performance to date has not been flawless. City has maintained a solitary clean sheet thus far against Young Boys at home despite being assigned to the most vulnerable group in the competition. On Tuesday, they overcame RB Leipzig despite falling behind by two goals following a dismal 45 minutes, which midfielder Phil Foden described as the worst he has ever witnessed from Pep Guardiola’s squad.

Despite this, the treble winners will enter the final 16 title defence with a sense of assurance due to a few factors. Kevin De Bruyne is expected to return from injury as soon as possible. Secondly, the City’s season consistently reaches its pinnacle during the latter half.

Champions League Group G Standings

Arsenal

The Gunners’ response to a disastrous, yet only loss in Lens merits tremendous credit, as Mikel Arteta’s squad reeled off three consecutive victories, including Wednesday’s destruction of the same opponent (6-0), which propelled them to the top of Group B.

In general, Arsenal’s performance this season has been less fluid than in the previous campaign, and the goalkeeping position is in grave doubt. However, their current steeliness suggests they are capable of causing significant harm in the knockout stage. Undoubtedly, they are delighted to be back in Europe’s preeminent competition, as evidenced by the fact that they are leaders of the Premier League.

As far as predictions go, dependent on the final 16 draw, Arsenal is a prime candidate to dethrone its English foes.

Champions League Group B Standings