Final Champions League table simulated and predicts Chelsea pain | Football | Sport

Two English sides have been predicted to drop out of the Champions League top eight and into the knockout playoffs. The league phase of Europe’s elite competition finishes on Wednesday night, with all 36 teams playing at the same time. Only Arsenal and Bayern Munich have secured their position in the last 16 so far, with six further spots available. Currently, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Tottenham, PSG, Newcastle United and Chelsea hold the top eight positions and an automatic passage to the last 16.

Yet Opta’s supercomputer has tipped Eddie Howe’s Newcastle and Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea to slip from the top eight into the knockout play-off positions on Wednesday evening. The Magpies face the challenging prospect of confronting defending champions PSG in Paris, whilst the Blues travel to Napoli. The Italian outfit are currently outside of the play-off positions, sitting in 25th place, whilst PSG sit sixth. The Blues are projected to fall to 11th from eighth, whilst the Toon are anticipated to plummet to 13th.

Such an outcome would represent unwelcome news for both Chelsea and Newcastle, who would be obliged to contest two extra matches in February and forfeit a guaranteed portion of the prize money by reaching the last 16.

The Blues would be compelled to play seven fixtures in February should they drop into the play-offs, whilst the situation would prove more challenging for the Magpies, who could face as many as eight matches.

Opta is forecasting Arsenal to finish top (with 23.65 points), Bayern Munich second (17.51 points), Liverpool third (17.51 points), Real Madrid fourth (16.85 points), Spurs fifth (15.75 points), Barcelona sixth (15.48 points), Man City seventh (15.36 points) and Atletico Madrid eighth (15.28).

However, the forecast brings positive news for Liverpool, Tottenham and Man City, who are anticipated to accompany Arsenal into the last 16.

Should the aforementioned clubs secure spots in the top eight, they will receive a beneficial home fixture in the second leg of the last 16, whilst Arsenal would also be granted home advantage in the quarter and semi-final rounds should they progress.

Man City are forecast to overcome Galatasaray and clinch their place in the top eight, though they face the greatest challenge given their current 11th position.

Liverpool are expected to complete the task against Azerbaijani outfit Qarabag, whilst Spurs face Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, who have already been knocked out of the competition.

Arsenal are the sole team maintaining a 100 per cent winning record in this year’s tournament and are expected to maintain that impressive run of form against FC Kairat, who sit bottom of the league phase. The Gunners’ outstanding form in the tournament has established them as favourites to lift the Champions League trophy in Budapest come May, having let in merely two goals across seven matches.

Opta has calculated their chances of claiming the competition at 27.64 per cent, whilst Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich trail as second favourites on 15.47 per cent.