Two of England’s clubs are expected to crash out of the Champions League top eight in Wednesday’s manic league phase finale.
The Premier League currently has five representatives in the top eight, which grants teams a direct last-16 place and the luxury of avoiding the pesky February play-offs.
All 36 teams will kick-off at 8pm on Wednesday in a footballing bonanza, and only Arsenal and Bayern Munich are guaranteed to progress to the last 16.
And Chelsea and Newcastle are predicted to lose their current top-eight berth by Opta’s supercomputer, which has run its calculations for the final matchday.
Chelsea face a trip to Serie A champions Napoli – who currently sit 25th, outside the play-offs – while Newcastle go to sixth-placed PSG.
Opta reckon the Blues have just a 41 per cent chance of winning the game – and, combining that with the expected results from other games involving teams around them, they are expected to drop all the way to 11th from eighth.
Magpies fans, meanwhile, are being told their side have just a 20 per cent chance of winning with PSG huge favourites. The computer therefore has them plummeting from seventh to 13th.
Liam Rosenior’s side will play seven games in February if they are forced into the play-offs, and that month is bookended by games on Janaury 31 and March 1, too.
The prognosis is worse for Newcastle; they could have as many as eight games next month.
It’s a good forecast for England’s other teams, though; Arsenal are expected to be joined by Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester City in the top eight.
City have the most work to do because they are 11th, but the supercomputer looks favourably on their home tie against Galatasaray.
Liverpool are expected to get their business done at Anfield against upstart Azerbaijanis Qarabag, while Tottenham are fancied away at Frankfurt, who are already eliminated with just four points from games.
Arsenal have a perfect record and they are expected to do a clean sweep, with Opta giving them a 85.4 per cent chance of beating bottom side Kairat at the Emirates. The debutants from Kazakhstan have managed just a point.
Bayern Munich (already qualified), Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid are all predicted to join the party in the top eight.
Looking ahead, the supercomputer makes Mikel Arteta’s side the firm favourites to go and win the Champions League in Budapest in May.
Arsenal have been given a 27.64 per cent chance of lifted the trophy, streaks ahead of next-best Bayern Munich on 15.47 per cent.
Manchester City, Barcelona, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea trail, while Real Madrid – who have triumped a record 15 times – are only eighth-favourites amid a turbulent season which has seen them sack Xabi Alonso and install Alvaro Arbeloa as manager.
