The five big european leagues (Spain, England, Italy, Germany and France) tyrannize the biggest continental competition with 14 of the 16 teams that qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League. Just two classic, Ajax and Porto, put the counterpoint to the domain of the championships that have greater financial resources by sponsorship and television rights. And there descolla the Premier. For the second year in a row all the teams in england participants have managed to overcome the group stage. The same is not true of LaLiga and the Bundesliga German because Valencia and Hoffenheim are left out, but both are the only place in the qualifying round two teams as champions of group. Among the italians have fallen by the way Inter and Napoli. The Series does not get at least three teams in the second round of the Champions league since 2011.
Results of the final matchday of the group stage
Group E
Ajax – Bayern 3-3; Benfica – AEK Athens 1-0
Group F
Manchester City – Hoffenheim 2-1 ; Shakhtar – O. Lyon 1-1
Group G
Viktoria Plzen – Roma 2-1; R. Madrid – CSKA 0-3
Group H
Young Boys – Juventus 2-1; Valencia – Manchester United 2-1
Possible rivals for the Spanish teams
Real Madrid: Schalke 04, Liverpool, Tottenham, Ajax, Lyon, Manchester United.
Barcelona: Schalke 04, Liverpool, Roma, Ajax, Lyon, Manchester United.
At. Madrid: for Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, Bayern, Manchester City, Juventus.
Enter as first guarantees play as a local in the return match of the final round and, in theory, draw more friendly the next Monday day 17 in Nyon, starting at twelve in the morning. But the rules that prevents matches between teams from the same country or who have crossed in the group stage announces duels of high voltage. Real Madrid has a 50% chance of facing an opponent from the Premier league (Tottenham, Liverpool or Manchester United) although you might prefer to be seen with some of the other three options: Schalke 04, Ajax or Lyon. The gauls were sealed their pass to the next round in a direct duel with Shakhtar (1-1), and its presence evokes past disasters whites, those six consecutive years between 2005 and 2010, eliminated in the second round. The Lyon was the last to overcome Madrid, he took his revenge a year later at the same height of the competition. Since then, the champion of the last three editions always came to play at least the semi-finals.
Barcelona will seek to join also a world record-extraordinary because it has exceeded the knockout round in eleven seasons. Liverpool, in 2007, was the last in apearlo in that instance. And now again they could cross paths with the owners of Anfield. Or with Rome, the last executioner to pass. Or Mourinho. Also with any of the members of that trio more friendly and is also waiting for the Madrid.
Posts to want to rival, the Athletic points to a match against the Porto, in principle, the alternative less demanding if it is considered that the other options are PSG, Bayern, Manchester City and Juventus. But nothing is simple at this point and more if it is considered that the Champions league is becoming a hunting ground more closed. At this point there are not turks, russians or ukrainians, who used to scratch a place among the top 16. Last season, nine different countries had a presence in the final round, three years ago they were ten. In this edition, between February 12 and march 13, just to be seven.
The abstract qualifier from the group stage of the Champions League is the following:
Champions of group: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern, Juventus, Manchester City.
Runners up: At. Madrid, Schalke 04, Roma, Liverpool, Tottenham, Ajax, Manchester United, O. Lyon.
will Play the Europa League: Bruges, Inter, Napoli, Galatasaray, Benfica, Shakhtar, Valencia, Viktoria Plzen.
Removed: Monaco, PSV Eindhoven, Red Star, Spartak Moscow, AEK Athens, Hoffenheim, Young Boys, CSKA Moscow.
