As the new Champions League format will kick in next season, an extra spot will be handed to the two best leagues and Italy is currently in the lead. AC Milan, Atalanta and Roma will now be tasked with seeing it through.
With the new Champions League format ready for launch, the two associations that do best in European competitions this season will get an extra spot. For the top leagues – Serie A, Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga – five teams would thus qualify.
Taking a look at the current UEFA ranking, Italy is in the lead this season with 4/7 teams still active across the Europa League and the Conference League. The exits of Inter, Lazio and Napoli in the Champions League didn’t help, but Italy should still see this through with a couple more good results.
Milan taking on Roma in the quarter-finals means that at least one Italian team will be in the semi-finals, while Atalanta will do their best to beat Liverpool. Both Milan and Roma will be eyeing the final, which would (in all likelihood) seal the fifth spot.
If you are unfamiliar with the points system, teams are awarded two points for a win and one point for a draw. One point is also handed out for every stage that you reach in the knockout, though it’s slightly different for Fiorentina in the Conference League.
In order to reward those who perform well in the tougher competitions, the bonus point per stage is only handed out from the semi-finals and forward in the Conference League. In that sense, having three Italian teams reach the knockout stage in the UCL also helped a lot as additional four bonus points were handed out for that.
Germany, which is currently second, only has 3/7 teams left in the competitions while England has 5/8. Italy and England are thus the favourites for the time being, but the situation will have to be assessed once again after the quarter-finals.
Spain can’t be underestimated though, glad they are not in Europa League
True, with Sevilla out everybody can dream ahah
Lazy article. Could have actually researched the calcs of what is the min# of italian teams that need to advance to secure the 5th spot. Quality not quantity please.
You’re right, but that is still a rather complicated calculation as it depends on so many teams, not to mention the results of the legs 🙂
Win in the conference league give just as much as champions league. 2p for victory and 1p for advancing to next round so Fiorentina result matter for your information and by the looks of it if fiorentina do their job italy is safe for that fifth place.
I should have been more clear, it’s the bonus points (received per stage reached) is not the same between the competitions. Will amend the article
We have a financial incentive to go far and perhaps win it. Roma will be difficult.
Milan with that table stands Milan already got the place in cl rn now we are second behind inter so…..