Barcelona might be sitting in ninth, but don't let the Champions League table fool you. While they’re technically outside the direct qualification spots, they are part of a massive points deadlock with 6th to 13th place all on 13 points.
Only Arsenal and Bayern Munich have officially punched their tickets to the top eight so far. With one matchday left, the race is wide open, teams as far down as 16th are still in the hunt for a direct path to the knockouts.
Barcelona head into Wednesday’s clash with Copenhagen knowing that while a win is essential, the margin of victory is what truly matters. Hansi Flick and the Blaugrana will want goals and goals while listening and keeping an eye on the other fixtures.
With two teams currently in the top eight facing off, a path to direct qualification has been cleared. If Barcelona secure the three points and manage a high-scoring performance, they can overhaul the goal difference and claim their place in the knockout seeds.
All eyes are on the Parc des Princes, where the loser of the PSG vs. Newcastle clash will unceremoniously fall from the automatic qualification places. Elsewhere, the "English Invasion" faces its sternest test yet: Tottenham and Chelsea must secure results in two of Europe’s most intimidating venues against Eintracht Frankfurt and Napoli, respectively.
It would be a minor miracle for all three English clubs to hold their ground with the margins so thin, even a single slip-up will allow the waiting giants of the continent to surge into the top eight.
The race from behind
The race for the final automatic spots is a literal dead heat. Sporting CP sit just a heartbeat behind Barcelona, trailing only on goals scored. To leapfrog the Catalans, the Portuguese giants must navigate a daunting trip to the Basque country to face Athletic Bilbao at the atmospheric San Mamés and score more goals than at the Camp Nou.
Manchester City find themselves in the uncharacteristic position of "hunter" rather than "hunted" since their Champions League triumph. Hosting Galatasaray at the Etihad, Pep Guardiola’s men know that simply winning isn't enough, they need a landslide of goals to erase their goal-difference deficit and storm into the top eight.
Further down the ladder, the drama only intensifies. Atletico Madrid currently languish in 12th, knowing that anything less than a clinical victory over Bodø/Glimt will likely condemn them to the grueling playoff round. Not to be outdone, Atalanta BC sit in 13th and face a "must-win" scenario against Union SG.
Tomorrow brings drama but lets just it shines on Barcelona's side tomorrow.