Two English clubs are predicted to drop out of the Champions League top eight and be forced to play an extra knockout stage, according to Opta's supercomputer. The league phase concludes on Wednesday night, with all 36 teams in action at 8pm.
Currently, Arsenal and Bayern Munich have secured their places in the last 16, while Real Madrid, Liverpool, Tottenham, PSG, Newcastle United, and Chelsea occupy the remaining top eight spots. However, Opta's model forecasts that Newcastle and Chelsea will fall into the knockout play-off places.
Newcastle face a tough test against reigning champions PSG in Paris, while Chelsea travel to Napoli. The supercomputer predicts Chelsea will drop from eighth to 11th, and Newcastle from eighth to 13th. This would mean both clubs miss out on a guaranteed last-16 spot and must play two additional games in February.
If Chelsea drop into the play-offs, they could face seven games in February, while Newcastle could have up to eight. In contrast, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester City are expected to join Arsenal in the top eight, securing a favourable home tie in the second leg of the last 16.
Arsenal are the only team with a 100 per cent win record in the tournament and are favourites to win the competition, with a 27.64 per cent chance according to Opta. Bayern Munich are second favourites on 15.47 per cent.
