Manchester United may not win the Champions League tonight, but if they do, they will undoubtedly play in it past Christmas the following year.
While Manchester United’s chances of playing Champions League football past Christmas may be slim this year, European football in the new year will undoubtedly come from a top-tier 2024–25 campaign.
Tonight, United, which is currently a losing team in their group, is realistically in need of a win to maintain their aspirations of making it to the round of 16.
Erik ten Hag’s team would be eliminated by a loss, and the Reds’ hopes of making it to the knockout stages would be at most compromised by a draw.
If United finishes third in their group, they could qualify for the Europa League, but as things stand, they won’t be in Europe by the middle of December.
However, with the Champions League undergoing a makeover, the upcoming season will be considerably different.
The group stage structure, which involved teams playing eight matches and being ranked in a single league, is going to be eliminated. The tournament will now have 36 teams instead of its current 32. Teams from the big leagues will most likely gain from those extra spots, thus a fifth-place result in the Premier League this season will almost definitely earn Champions League play.
United has won five of the last six league games, putting them in sixth place but still very much in the driver’s seat. The current top three are Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool; however, Aston Villa, Tottenham, and Newcastle United are also vying for a high finish. While Brentford, West Ham, and Brighton could be surprise winners in the Champions League, Chelsea will be hoping to move up the standings.
Whoever manages to guarantee football in the Champions League for 2024–25 can do it with confidence knowing that there won’t be an unwelcome departure before Christmas. This is because the first round schedule will extend into January due to the extended format, which will precede the knockout stages.
As a result, the top eight teams advance, and the remaining 16 teams compete to determine who advances to the knockout stages. As it stands now, no Champions League clubs will withdraw from other European competitions.
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