The last six slots into the Champions League group stage will be determined over the next two weeks, as 12 hopeful sides will face off in the tournament’s playoff round, which starts Tuesday.
While Europe’s biggest clubs have already been awarded their positions in the final 32, some famous teams are still hoping to fight their way in, including Red Bull Salzburg, PSV Eindhoven, Benfica, and Ajax.
Salzburg, Dutch Sides Favored to Go Through
The playoffs are contested over two legs, with each team hosting one match and the aggregate score determining who will advance. The remaining teams were split into two pools: eight in the “Champions Path,” which is made up of clubs that won their domestic leagues last season, and four left in the “League Path,” which is for teams from leagues that earned additional slots in the qualifying rounds.
Perhaps the strongest team coming into the playoff round is Salzburg, which made the semifinals of the Europa League last season. The Austrian champions are aiming to build themselves into a European powerhouse, and won’t be an easy out if they do make it into the group stage of the Champions League.
In order to get there, Salzburg will first have to get past Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade. With the first game in Serbia, Red Star may well be able to put up resistance in the first leg: the team has only allowed two goals so far in the first three Champions League qualifying rounds. Still, oddsmakers expect Salzburg to ultimately advance, with Paddy Power giving Salzburg 3/10 odds of going through to the group stage.
Also worth watching are two Dutch sides with a history of European success. PSV Eindhoven won the European Cup – the forerunner of the Champions League – back in 1988, while Ajax has won four European titles, famously winning three consecutive European Cups from 1971 to 1973 before earning a Champions League title in 1995.
Of the two squads, Ajax faces the tougher task, as they’ll face Ukraine’s Dynamo Kyiv in their playoff match. The Dutch club beat Dynamo 3-2 on aggregate in their last Champions League playoff meeting back in the 2010-11 season, and are listed as a 4/7 favorite to go through. On the other hand, PSV (1/7) is a significant favorite to advance past Belarussian champions BATE Borisov (4/1).
Liverpool Seeking Greek Upset
While these matches are mostly of interest to the clubs involved and their fans, one prominent English side will be paying close attention to the results.
Liverpool’s draw for the group stage depends heavily on the tie between Portugal’s Benfica and Greek side PAOK Salonika. Should Benfica go through, they’ll be drawn into Pot 2 of the draw, and Liverpool will be dropped into Pot 3. That would mean Liverpool would have to face a team from each of the top two pots in the first round, potentially creating a group of death where one of the tournament favorites would be eliminated before the knockout rounds begin.
That means Liverpool fans will be rooting for an upset by the Greek club over the next two weeks. But Benfica (1/4) is a heavy favorite to advance ahead of PAOK (5/2), and will be looking to put the tie away with a strong first leg at home on Tuesday.
Liverpool is currently a 10/1 pick to win the Champions League, though the results of the Benfica tie could move that number significantly in either direction. Manchester City (11/2) is currently the favorite to win the tournament ahead of Juventus (6/1) and Barcelona (13/2).