Scenarios for knockout phase qualification with leaders Liverpool on the verge of round of 16 spot along with Barcelona

Barcelona are set to resume their UCL campaign on Tuesday as they take on SL Benfica at the Estádio da Luz in their seventh league game of the season. The Blaugrana have been in formidable form,

With the teams placed from ninth to 24th securing a spot in the playoff round, it means those places between 25th and 33rd are still in with a fighting chance. Bologna, for example, have just two points from six games but two wins now could propel them to the top 24 (if results go in their favour).

Premier League leaders Liverpool are also leading the charts of the Champions League this season with an unbeaten run so far in the competition

A year of unprecedented pressures on the global football calendar begins with a Champions League first, as two rounds of matches in Europe's elite club competition take place in January and some of the continent's biggest names face a scrap to avoid a humiliating exit.