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Printable Page
01/21 01:44 CST Liverpool and Barcelona risk missing automatic qualification to
the Champions League round of 16
Liverpool and Barcelona risk missing automatic qualification to the Champions
League round of 16
By JAMES ROBSON
AP Soccer Writer
MANCHESTER, England (AP) --- Liverpool and Barcelona are leaving it late to
secure automatic qualification to the Champions League round of 16.
With just two rounds remaining, the defending champions of England and Spain
currently sit outside of the top eight spots that will advance automatically.
Teams placed from nine to 24 enter a two-legged playoff to go through to the
round of 16.
Liverpool topped the league phase last year, but then faced the daunting task
of playing eventual winner Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16. Arne Slot's team
is going a different way about it this time around and may have to navigate a
playoff to advance.
Liverpool is away to Marseille on Wednesday and could be boosted by the return
of Mohamed Salah from the Africa Cup of Nations. He headed off to represent his
country last month after a public row with Slot raised doubts about his future.
Salah was unhappy with his lack of game time and aired his views in an
explosive interview. He returns to Liverpool at a time when the Merseyside club
needs more firepower following injury to record signing Alexander Isak and Hugo
Ekitike, who has only recently returned to action.
Barcelona was runner-up to Liverpool during the league phase last year and
progressed to the semifinals before losing to Inter Milan.
Now it is playing catch up as it heads to Slavia Prague.
Chelsea's new coach Liam Rosenior takes charge of his first Champions League
game with the club at home to Pafos.
Rosenior replaced Club World Cup-winning coach Enzo Maresca this month after
leading Chelsea's sister club Strasbourg to the top of the third-tier
Conference League standings.
Bayern Munich --- one of this season's favorites --- hosts Union Saint-Gilloise.
___
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
