Premier League clubs could secure a fifth Champions League spot if the Italian sides fail to advance further in European competitions.
The most significant international tournament has proven successful for English teams, as two clubs advanced to the quarter-final on Tuesday.
Arsenal played an insignificant 2-2 draw against PSV Eindhoven after previously humiliating the Dutch team 7-1 in front of their own stands. Mikel Arteta’s side is set to take on the reigning champions Real Madrid in April.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, will take on Paris Saint-Germain in the next phase, after they confidently beat Club Brugge in the second leg to secure a 6-1 score on aggregate, marked by a brilliant display from newcomer Marco Asensio, who scored a brace, following a red card opponent Kyriani Sabbe in the 17th minute.
Furthermore, their success has boosted the Premier League’s chances of securing an extra Champions League spot next season in case two out of three Serie A sides get eliminated on Thursday.
Lazio are the big favourites to earn a qualification as they face Viktoria Plzen with a one-goal lead at home following their 2-1 win last week.
Premier League can secure an extra Champions League spot tonight if two out of three Serie A side playing tonight get eliminated
Mikel Arteta’s side is set to taken on reigning champions Real Madrid, while Aston Villa will face Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals
Last year, England’s hopes of securing a fifth Champions League spot were crashed after Germany’s Borussia Dortmund and Italy’s Bologna earned the extra place
At the same time, their rivals AS Roma are set to endure a tough trip to Bilbao as they face fourth-ranked LaLiga team Athletic Club, which are set to secure a place in the quarter-finals after their lost 2-1 last Thursday.
Furthermore, the Premier League’s chances could further increase as Fiorentina will have to outplay a one-goal disadvantage after Raffaele Palladino’s men suffered a 2-3 defeat last week to Panathinaikos.
Last year, Bologna and Borussia Dortmund were awarded a lucky spot in the Champions League, as Serie A outperformed clubs from England, Spain and France.
However, this season, the Premier League and LaLiga both have a dominant position – considering that Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham feature tonight and have reasonably high probabilities of advancing to the next phase.
The Red Devils face a tough Sociedad in a home game at Old Trafford, while Enzo Maresca’s side will take on Copenhagen following their 2-1 victory last week. Tottenham, meanwhile, can fall short in front of AZ Alkmaar after Lucas Bergvall scored a comical own goal in the first leg.
Although they feature in the second and third European competitions, their qualification remains significant as each win is worth two coefficient points.
A draw gives them just one point, while a defeat does not award anything.
David de Gea’s Fiorentina could witness their exit from the Conference League following their 2-3 defeat to Panathinaikos last week
AS Roma, meanwhile, face a tough trip to Bilbao as they face fifth-ranked LaLiga side, Athletic Club
The points earned by each Premier League side will be added together, and the total will be divided by the number of clubs competing in European tournaments.
Furthermore, the additional spot will go to the team outside the Champions League places in the domestic league standings.
It is understood that only England, Spain, Italy and Germany are mathematically in contention for the extra place.
However, Germany’s chances have significantly decreased following Bayer Leverkusen’s elimination from the Champions League on Tuesday.
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