Champions League permutations: What Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle need to qualify for the knockout stage

Arsenal only have bragging rights left to play for when they host rock-bottom Kairat at the Emirates. The Gunners are already assured of a top-two berth and will win the league phase as long as they avoid defeat to the Kazakhstan minnows, who have only picked up one point so far while conceding 19 goals.

Even if Kairat pull off a huge upset, Bayern will still have to match or better Arsenal's goal difference after their trip to PSV. Mikel Arteta's side are currently on +18 compared to Bayern's +13, and though a five-goal swing would be enough for the German giants to take top spot on goals scored, Mikel Arteta's side should be safe.

Liverpool moved up to fourth in the table after thrashing Marseille 3-0 on matchday seven, level on 15 points with third-placed Real Madrid. If Arne Slot's side see off Qarabag at Anfield, they are guaranteed to remain in the top four and secure second-leg home privileges in the first two knockout rounds.

A draw, meanwhile, would almost certainly be enough to book a top-eight spot, because they'd just need four of the nine teams on 13 or 14 points below them to fail to win their games, and Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle are playing each other. Atalanta and Atletico Madrid also have an inferior goal difference to Liverpool.

Qarabag will be motivated, though, currently sitting in 18th and in with a very faint chance of automatic progress to the last 16. The Azerbaijani outfit picked up a draw against Chelsea at home and beat Benfica away, meaning Liverpool will need to be at their best to avoid potentially falling into the playoff places.

Manchester City had to go through the playoffs to reach the round of 16 last season, and history could repeat itself this time. Pep Guardiola's men fell to 11th after their shock loss to Bodo/Glimt in the Arctic Circle last time out, and must now beat Galatasaray at the Etihad to put themselves in the mix for a top-eight berth.

A convincing win is needed, too, given City's weak +4 goal difference and the fact that they are tied on 13 points with seven other teams. That is by no means a given, though, because City have only won three of their eight matches in all competitions since the turn of the year, and Galatasaray, led by prolific Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, need at least a point to be sure of a top 24 finish. 

Chelsea are sitting in the final automatic slot with a goal difference of +8, but face a very tricky final game at Serie A champions Napoli, who are coached by their former manager Antonio Conte. Napoli are 25th in the standings and know that anything less than a win could see them suffer an embarrassing early exit.

If they pull it off, Chelsea could drop eight places, and Liam Rosenior's side would also finish ninth or lower if they draw and any one of Barcelona, Sporting, City, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta or Inter pick up a victory and either Borussia Dortmund or Juventus win by two or more goals. The Blues have yet to win away in the competition, but must buck that trend to stay clear of the playoffs.

The Champions League has been the one ray of light for Tottenham in an otherwise miserable campaign under Thomas Frank, who will come under unbearable pressure if his team do not cement their place in the top eight. Spurs travel to already-eliminated Eintracht needing a victory to guarantee that, and could move up as high as third if other results go their way.

However, eight teams could overtake Frank's side if they draw, and that number rises to ten if they suffer a defeat. The good news for Spurs is that Eintracht are currently on a six-game winless run and conceded eight goals in their first two Champions League fixtures on home soil. 

Newcastle are only behind sixth-placed PSG on goals scored, but will be heavy underdogs when they arrive at the Parc des Princes to take on the defending champions. Eddie Howe's side could make the top four if they topple PSG and two of Liverpool, Real Madrid and Spurs drop points, but the playoffs beckon should they come up short.

Eight teams outside of the top eight are only two points behind the Magpies, who have lost their last two European games on the road. Confidence is also low in the Newcastle camp after their disappointing home loss to Aston Villa at the weekend, and PSG might be smelling blood as they also aim for the quickest possible passage to the round of 16.

There will also be plenty of interest in what the rest of Europe's elite get up to in midweek, especially many people's pre-tournament favourites, Barcelona. Hansi Flick's La Liga champions are ninth heading into their final outing against Copenhagen at Camp Nou, and must win to keep their top-eight hopes alive.

Barca's arch-rivals Real Madrid are off to Portugal to battle Jose Mourinho's Benfica, where a draw will suffice for them to seal automatic progress to the round of 16, but 12th-placed Atletico Madrid have to down Bodo/Glimt at home to have any chance of joining their local rivals. Current Serie A leaders Inter and Juventus are a point further back in 14th and 15th, and both will probably have to make do with a playoffs spot regardless of whether they pick up respective away wins against Borussia Dortmund and Monaco.

Dortmund also need to avoid a thrashing when Inter arrive at Signal Iduna Park, because it's still possible for them to drop out of the top 24 if other results also go against them. 

The draw for the knockout round playoffs is scheduled to take place on January 30 at 11 am (GMT). The playoffs for the teams that finish between 9th and 24th will then be held between February 17/18 and 24/25, with the round of 16 ties set to be played on March 10/11 and 17/18.