Champions League extra place for Premier League? How it looks after PSG 0 Liverpool 1 | OneFootball

At the end of last (2023/24) season, an extra place in the Champions League was awarded to the Bundesliga and Serie A, as those countries had the two best overall collective performances from their clubs in European competitions last season.

It was the first time these extra places were awarded, as part of the expanded 36 club ‘Swiss League’ Champions League format.

If though this had been operating previously, then five of the six seasons before 2023/24 saw England one of the top two countries overall, in European competitions.

The two leagues with the best average coefficient scores get the extra place in the next season’s Champions League.

Regardless of which European competition, each match win is worth two coefficient points, a draw gets you one point, and you get nothing for a defeat. So basically, the longer a league’s clubs stay in the European competition the better, once they are eliminated they can’t pick up any more points towards the overall total. There are other points awarded and this is where the Champions League generates far more bonus points than the other two competitions, as Liverpool earned 13.500 bonus points by winning the Swiss League phase,  Arsenal added 13.000 bonus points for finishing third. Aston Villa, in eighth, added 11.750, while Man City, who were 22nd, only 6.750 bonus points.

The coefficient points gained by all clubs this season are added together and that total score is divided by the number of clubs a country has in Europe in the season. That gives the coefficient average.

This season’s combined results in European competition for each of the competing leagues?

ESPN report on current position after Tuesday and Wednesday night’s Champions League games, including PSG 0 Liverpool 1 – Which countries in best position to get one of the two bonus places in the 2025/26 Champions League competition:

How does the average coefficient table look now for each country (in brackets how many teams remain for each league, so for England it is six out of seven)?

1. England, 21.750 – (6/7) 2. Spain, 19.607 – (6/7) 3. Italy, 18.437 – (4/8) 4. Germany, 16.421 – (4/8) 5. Portugal, 16.050 – (2/5) 6. Belgium, 15,250 – (3/5) 7. France, 15.000 – (3/7) 8. Netherlands, 14.750 – (4/6) 9. Greece, 11.687 – (2/4) 10. Czechia, 10.350 – (1/5)

This week’s Champions League results couldn’t have gone any better for Premier League hopes of an extra Champions League spot next season.

Villa scored two late goas to win 3-1 and look in total control against Brugge, leading 3-1 ahead of the home leg. Arsenal’s 7-1 away win guarantees they will go through against PSV, whilst Liverpool’s incredibly lucky 1-0 at PSG, puts them in control ahead of the return at Anfield.

Whilst it is heavy odds on that the Premier League will now have three clubs in the last eight of the Champions League, Spain (second in coefficient table) are guaranteed to lose another one and go down to two at best as Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in their first leg and one will go out next week in the return leg (Barca won 1-0 at Benfica last night).

Then third in the coefficient table above is Italy, but in reality they are already in a very weakened position, as whilst Inter won 2-0 last night at Feyenoord, Serie A have already lost all of their other Champions League clubs.

The only other country that even very remotely could catch England/Premier League, is Germany. Dortmund only drew at home to Lille last night and could go out, Bayern beat Leverkusen 3-0 on Wednesday night, which means it could be only one Bundesliga team in the last eight, two at the very most.

It would need a crazy slump and set of circumstances for the Premier League to now not get one of the extra two Champions League spots next season.

Spurs are favourites to win the Europa League, Man U third favourites, whilst Chelsea are odds on to win the Conference.

All three play tonight but any faint hope looks to have gone for the other countries of denying the Premier League one of the extra Champions League places next season. With the Champions League results these last two nights.

So, can Newcastle United qualify for the Champions League this season?

This is how the Premier League table currently looks on Thursday (6 March 2025) morning:

Eddie Howe’s side currently finding themselves two points off fifth place.

A huge match at West Ham on Monday, where a win would see NUFC in a great position. Amongst the other matches this coming weekend are Forest v Man City and Brighton v Fulham.

A Champions League qualifying route remains very much open to Newcastle United as things stand.

Upcoming Newcastle United fixtures:

Monday 10 March – West Ham v Newcastle (8pm) Sky Sports

Sunday 16 March – Newcastle v Liverpool (4.30pm) Carabao Cup final Sky Sports

Wednesday 2 April – Newcastle v Brentford (7.45pm)

Monday 7 April – Leicester v Newcastle (8pm) Sky Sports

Sunday 13 April – Newcastle v Man U (4.30pm) Sky Sports