What Chelsea need to qualify for Champions League knockout stage | OneFootball

Blues have taken ten points from six games in the league phase

Chelsea host Pafos at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday before completing the league phase away to Napoli next week.

What Chelsea need to qualify for Champions League knockout stage

To qualify automatically as one of the top eight teams, it is impossible to do so unless they win one of their remaining group games.

Winning one and losing the other would still be extremely unlikely to see Chelsea straight through to the round of 16 as one of the top eight.

Winning and drawing could be enough, provided the teams in and around them do not accrue more points in their last two fixtures than the Blues.

Beating both Pafos and Napoli would give ten-point Chelsea a huge likelihood of being in the top eight and qualifying automatically.

Last season, 11 points were needed to finish in the top 24 and reach the play-off round.

Chelsea are just one point off that mark, heading into their last two games so are well on the way.

The number of points needed to qualify directly for the round of 16 by finishing in top eight last season was 16.

To reach that number again, Chelsea must beat both Pafos and Napoli in a flawless end to their eight-game league phase campaign.