Premier League clubs could secure a fifth Champions League spot if two Italian sides fail to advance further in European competitions.
It has been a mixed season in the Champions League for English sides, with Man City out in the Round of 16 play-offs, Liverpool knocked out earlier this week and only Aston Villa and Arsenal through.
Arsenal drew 2-2 with PSV in their second leg dead rubber having thrashed the Dutch team 7-1 in front of their own stands. Mikel Arteta‘s side will now face 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 Marco Asensio.
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 qualify 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, for a place in the quarter-finals after losing 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 by Greek giants Panathinaikos.
Last year, Bologna and Borussia Dortmund were awarded the extra spots in the Champions League, as Serie A and the Bundesliga outperformed clubs from England, Spain and France, even with Real Madrid’s triumph at Wembley.
However, this season, the Premier League and LaLiga both have a dominant position – considering that Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham feature tonight in the Europa and Conference Leagues.
The Red Devils face a tough Real 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, could still fall to 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, the same as the Champions League.
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 face a tough trip to Bilbao as they face fourth-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.
