Champions League: remaining program & prospects of the German clubs

Bayern have an away game in Germany in the Champions League. The other representatives from the Bundesliga have home games, but things look bleak for RB Leipzig.

There are still three matchdays left in the reformed Champions League. According to the current status, the German teams would be Borussia Dortmund (4.) and Bayer Leverkusen (6th) qualified directly for the round of 16. The FC Bayern Munich (13th) would have the opportunity to move into the round of 16 in an intermediate round. With the VfB Stuttgart (27.) and RB Leipzig (34th) two clubs would have been eliminated from the European Cup because there is no longer any “relegation” to the Europa League.

However, the new format means that just one match day can shake things up. With three games left per team, a lot is still possible.

The group phase lasts until the end of January

As a reminder: The first eight teams in the table move straight into the round of 16. The teams in places nine to 24 will play the other participants in the home and away games. The teams will be seeded from ninth to 16th in the draw. They have home advantage in the second leg, which is considered an advantage and is statistically proven as such.

For the teams in places 25 to 36, the 2024/25 Champions League is over after the last matchday on January 29th, when 18 games will be played in parallel.

Borussia Dortmund (4th place, 12 points, 16:6 goals)

After the victory in Zagreb, Borussia Dortmund has the best chance of reaching the knockout rounds, even if they now face FC Barcelona with coach Hansi Flick and former BVB star striker Robert Lewandowski, who are tied for third place. But further victories seem possible, especially at FC Bologna and against Shakhtar Donetsk.

Bayer Leverkusen (6th place, 10 points, 11:5 goals)

The German champions Bayer Leverkusen still have two home games and should therefore have no trouble at least getting into the top 24 teams after their clear win against Salzburg. However, there are really big chunks waiting for Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid in the next two games.

FC Bayern Munich (13th place, 9 points, 12:7 goals)

defeats Aston Villa and FC Barcelona have put FC Bayern under pressure. Three more wins are probably needed to qualify directly – the success against PSG was a start. Now we continue with an away game that is not a real one. Because of the Russian war of aggression against their home country Ukraine, Shakhtar Donetsk plays its home games in Gelsenkirchen.

The FC Bayern fan scene initially called for a boycott of the game due to extremely high ticket prices. However, an agreement was reached so that the German record champions can rely on the usual support.

VfB Stuttgart (27th place, 4 points, 4:11 goals)

The remaining program gives VfB Stuttgart every opportunity to make it into the top 24 teams and thus into the playoffs, despite the heavy defeats in Belgrade. The two upcoming opponents do not yet have a point to their name. Red Star Belgrade also had that before the meeting with VfB.

RB Leipzig (34th place, 0 points, 4:10 goals)

The defeat at Inter Milan makes it extremely difficult for RB Leipzig to have a chance of reaching the round of 16. Three wins from the remaining three games are the basic requirement for a bit of hope. First up is a home game against Aston Villa. The sixth-placed club in the English Premier League is currently in ninth place in the Champions League and has legitimate hopes of qualifying directly.