Champions League seat battle: 17 teams take the lead in breaking out

With Athletic Bilbao defeating Getafe 2-0 away in the 36th round of La Liga, 17 places have been confirmed in the 2024-25 Champions League. This victory not only allowed the Basque Lions to return to the Champions League stage after 11 years, but also marked the initial formation of the competitive landscape in the new season of European football.

The currently determined teams include:

England: Liverpool (to be determined 4 seats)

Spain: Barcelona, ​​Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Bilbao (to be determined 1 seat)

Italy: Naples, Inter Milan, Atlanta

Germany: Bayern, Leverkusen

France: Paris, Marseille, Monaco

Netherlands: Ajax, Eindhoven

Czech Republic: Slavia, Prague

Greece: Olympiacos

It is particularly worth mentioning that since both sides of the Champions League final this season have qualified through the league, according to UEFA regulations, the direct pass of the championship will be postponed to the league champion Olympiacos, who has the highest points in the European Championship.

In the competition for the remaining seats, the last place in La Liga will be between Villarreal and Real Betis, and there are 4 seats in the Premier League waiting for 6 teams including Arsenal and Newcastle United to compete. In addition, the sixth place in the Premier League between Manchester United and Tottenham will determine the ownership of the last UEFA Cup qualification.

The Champions League this season has shown two major characteristics: First, the five major leagues continue to maintain their dominance, occupying a total of 15 seats; Second, the number of teams in small and medium-sized leagues has increased, reflecting the effectiveness of UEFA's support policy. As the qualifying round progresses, the final list of the top 32 will be confirmed by the end of August.