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UCL UPDATE: FERMIN LOPEZ INSPIRES 4-2 COMEBACK AS BARCA CLIMB TO NINTH PLACE

Fermin Lopez and Dani Olmo shine as Barcelona secure a crucial 4-2 win, ending Slavia Prague’s European hopes.

UCL Update: Fermin Lopez inspires 4-2 comeback as Barca climb to ninth place
Barcelona secures playoff spot

Robert Lewandowski had a wild night—he found the net for both teams as Barcelona beat Slavia Prague 4-2 in Wednesday’s Champions League clash.

Slavia Prague actually struck first. Vasil Kusej gave the home fans something to dream about early on, but Fermin Lopez showed up with two goals to flip the score in Barcelona’s favour. Then, in a strange twist, Lewandowski accidentally put the ball in his own net, so it was 2-2 at halftime in Prague.

After the break, Barcelona’s quality started to shine. Dani Olmo and then Lewandowski (this time at the right end) both scored, sealing three crucial points as Barca hunt for a knockout spot.

This win bumps the La Liga champs up to ninth in the Champions League standings. They’re sitting on the same points as the teams in sixth, seventh, and eighth. Slavia Prague, though, sits way down in 34th—no chance for the playoffs now.

So, it’s mission accomplished for Hansi Flick, at least on paper. Still, he can’t be happy with the way his team defends. Barcelona looked shaky every time Slavia got a set piece. That’s 13 goals they’ve given up in this season’s Champions League—no other team in the top 15 has let in more.

Barca’s attack is deadly, no question. But if they keep defending like this, stronger teams are going to make them pay.

As for Slavia Prague, their Champions League run ends here—just three points from seven games tells the story. Barcelona, on the other hand, are guaranteed at least a playoff spot. With one game left, they could even finish as high as third, depending on how things play out on January 28.

Some quick numbers from the match: Barcelona had 59% of the ball to Slavia’s 41%. Shots? Barcelona led 20 to 12, and they peppered the goal with 12 on target compared to just 2 for Slavia. Corners were close—5 for Slavia, 4 for Barca. Fouls? Barcelona edged that too, 11 to 9.

Next up, Barcelona turn back to La Liga action and hosts Real Oviedo on Sunday. Slavia Prague are still on winter break, so their next (and last) Champions League group game is away to Pafos FC on January 28.

LEAGUE UPDATE: MAN UNITED’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HOPES BOOSTED BY COEFFICIENT POINTS SURGE

Manchester United move into fourth place as England's dominant UEFA coefficient makes a fifth Champions League spot almost certain.

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Confirmed: Fifth place in PL likely to earn UCL qualification this season

Manchester United just got a real shot in the arm for their Champions League hopes this season. After knocking off Manchester City and Arsenal in back-to-back games, they’ve climbed into fourth place in the Premier League. It’s been a struggle for United to make the Champions League in recent years—their last run was in the 2023/24 season.

These days, finishing in the top four isn’t always enough for Premier League teams. UEFA now hands out extra spots, and it all depends on how clubs from each country perform across the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.

So, how does it work? UEFA takes each league’s overall coefficient score—basically, a measure of how well their teams do in Europe—and divides it by the number of clubs they have in these competitions.

This season, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Newcastle all joined the European fight. Out of those six, only Newcastle had to go through the play-offs; the rest sailed straight into the knockouts.

Now that the Champions League group stage is done, you can really see which countries are in line for those bonus spots next year. Right now, England is out in front with 180,625 points. Germany follows with 107,000. Portugal sits in third with 14,700, and Spain is just behind on 14,375.

Here’s the key thing: the two countries whose teams rack up the best results across all three competitions this season each get a European Performance Spot—an extra Champions League place.

With England leading the pack, even a fifth-place finish in the Premier League could send United back into the Champions League instead of the Europa League. Newcastle took advantage of this last season.

If United hold onto fourth, they’re in. But there’s still a lot of football left. Interim boss Michael Carrick isn’t letting anyone get ahead of themselves—he’s already told his players to stay sharp.

Next up, United face Fulham at Old Trafford. They'll be chasing a third straight win and looking to keep Carrick’s perfect record going since he stepped in for Darren Fletcher.

JUST IN: PEP GUARDIOLA THANKS JOSE MOURINHO AFTER WILD NIGHT OF EUROPEAN DRAMA

Pep Guardiola thanks Jose Mourinho as Benfica’s last-gasp winner against Real Madrid sends City straight into the Last-16.

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Pep Guardiola’s oldest rival just saved City’s season

Pep Guardiola had a smile on his face and a message for Jose Mourinho after his old rival did him a huge favour, helping Manchester City sneak into the Champions League knockout rounds.

City took care of their own business, beating Galatasaray 2-0 at the Etihad. Haaland and Cherki got the goals, but the real drama was happening elsewhere. City’s spot in the last eight still hung in the balance because Real Madrid needed to equalise against Benfica. If they had, Guardiola’s squad would have been bumped into the play-offs instead.

That’s when Benfica’s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, pulled off something wild. He left his box, charged forward for a late free kick, and scored a brilliant goal. Benfica won 4-2. That goal kept Benfica alive in the competition—and, as it turned out, saved City too.

Guardiola admitted he and his players were glued to the screen in the dressing room, completely confused when they saw Trubin running up for that last free kick. “We were all in there, watching, and none of us realised Benfica still needed a goal to qualify,” Guardiola said. “So when their keeper went up, we’re all thinking, ‘What are you doing?’ But Jose knew. It was a smart move. Finishing in the top eight, with how tough the Champions League has become, feels really good for us. Now we can focus on being at our best by March.”

Bernardo Silva didn’t hide how relieved he felt. Skipping those extra play-off games really matters, especially when you’re chasing a quadruple. “A bit of drama, but we did it. We’re very happy because we avoid two more matches,” he said. “With all the injuries we’ve got and the crazy schedule, having those two weeks free to rest, get players back, and focus on the other competitions is huge for us.”

As for Mourinho, he looked proud after Benfica’s wild finish. He’s won this tournament twice before, and he believed his side deserved to stay in. “That was a fantastic goal, a historic moment—almost blew the roof off the stadium,” Mourinho said. “Honestly, for Benfica to beat Real Madrid, that’s massive.”

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