Three Premier League teams are just one win away from the Champions League knockout stages, with qualification possible over the next two days.
The Premier League had a forgettable year on the European stage last time around, having dominated the year prior.
Where there was previously Liverpool and Tottenham competing in the Champions League final and Chelsea and Arsenal battling it out in the Europa League, there wasn’t a single team in either final last time around, with none in the final four of the Champions League.
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They will be looking to put it right, with Man City (Olympiacos, A), Liverpool (Atalanta, H) and Chelsea (Rennes, A) all on the cusp of progressing to the knockout stages, one step closer to glory.
Teams who will directly qualify for knockout stages if they win this weekend:
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Pep Guardiola in particular will be hoping that this year’s Champions League is a successful one for him. His failure to compete on the European stage has been a major (and probably the only) failure in his time at the Etihad.
As for Frank Lampard and Jurgen Klopp, a Champions League run is always the expectation.