Juventus might be closing in on a place in the Champions League play-off round, but they have yet to reach the finish line.
UEFA introduced a new and expanded format that came into effect last season. Under the new rules, 36 clubs are placed in a unified table, with the first eight advancing directly to the Round of 16.
On the other hand, the clubs that finish between 9th and 24th must go through a play-off round, while the rest are eliminated from Europe altogether.
Juventus paying the price for slow UCL start
Juventus started the campaign on a woeful note, settling for three draws in their first three contests against Borussia Dortmund, Villarreal and Sporting Club, before s**uffering defeat away to Real Madrid**.
Luckily, the team bounced back following Luciano Spalletti’s arrival, earning back-to-back wins over Bodo/Glimt and Pafos, which elevated them to 17th place.
Luciano Spalletti smiling
Luciano Spalletti (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
The Serie A giants will host Jose Mourinho’s Benfica and then travel to Monaco in the final two group-stage matchdays. So, how many points do they still need to secure a place in the play-offs?
As IlBianconero explains, 11 points should be sufficient for clubs to advance to the next stage of the competition. Even 10 could be enough, but this naturally hinges on the other results.
Juventus need two more points to advance to the Champions League knockout stage
At the moment, Juventus have nine points in the bag. Hence, one more win form their two remaining fixtures should do the trick, or even a couple of draws.
On the other hand, the source notes that the Bianconeri are unlikely to secure a place in the Top eight, even if they beat Benfica and Monaco. Another two victories would raise the club’s tally to 15, but based on last season’s results, 16 points were required for direct qualification to the Round of 16.
Nevertheless, Juventus would want to at least finish in the Top 16 in the table, as it would allow them to play the second leg of the play-off round at home.
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Michel Sakr
Michel is a football journalist based in Beirut who has been a die-hard Juventus supporter since 1996. He is a Law graduate and a member of the Beirut Bar Association. In addition to writing for Juve FC, he is also the Head Writer for The Laziali and a Featured Writer on other websites including Stretty News, and The Cult of Calcio.