There is only one round of matches remaining in the league phase of this season’s UEFA Champions League (UCL), and the stakes remain high with qualification still wide open for the vast majority of the teams.Some of Europe’s top clubs remain on red alert going into the final round of matches as teams seek to bypass the playoff stage and qualify directly for the last 16.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listA number of other teams, though, including past winners and current league champions from around the continent, are dreading the reality of an early exit.Al Jazeera Sport takes a close look at who needs what from the final match day in the league phase to stay alive in the UCL.How is Champions League qualification from the league phase decided?Of the 36 teams competing in the first round of this season’s Champions League, the top eight teams from the league phase will qualify directly for the last 16.The following 16 teams in the table will be sent to the playoff stage, where the teams will play two-legged ties with each aggregate winner joining the eight automatic qualifiers in the next round of the knockout stage.The bottom eight teams at the end of the league phase will be eliminated from all European competition this season. In the old format, teams finishing third in the group stages would be offered the comfort of being relegated to the knockout rounds of the UEFA Europa League.Who has already qualified for the last 16 of the Champions Lea …
