The "Supercomputer" has predicted which 6 Premier League teams will advance to the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 or playoff round.
On 28 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Opta, a leading football statistics expert, released the latest knockout stage qualification predictions for the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League ahead of the 8th league phase matches tonight, all kicking off simultaneously at 03:00 GMT+7.
Among the 6 English Premier League teams, only Arsenal has automatically qualified for the Round of 16 after winning all 7 matches and securing a full 21 points. Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Manchester City are all guaranteed at least a playoff spot but still have chances to secure automatic Round of 16 qualification.
Positions 1-8: Automatic qualification to Round of 16
Positions 9-16: Playoff round (seeded teams)
Positions 17-24: Playoff round (unseeded teams)
1st: Arsenal 21 points *qualified
4th: Liverpool 15 points
5th: Tottenham Hotspur 14 points
7th: Newcastle United 13 points
8th: Chelsea 13 points
11th: Manchester City 13 points
Arsenal vs Kairat Almaty
Liverpool vs Qarabağ
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Tottenham Hotspur
Paris Saint-Germain vs Newcastle United
Napoli vs Chelsea
Manchester City vs Galatasaray
Opta's supercomputer predicted the chances for 5 Premier League teams still competing to qualify directly for the Round of 16 or face playoffs. The calculation is based on recent results, standings, upcoming fixtures, and latest team readiness. The probabilities are as follows:
Liverpool - Round of 16: 91.9%, Playoff: 8.1%
Manchester City - Round of 16: 60.7%, Playoff: 39.3%
Tottenham Hotspur - Round of 16: 58.2%, Playoff: 41.8%
Chelsea - Round of 16: 39.4%, Playoff: 60.6%
Newcastle United - Round of 16: 21.3%, Playoff: 78.7%
