As the league stage of the Champions League ends with all 36 teams playing at the same time, here is the standings of all five teams in La Liga. The top eight will automatically advance to the Round of 16, while the 9th to 24th places will face each other in the play-off round.
Real Madrid: 3rd place, 15 points, Benfica (A)
Real Madrid know a win will put them at least third in the top eight, and secure a place in the Round of 16. Three points could move Los Blancos into second place if Bayern Munich lose, while Liverpool are unlikely to overturn their five-goal deficit to move them into fourth. Should Los Blancos lose or struggle, that opens the door to nine possible teams to leapfrog, although their +11 goal difference means the draw is unlikely to be a disaster.
Alvaro Arbeloa will be keen to see his side feature in the top four, but defend the second legs at the Bernabeu until at least the semi-finals. Benfica (at the age of 29) must win to keep alive their hopes of qualifying, relying on other results in front of them.
Barcelona: 9th place, 13 points, Copenhagen (H)
Chances are a win alone will be enough for Barcelona to finish in 8th place. Barcelona are equal on 13 points with eight other teams, and should be better or match the results of the five teams below them, knowing that one of Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United will drop points against each other. They can overtake Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool or Real Madrid with three points, although those teams will have to lose.
🚨 OFFICIAL: Team. [@FCBarcelona] pic.twitter.com/9LPbqieHDJ
– barcacentre (@barcacentre) January 28, 2026
If they can draw, chances are that the Blaugrana will enter the play-offs. They will be relying on 8 sides to drop points to get into the Round of 16, and defeat would be a logical decision. They are ready to enter the play-off round. Copenhagen (26), probably needs a win to qualify for the play-offs.
Atletico Madrid: 12th place, 13 points, Bodo/Glimt (H)
Atletico Madrid have an approximate 50-50 chance of entering the top 8 with a win. They must take the three points and hope that the four sides above them drop points, although at least one of PSG and Newcastle are guaranteed to do so. Los Colchoneros have the second-lowest goal difference (+3) of any of the eight sides with 13 points, and thus should win comfortably to dramatically increase their chances of qualification.
The Convocatoria. 🔴⚪ pic.twitter.com/6RbTLaQznc
РAtl̩tico de Madrid (@Atleti) January 28, 2026
If they draw, Atletico will need five sides above them to lose, and are in danger of being overtaken by five sides below them. Defeat means they will go into the play-offs, which they are ready for. Their highest position is 3rd, their lowest position is 18th. Bodo/Glimt (28 years old) must win to hope to enter the play-off rounds.
Six of the top eight spots are up for grabs 🤯#UCL pic.twitter.com/5ddpSxLhGA
– UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 28, 2026
Athletic Club: 23rd, 8 points, Sporting CP (H)
Athletic Club knows that they may need a win to qualify for the play-offs, but even so, they need a goal difference (-4) to be better than two of the eight teams and with eight points at the moment. Their chances of qualifying with a victory are high, and their highest position is 16th, and their lowest is 32nd. They will be missing Nico Williams, who appeared to be uninjured.
If Los Leones are cheated, it is possible that they will be eliminated as it will open the opportunity for four teams to pass it with a draw, while nine teams will pass it with a win. A loss is almost guaranteed to be eliminated, as just two of Olympiakos, Napoli, Copenhagen and Club Brugge will need a point to go through. Sporting CP (10th) know that a win gives them a strong chance of finishing in the top 8, while a draw is unlikely to be good enough. They have already qualified for the play-offs.
Villarreal: 35th, 1 point, Bayer Leverkusen (A)
Yellow Submarine is the only Spanish team that failed to qualify, with one point from their seven games. Villarreal travel to Leverkusen, knowing that their highest finish is 33rd, and that if they lose or draw, Kairat Almaty can sink them with a better result. Leverkusen (20) are fighting for their place in the play-offs, and need a win to secure their place. A draw would be good enough, as they could lose, but it opens up the possibility for teams to reach the 32nd spot to usurp them if they don’t take the points.
