Tottenham Champions League permutations – Criteria to qualify, what each position gets Spurs

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The league phase of the Champions League is set to reach its conclusion on Wednesday evening, and there's plenty riding on Tottenham Hotspur's trip to the Deutsche Bank Park to meet Eintracht Frankfurt

Tottenham Hotspur take on Eintracht Frankfurt at the Deutsche Bank Arena on Wednesday evening in their final league-stage fixture of the Champions League.

Thomas Frank's endeavours in Europe this year have starkly contrasted Spurs' Premier League performances, with the Lilywhites currently languishing in 14th in the English top flight with seven wins, seven draws and nine losses to show for 2025/26.

However, that's not to say that work isn't still needed in the Champions League this week to ensure the smoothest route to May's final at Budapest's Puskas Arena. Here, Football.London breaks down how things stand for Tottenham Hotspur headed into Wednesday's Champions League clash...

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Where Tottenham stand going into the final matchday

As a result of wins over Villarreal, Copenhagen, Slavia Prague and Borussia Dortmund, draws with Bodo/Glimt and Monaco, and a single loss to Paris Saint-Germain, Spurs are in incredibly good stead headed into the next round of the Champions League. At the time of writing, the Lilywhites sit fifth in the European standings, looking likely to automatically qualify for the round of 16.

The lowest and highest places Tottenham can finish in the league standings

A win over Eintracht Frankfurt could see Spurs leap to third in the Champions League standings, should Real Madrid drop points to Benfica and Liverpool manage a loss or a draw in their clash with Qarabag. A draw, meanwhile, could see PSG, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Barcelona, Sporting CP, Atletico Madrid, and Atalanta overtake them outright should they achieve victory.

Meanwhile, Inter Milan and Juventus could also find themselves above the Premier League side with wins if they can overhaul goal difference. A loss for Spurs would also allow Frank's side to be overtaken by Borussia Dortmund - who are currently three points shy. However, the Bundesliga titans would have to make up four goals on the Lilywhites to have a chance of overtaking.

Should Spurs falter to Eintracht Frankfurt, and the above teams secure victory, it could see the club drop to a lowly 16th in the Champions League standings.

What each position Tottenham can finish in would mean

Position is incredibly important in this year's instalment of the Champions League, especially to those who secure a top-eight placement. The top two teams will see a home advantage for the second leg of their Champions League knockout clashes, which looks increasingly likely to be Arsenal and Bayern Munich at the time of writing.

The top four, meanwhile, will see second-leg home advantage in the round of 16 and quarter-final clashes, meaning the club would hold the benefit of playing said fixtures at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium should they advance slightly on their current position.

The top eight places in the league stages will also hold a home advantage in the second legs against sides progressing through the play-off round. Should Spurs slip into ninth or lower, their place in the round of 16 also goes out of the window, and they will be forced to play another match against a team between ninth and 24th to secure their spot.

The list of teams Tottenham can still currently end up facing in the next round

Should the table remain as is after the final round of fixtures, Spurs will face one of the following teams in the round of 16:

Barcelona

Sporting CP

Manchester City

Atletico Madrid

Inter Milan

Atalanta

Juventus

Borussia Dortmund

Galatasaray

Qarabag

Marseille

Bayer Leverkusen

Monaco

PSV Eindhoven

Athletic Club

Olympiakos

However, Napoli, Copenhagen, Club Brugge, Bodo/Glimt, Benfica, Pafos, Union Saint-Gilloise and Ajax could also still qualify for the play-offs. The only sides that are guaranteed to leave the Champions League on Wednesday are Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Villarreal and Kairat.

When are the next rounds