The Premier League's strength: 5 English clubs directly advance to the Champions League last 16; Newcastle draws Monaco/Karabakh

After the conclusion of all eight rounds of the Champions League group stage, the eight teams moving straight to the round of 16 have been decided, with the Premier League contributing five clubs:Arsenal in first, Liverpool in third, Tottenham in fourth, Chelsea in sixth, and Manchester City in eighth— an overwhelming dominance. The Bundesliga and La Liga each have only one representative, Bayern in second and Barcelona in fifth. Serie A and Ligue 1 have no teams qualifying directly, while the remaining team is Sporting CP from the Portuguese league, ranked seventh.

Since Tottenham won last season’s Europa League but finished outside the Premier League’s top five, six English teams are competing in this season’s Champions League. Among them, five secured top-eight group finishes. Newcastle performed the worst, drawing 1-1 away against defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in the final round, with both teams missing out on direct qualification to the last 16.

Newcastle ultimately placed twelfth in the Champions League group stage. According to the knockout playoff draw rules, their possible opponents are either Monaco from Ligue 1 or Karabakh from Azerbaijan. Given the current strength of Premier League clubs, Newcastle is unfazed by either opponent. As a seeded team, Newcastle also enjoys the advantage of playing away first and home second, meaning this season the Premier League could see six teams reach the Champions League last 16.

The Premier League is becoming increasingly lucrative, its clubs’ purchasing power is growing year after year, and Premier League teams are finding the Champions League easier to compete in than their domestic league...