A Look at What Happens to 5th Placed PL Side if Man City Win Champions League

• Manchester City have a solid chance of winning the club’s first-ever Champions League title
• They, however, have to get past Real Madrid after a 1-1 draw in the first leg
• Despite already qualifying for the Champions League next season, City’s triumph in the competition this campaign will not affect the fifth-placed team in the Premier League

The likes of Newcastle United, Manchester United and Liverpool will have to be at their best to avoid a last-minute collapse in their quest for Champions League qualification.

This is because the fifth-placed team will not be at any advantage even if Manchester City wins the 2022/2023 Champions League.

Pep Guardiola’s side is surely among the favourites as they prepare to take on Real Madrid at the Etihad next week, after an enticing first leg ended in a 1-1 draw, albeit through controversial circumstances.

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Should they get past Los Blancos, Manchester City will come up against one of the Milan giants, who are participating in the other semi final.

Inter Milan put one foot in the final thanks to a 2-0 first leg win at the expense of Milan.

What happens if City wins UCL?

As reported on The Mirror, should City, who have already qualified for the Champions League, win the competition, the fifth place Premier League side will remain unaffected.

Champions League winners automatically qualify for the next season’s competition as defending champions. Before, that would typically leave a slot open for another team to gain qualification if the said winner finished the league season in a Champions League spot.

But the spare qualification slot, should City win the competition, will go to the winners of the highest-ranked national league in the UEFA Coefficient without an automatic group-stage qualifying spot.

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What this means is Ukraine’s Premier League champion, likely to be Shakhtar Donetsk this season, will automatically qualify for the Champions League, instead of having to go through the grueling playoffs.

Can 5 teams from same nation qualify?

Of course, it is still possible for a country to have more than five participants in the competition next season.

But that would require a unique case where the winner of the Champions League comes outside the top four domestically.

In the Premier League, that is impossible as Manchester City are going for the treble and are certain to finish in either first or second place.

Guardiola’s plea to Messi

Sports Brief also reported on Pep Guardiola’s subtle plea to Lionel Messi amid reports of the Argentine’s exit from PSG.

Guardiola and Messi spent four successful years together at Barcelona, winning 14 trophies including two UEFA Champions League titles - the last time the Spanish manager conquered Europe.

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La Blaugrana are said to be interested in bringing their superstar back, and Guardiola believes Messi should make a return to be given a proper send off when he retires.