Chelsea Champions League permutations – What's needed to qualify, what each position gets Blues

Chelsea travel to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Wednesday evening to face Napoli in the final league stage fixture of the Champions League, with plenty still to play for ahead of the knockouts

Chelsea are set to play Napoli at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Wednesday evening in their final league-stage fixture of the Champions League.

Liam Rosenior has impressed with the Blues in his short but incredibly sweet tenure with the Blues thus far, stepping up as Enzo Maresca's replacement earlier this month. In the Premier League, the Blues sit fifth in the standings and have been equally as impressive in Europe.

However, plenty rides on the final league-phase fixture in the UCL this week, with peak performance required to ensure that Chelsea have an optimal route to May's final in Hungary. Here, Football.London breaks down how things stand for Chelsea headed into their match with Napoli...

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Where Chelsea stand going into the final matchday

Thanks to wins over Benfica, Ajax, Barcelona, Atalanta and Pafos, a draw with Qarabag, and a single loss to Bayern Munich, Chelsea are in a great place as they prepare for the next round of Europe's premier football competition. At the time of writing, the Blues sit eighth in the standings, as they look for automatic qualification to the round of 16.

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

A win over Napoli could see Chelsea fly as high as third in the Champions League standings and straight into the round of 16, dependent on the results in games concerning Real Madrid, Liverpool, Tottenham, PSG and Newcastle United. Should PSG and Newcastle lose and Chelsea secure a draw, meanwhile, they could drift into sixth, unable to catch fifth-place Spurs on goal difference unless the Lilywhites lose to Eintracht Frankfurt by more than two goals.

However, a loss could prove incredibly detrimental to Chelsea in the grand scheme of things. Should Barcelona, Sporting CP, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, Inter Milan, Juventus and Dortmund win, the Blues could sink as low as 16th. Galatasaray, 17th, and Qarabag, 18th, could also overtake Chelsea if they're somehow able to overturn hefty goal differences.

What each position Chelsea can finish in would mean

Position is vital in this year's instalment of the Champions League, especially for those who secure a top-eight finish in the league standings. The top two teams, likely to be Arsenal and Bayern Munich at present, will hold a home advantage for the second leg of each Champions League knockout clash on the way to the final.

Elsewhere, the top four will see second-leg home advantages in the round of 16 and quarter-finals of this year's instalment of the UCL, meaning Chelsea would play said fixtures at Stamford Bridge they are able to advance slightly.

The top eight will also see a home advantage in second legs against sides stamping their place via the play-off rounds. Should Chelsea slip out of the top eight, then automatic qualification to the round of 16 disappears, leaving the Blues to play another match against a side finishing between ninth and 24th ahead of the knockouts.

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

Should the table remain as is after the final round of fixtures, Chelsea 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

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

When are the next rounds

• Play-off draw: January 30
• Knockout play-offs: February 17-18 and 24-25
• Round of 16: March 10-11 and 17-18
• Quarter-finals: April 7-8 and 14-15
• Semi-finals: April 28-29 and May 5-6
• Final: Saturday, May 30 at Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary