Premier league

Another factor that will benefit Scotland from next season is that the country’s disastrous 2017/18 European campaign will be disregarded. Coefficient rankings are calculated in 5-year cycles so the Gers’ shock exit to Progres Niederkorn and Celtic’s disappointing Champions League performance will no longer count against the score.

Press the next page as we count down the five British clubs who have won the most games in the Champions League.

Liverpool were unusually disjointed and sloppy in the opening exchanges, but Jurgen Klopp‘s half-time team talk and Luis Diaz‘s introduction turned the second leg around.

With City and Liverpool both into the quarter-finals of the Champions League, both do have a great chance of going all the way this season. After losing in the final against Chelsea last campaign, though, there will be extra motivation for Pep Guardiola’s side.

The Yellow Submarine held out for the first 45 minutes against Jurgen Klopp‘s men, but the Reds struck through Sadio Mane and a Pervis Estupinan own goal to take a 2-0 lead into the second leg.

Villarreal’s Geronimo Rulli & Raul Albiol, Benfica duo Gilberto and Darwin Nunez as well as Bayern Munich’s Lucas Hernandez & Kingsley Coman were selected too. Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema completed the lineup, having scored four goals over two legs versus Chelsea.

The 2020 final was moved from Istanbul to Lisbon, while the 2021 event (where City played Chelsea) was originally set to be hosted in St Petersburg before being switched to Porto.

“Mason is combining well with Timo up front which allows them that time in midfield when the ball turns over. They didn’t give Real Madrid a minute and it was an elite showing of how to press a world-class team.”

Crouch does not rule out reigning champions Chelsea either but he is less convinced about their chances of making it all the way to St Petersburg:

“There are players that you need in these games and it will be decided depending on who is [available] because the level is very even. This Madrid is almost the same as last season, but it has been reinforced with [David] Alaba and the best Vinicius. But regardless of everything, I’m going with Chelsea.”