How Man Utd and Newcastle risk costing Premier League extra Champions League place in revamped competition
MANCHESTER UNITED and Newcastle risk costing the Premier League an extra Champions League place in next season’s revamped competition.
That’s due to their poor performances this term, with both sides bottom of their respective groups.
The Champions League will expand by four teams to 36 clubs in 2024 while also ditching groups for one giant table.
The top eight teams will go straight through to the knockout rounds, with the next 16 sides playing a winner-takes-all tie.
Two of the new four spots created will be handed to the top two performing European leagues.
And as it stands, the Premier League is lagging behind counterparts from across the continent.
Newcastle and Man United’s shoddy performances have resulted in both teams propping up their groups.
As a result, the Premier League is currently ranked fourth in Europe — despite being in the top two for six of the previous seven seasons.
Spain’s LaLiga is third in the table right now.
And the current top two leagues are Germany’s Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A.
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It means they are currently on course to each get five representatives in next season’s competition.
But things can change quickly if United and Newcastle get their act together.
Both sides are still capable of progressing to the last 16 of this term’s tournament.
However, to ensure their progress, the English giants likely need to win both of their remaining group fixtures.
Man United face tough games against Galatasaray and Bayern Munich, having already lost to both sides.
As for Newcastle, they must get the better of AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.
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