The league phases of all three European competitions are over and we’re beginning to get a transparent image of which nations may get an additional Champions League place subsequent season.
The 2 nations which carry out finest throughout the three competitions this season will likely be handed European Efficiency Spots (EPS).
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Meaning fifth place within the Premier League desk may go from being a Europa League place to a ticket into the Champions League – Newcastle benefited this fashion final season.
However will an English membership get that reward once more?
How do European Efficiency Spots work?
To work out who’re the profitable nations, Uefa takes into consideration the general efficiency of golf equipment within the Champions League, Europa League and Convention League.
It creates a median by taking the entire coefficient rating and dividing it by the variety of golf equipment every league has in European competitors. The highest two within the desk get an additional place within the Champions League.
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Every win – whatever the competitors – is price two coefficient factors, with a draw price one.
The important thing differential is in bonus factors awarded primarily based on golf equipment’ ending positions within the league part and knockout rounds, as these are a lot larger within the Champions League.
By the use of an instance, the groups that end Twenty fifth-Thirty sixth within the Champions League bought six bonus factors – regardless that they had been eradicated.
But the staff who completed prime of the Convention League desk – Strasbourg – obtained simply 4 factors.
This implies it’s nearly sure that one of many prime European leagues will get the additional locations every season as they’ve extra golf equipment within the Champions League.
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With all bonus factors now dished out, the desk is taking form.
What does the desk seem like?
This is what it means after the tip of the primary stage of the Champions League and the Europa League this week.
ENGLAND
England is the one nation to nonetheless have all groups energetic – and there are 9 of them.
Will probably be very exhausting for England to throw it away after bagging 72.50 bonus factors from the Champions League last placings.
However nothing must be utterly taken as a right, as England appeared destined to get an EPS slot in 2023-24 solely to undergo a horrible set of leads to the quarter-finals.
Whereas it may appear optimistic that each one however three English golf equipment made it straight via to the spherical of 16, there’s a twist.
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The rival leagues even have a number of groups within the knockout play-off rounds, and people golf equipment can rating factors by profitable these two-leg ties and decide up a bonus for reaching the spherical of 16.
As an image of how far England is forward, Portuguese golf equipment are successfully 11 wins behind, for German sides it’s 17 wins. Then for the Italian groups it’s 19 victories and for the Spanish golf equipment 22.
PORTUGAL
Portugal didn’t appear to actually stand a practical likelihood of constructing the highest two as quickly as Santa Clara had been knocked out out of the Convention League within the qualifying rounds.
Nonetheless, they keep on with 4 groups energetic however will want all to go very deep to have any likelihood.
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Solely Benfica can add some coefficient factors in February so they’re more likely to drop down from second once more.
GERMANY
Solely Eintracht Frankfurt have been eradicated, so the Bundesliga is nicely positioned to take an EPS slot alongside England.
Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart may decide up extra coefficient factors within the play-off rounds.
SPAIN
With eight groups in Europe, Spain wanted to have a robust marketing campaign.
Probabilities had been severely broken by Villarreal’s Champions League elimination. And Athletic Membership adopted them out of the competitors on Wednesday, too.
Whereas Spain have six groups nonetheless energetic, every win is price much less to the coefficient than these of their rivals for second place.
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La Liga does have three groups in motion in February: Atletico Madrid, Actual Madrid and Celtic Vigo.
ITALY
Serie A had a gradual begin however stays in rivalry regardless of dropping Napoli from the Champions League.
Atalanta, Bologna, Fiorentina, Inter Milan and Juventus may all add to the tally within the knockout play-offs so the league is one to observe.
POLAND
It’s going to come as a shock to many to search out Poland so excessive up within the desk, and that it was within the prime two for some time. However Poland won’t be right here for lengthy.
All 4 of the nation’s groups have been taking part in within the Convention League, whereas over a 3rd of its factors had been picked up within the qualifying rounds.
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With Legia Warsaw eradicated and no bonus factors on the way in which from the Europa League, Poland will drop additional on Thursday.
FRANCE
It has been a disappointing season for Ligue 1 groups, beginning with Good’s failure to make it via Champions League qualifying.
It has not bought significantly better from there for Good, as they’ve now been eradicated from the Europa League.
Lille, Monaco and Paris St-Germain will function in play-offs however France has develop into an outsider for an additional place.
GREECE
Greece nonetheless has 4 groups energetic however is a great distance behind the highest two slots.
Nonetheless, all of its groups will play in February to spice up the rating.
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CYPRUS
One other shock title on the checklist, boosted by Pafos reaching the Champions League for the primary time.
However with solely two groups nonetheless energetic, and each within the Convention League, Cyprus shouldn’t be a contender.
DENMARK
Solely FC Midtjylland stay, so Denmark might be discounted too.
What are the important thing future dates?
Final season, the Premier League’s additional place within the Champions League was confirmed on 8 April.
Such has been the excessive stage of English golf equipment’ efficiency within the prime competitors this season that it may come earlier this time.
Listed here are some key dates for the diary:
30 January: The draw takes place for the knockout play-offs of the Champions League and Europa League. The ties will likely be influential as factors might be added to the coefficient rating.
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24-26 February: Knockout play-off spherical second legs are performed for all three competitions which is able to end in 24 extra groups being eradicated.
27 February: Attracts are held to position the highest eight groups in every competitors into the knockout bracket. This is essential because it creates the total path and determines every league’s most coefficient rating. It units out potential conferences of golf equipment from the identical league, or rival leagues for an additional Champions League place.
17-19 March: Second-leg ties for the spherical of 16 happen in every competitors, with one other 24 groups knocked out.
14-16 April: Quarter-final ties are accomplished. It’s potential that the additional locations will likely be confirmed.
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5-7 Might: Semi-final second legs happen, with the finals being held on the finish of the month.
How does the Premier League race for Champions League locations look?
Premier League leaders Arsenal (50 factors) are 4 factors forward of each Manchester Metropolis (46) and Aston Villa (46) – with these three groups nicely away from the remainder.
Manchester United (38) are at the moment fourth and, proper now, the additional place within the Champions League would go to fifth-placed Chelsea (37).
Nonetheless, there are simply 4 factors between Chelsea and Eleventh-placed Sunderland – so we may find yourself with a race for the prize of ending fifth.
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This text is the most recent from BBC Sport’s staff.