What Arsenal need to do to avoid Champions League playoff after Atalanta setback
Arsenal earned a point in their Champions League opener as the first matchday of the new-look competition drew to a close. The Gunners went to Bergamo to take on reigning Europa League champions Atalanta.
David Raya’s second-half heroics kept Gian Piero Gasperini’s side at bay in a 0-0 draw after making a superb double save – initially saving Mateo Retegui’s spot-kick. The Spaniard guessed the right way, after Thomas Partey fouled Ederson, before he was on hand to claw away the 25-year-old’s rebound.
As a result of the stalemate, Arsenal sit in 17th after the first outing in the elite European competition. Liverpool and Celtic got off to winning ways in the group stages after triumphs over AC Milan and Slovan Bratislava, respectively. Manchester City, who the Gunners play on Sunday, earned a point as they were held at home by Inter Milan.
Opta tasked its supercomputer to ascertain what would be the total points required to progress into the next phase of the new-look Champions League. It has been suggested that 16 points, from a possible 24, would be enough to finish in the top-eight, either five wins and a draw or four triumphs and as many draws.
Meanwhile, the results found that 15 points would be enough in 78 per cent of their simulations, with 14 points managing progression in a mere 28 percent – which could be unlikely to ensure avoiding playoffs.
In order to avoid two extra matches, teams need to finish in the top eight of the 36-team league. Should a club fail to break into automatic qualification places, they will face teams between 17 and 24 with nine to 16th seeded in the play-off draw.
The supercomputer found that Arsenal finished in the top eight most often, after 60,000 simulations from Opta. Mikel Arteta’s side face one of the toughest schedules as they take on the likes of three of Europe’s league winners in Paris Saint-Germain, Inter and Sporting CP.
Brendan Rodgers’ side were among the big winners from matchday one with Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen on the right side of emphatic results.
