<br><div> <p data-gtm-element-container="modulo-texto-link" class="paragraph">The final classification of the <strong>League Stage</strong> of <strong>Champions League</strong> It has more weight now than ever. <strong>UEFA has more than stepped up its game this season</strong>. This is no longer just the inevitably necessary step to access the playoffs, but the final position that each team occupies once the 8th and final round this Wednesday has played will have a more than decisive influence on the path to the final. With the novelty introduced this year in this sense, finishing as high as possible not only gives the prize of direct access to the round of 16 without going through the playoff, but also allows us to have the home factor in our favor not only in these round of 16, as already happened in the 2024/25 season, but also in the quarter-finals and semi-finals.</p> <span class="content-ad-module "> <span class="content-ad visible-md irr-container hidden-ad"><span class="ad-unit irr"> </span></span><span class="content-html"><span class="intext-md hidden-xs hidden-md"> </span></span></span><span class="content-ad-module "> <span class="content-ad visible-xs roba-container hidden-ad"><span class="ad-unit roba"> </span></span></span><p data-gtm-element-container="modulo-texto-link" class="paragraph">From this season onwards, taking 8th place is not the same as being 3rd or 4th (for example). Each and every one of the top eight places goes straight to the round of 16 and in this round they have the home factor in their favor against one of the teams that qualify for the playoffs, but in the hypothetical case of them surpassing this round now there is a difference. <strong>Last year a draw was held from the quarter-finals onwards and the final classification of the League Stage did not influence the home factor of this draw. Now it's different</strong>. In the quarter-final matches, and also in the subsequent semi-finals, the pitch factor is determined based on the League Stage classification. It's no longer a lottery. In other words, in any match, the first game will be played at the field of the team with the worst classification and the return game will be played at the field that ended the League Phase in the best position. </p> <span class="dynamic-ad-module "/><span class="content-ad-module "> <span class="content-ad visible-xs irr-container hidden-ad"><span class="ad-unit irr"> </span></span><span class="content-html"><span class="intext-xs hidden-xs hidden-md"/></span></span> <figure class="composite-image image-container " data-gtm-element-container="button-gallery"> <div class="picture-wrapper"> <picture> <source media="(min-width: 638px)" data-srcset="https://www.mundodeportivo.com/files/content_image_desktop_filter/files/fp/uploads/2025/08/30/68b29347702d5.r_d.5503-2814.jpeg" width="544" height="363"> <source media="(min-width: 480px)" data-srcset="https://www.mundodeportivo.com/files/content_image_intermediate_filter/files/fp/uploads/2025/08/30/68b29347702d5.r_d.5503-2814.jpeg" width="607" height="405"> </source></source></picture><span class="visible-md inimage-container "><span class="ad-unit inimage"> </span></span><span class="visible-xs inimage-container "><span class="ad-unit inimage"> </span></span> </div> <figcaption class="figure-caption"> <p class="caption-title ">The final classification of the League Stage of the Champions League has much more weight this year than in the past</p> <span class="caption-author ">SHOVEL</span> </figcaption> </figure> <p data-gtm-element-container="modulo-texto-link" class="paragraph">For practical purposes, the direct consequence of this new addition to the current season is that <strong>The best placed team in the League Phase knows that they will always play the second leg at home, as they surpass the playoffs</strong>. The same happens with the second, as it is also stipulated that they pass through different parts of the painting. From the third, fourth, fifth and subsequent games onwards, they know that they will play the second leg at home whenever they face teams that are in a lower position in the League Stage standings. </p> <span class="dynamic-ad-module "/><span class="content-ad-module "> <span class="content-ad visible-xs roba-container hidden-ad"><span class="ad-unit roba"> </span></span></span><span class="content-related content-border related-double " data-gtm-element-container="modulo-noticias-relacionadas"> <span class="module-supra-title"> <span>Also read</span></span> <span class="related-double-module-container "> </span><span class="related-double-module-container "> </span></span><p data-gtm-element-container="modulo-texto-link" class="paragraph">As for the Spanish teams, <strong>Barcelona</strong>, <strong>Real Madrid</strong> Yes <strong>Atlético Madrid</strong> They have the chance to enter the Top-8 this Wednesday, but based on everything that has been explained, they will not only seek to fulfill this objective, which is the main one, but will also look with suspicion at the final classification to know which teams will take advantage of the field factor in the playoffs and which teams will not. It can also be applied to <strong>Athletic</strong>although in his case he reaches this last day without options to access the Top-8 and is thinking about accessing the playoff to continue in the competition.</p> <span class="dynamic-ad-module "/> </div><script type="script/gg"> gg.didomi.doWhenConsent(!window.didomiBypass, 'c:facebooka-frU9M5JY', function () { console.log('facebook-ad-def'); !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '682047071976590'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); }); </script>