English clubs face a crucial evening of Champions League action as the league phase reaches its dramatic conclusion tonight.
Liverpool have already secured their place in the last 16, with Arsenal expected to join them.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa sit ninth and are locked in a tight battle with five other teams on 13 points for automatic qualification.
Manchester City must defeat Club Brugge to climb from 25th place into the playoff positions, which will be drawn on Friday.
Aston Villa currently occupy ninth position, sitting just outside the automatic qualification spots for the round of 16.
They are one of six teams level on 13 points, making tonight’s matches pivotal for their hopes of securing a top-eight finish.
City face a more pressing challenge, needing victory against Club Brugge to move up from their current 25th position.
Only the top 24 teams will progress to either automatic qualification or the playoffs, making City’s clash with Brugge a must-win encounter.
The Champions League playoffs will feature teams finishing between ninth and 24th place in two-legged ties.
Teams finishing ninth to 16th will be seeded for the playoff draw.
Liverpool are already through
PA
The matchups are predetermined based on final positions, with 24th playing ninth, 23rd facing 10th, and so on through to 16th versus 17th.
The higher-ranked team in each tie will play their second leg at home.
Teams could face opponents they’ve already met this season, with potential all-Premier League clashes possible.
The Champions League playoff draw will take place at 11am GMT on Friday at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.
A full draw will be conducted with teams placed into eight separate bowls, with each club represented by a ball.
The draw will also map out the entire route to the final for all qualifying teams.
Both Aston Villa and Manchester City could face any of the other 15 playoff teams, with no restrictions on potential opponents.
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The playoff matches will be played across two weeks in February.
Each team will play one match on a Tuesday and one on a Wednesday during the two-legged ties.
The first legs are scheduled for February 11 or 12.
Return matches will take place on February 18 or 19.
The exact dates and kickoff times for individual fixtures will be confirmed on the day of Friday’s draw.