What do Barcelona need to qualify for Champions League knockouts after Chelsea defeat?

Barcelona are facing an uphill task to qualify for the next round of the Champions League after suffering a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea on Tuesday night at Stamford Bridge.

The result leaves Hansi Flick’s side with seven points from their first five games and knowing they can’t really afford any more slip-ups if they are to progress.

In the new format, the top eight teams qualify automatically for the knockouts, and the teams finishing between ninth and 24th will go on to compete in a two-legged knockout play-off for the chance to join them.

Barcelona now have three games left to play against Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague and FC Copenhagen. Three matches that Hansi Flick’s side would really be expected to win.

We can’t say exactly how many points will be needed to qualify, but we can use last season’s competition as a guide and go from there.

In the 2024-25 campaign, 16 points were enough to finish in the top eight. If Barca were to win their three remaining games then they will finish on 16 points and could potentially go straight through.

If Barca don’t win all three games then they are likely to drop into the play-offs. Last season 11 points were needed to avoid elimination and make it into the play-offs, meaning Barca need just four more to hit that landmark.