If Spurs draw, they will definitely still finish in the top eight if no more than three of the nine teams who could then overtake them win. There are also numerous other permutations should Tottenham draw. Should that sequence of results happen but Inter and Juventus both match Tottenham's goal difference, the next two tiebreakers are total goals scored and away goals scored. The same applies if Spurs draw and Real Madrid lose heavily – realistically by a four-goal margin – to Benfica. If that happens AND Liverpool lose, it would need six teams to overtake Tottenham and deny them automatic qualification for the last 16.

Source: BBC January 28, 2026 19:19 UTC