Champions League live updates, scores: Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City cruising; Barcelona, Chelsea behind at halftime of Matchday 8 – Charm

The final matchday of the opening phase of the Champions League has arrived Wednesday with all 36 teams in action at the same time beginning at 3 p.m. ET.

Only two teams — Arsenal and Bayern Munich — have achieved automatic qualification for the Round of 16 and will be seeded when those matches take place in March. Meanwhile, 13 clubs have guaranteed themselves at least a spot in the knockout phase playoffs scheduled for February. Twenty-four clubs in total will advance with eight clubs joining Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Villarreal and Kairat Almaty as exiting the competition after Wednesday.

Real Madrid, Liverpool, Tottenham, PSG, Newcastle and Chelsea are among the clubs with the ability to earn a Round of 16 place following Matchday 8, but it’s a very tight table. From third place Real Madrid to 16th place Borussia Dortmund is only a separation of four points.

There is a lot on the line when it comes to trying to earn a seeded place in the next round — whether that’s the Round of 16 or the two-legged knockout playoff phase.