"The defending champs of both the Eredivisie and Serie A didn't make the playoffs -- they were eliminated from the league phase, as were two clubs from LaLiga, another Dutch club, a German club, and a French club. Both finalists from last year's Champions League, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, didn't do well enough in the league phase to skip straight ahead to the round of 16, so they are in the playoffs, and so too are Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, and Juventus."
"Arsenal finished first in the league phase of the Champions League, winning eight of eight matches. Liverpool finished third, Tottenham Hotspur fourth, Chelsea sixth, and Manchester City eighth. Put another way, here's where the eight clubs who earned a bye to the round of 16 come from: * Germany: 1 * Spain: 1 * Portugal: 1 * England: 5"
"What's even more striking: four of the five Premier League sides to finish in the top eight averaged more points per game in the Champions League than they do in their domestic league. Liverpool are sixth in England, third in Europe. Tottenham just fired their manager, they're five points clear of the relegation places in England, and they finished fourth in the first stage of the tournament that theoretically features all of the best teams in the world."
When the Champions League playoff round begins only Newcastle United represents the Premier League, traveling to Baku to face Qarabag FK. Many notable domestic champions and top clubs were eliminated in the league phase, including defending Eredivisie and Serie A winners, two LaLiga clubs, another Dutch club, a German club, and a French club. Both last season's finalists, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, finished poorly enough to enter the playoffs alongside Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, and Juventus. Arsenal topped the league phase with eight wins; five English clubs earned byes to the round of 16. Several Premier League teams averaged more Champions League points per game than in domestic competition.
Read at ESPN.com
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