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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Paul Philbin

Liverpool set for huge Champions League boost after dramatic improvement

Liverpool fans are dreaming of a potential double this season as we reach the business end of the season.

The Reds are right in the mix of the title race with Manchester City and have a favourable tie in the Champions League quarter-final against Porto to look forward to.

And Champions League football looks almost certain as the Reds need just nine points to secure qualification again.

Like last season, Jurgen Klopp's side are flying in Europe - but the Reds weren't even guaranteed a place in this season's group stages after being forced to battle for their place in the top four.

It wasn't until the final day of the season that Liverpool confirmed a place in the 2018/19 Champions League.

You can try out Premier League results predictor HERE

And as always at this stage of the season, result predictors appear and fans try and work out all of the permutations in the run in.

Luckily, you don't have to worry about this as we have taken a look at when Liverpool can secure Champions League qualification and even what pot they are likely to be in next season.

Champions League Qualification

As long as Liverpool don't suffer a major collapse in the final seven games of the season - Champions League qualification is an inevitability.

The Reds currently sit on 76 points and need to accumulate a maximum of nine points from the 21 available for a spot on Europe's top table for a third consecutive year.

Obviously, Jurgen Klopp's side are hoping for more than just a top-four finish this season - but here's how it stands.

Liverpool

Played: 31

Points: 76

Maximum: 97

Manchester City

Played: 30

Points: 74

Maximum: 98

Patrik Berger on LFC's title chances, Jurgen Klopp and Virgil Van Dijk

Tottenham

Played: 30

Points: 61

Maximum: 85

Jose Mourinho dismisses Liverpool's Champions League chances

Arsenal

Played: 30

Points: 60

Maximum: 84

Xherdan Shaqiri celebrates against Manchester United (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Manchester United

Played: 30

Points: 58

Maximum: 82

Chelsea

Played: 30

Points: 57

Maximum: 81

Champions League 2018/19

Pot one of the Champions League includes the winners of the six leagues, the tournament holders and Europa League winners.

The other three pots are determined by club coefficient rankings.

The scoreboard after the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 First Leg match between FC Porto and Liverpool at Estadio do Dragao on February 14, 2018 (Getty Images)

During this season's group stage draw, Liverpool were in pot three - below Shakhtar Donetsk, Benfica, Napoli and Roma.

The Reds were the top seed in pot three with 62.000 coefficiency points, but that looks set to significantly improve.

Coefficient rankings 2013-2018

1. Real Madrid (162.000)

2. Atletico Madrid (140.000)

3. Bayern Munich (135.000)

4. Barcelona (132.000)

5. Juventus (126.000)

6. Sevilla (113.000)

7. Paris Saint-Germain (109.000)

8. Manchester City (100.000)

9. Arsenal (93.000)

10. Borussia Dortmund (89.000)

Man City handed Premier League title boost in battle with Liverpool

11. Porto (86.000)

12. Manchester United (82.000)

13. Chelsea (82.000)

14. Shakhtar Donetsk (81.000)

15. Benfica (80.000)

16. Zenit Saint Petersburg (78.000)

17. Napoli (78.000)

18. Basel (71.000)

19. Tottenham (67.000)

20. Bayer Leverkusen (66.000)

21. Roma (64.000)

22. Liverpool (62.000)

Champions League 2019/20

UEFA currently has the Reds on 81.000 coefficiency points - ranking 12th in table.

And with another decent run in the Champions League, Liverpool look set to secure a place in at least pot two of next season's competition.

The Netherlands star who helped Gini Wijnaldum reach new levels for Liverpool 

This would mean that last season's runners-up would be more likely to get a favourable draw in next season's competition and avoid a so-called 'group of death' like this season.

A dream scenario would see Liverpool in pot one if they were to win one, or both, of the Premier League and Champions League.

Coefficient rankings 2014-2019

1. Real Madrid (146.000)

2. Barcelona (131.000)

3. Bayern Munich (128.000)

4. Atletico Madrid (127.000)

5. Juventus (123.000)

6. Manchester City (104.000)

7. Sevilla (104.000)

8. Paris Saint-Germain (103.000)

9. Porto (93.000)

10. Arsenal (91.000)

11. Borussia Dortmund (85.000)

12. Liverpool (81.000)

13. AS Roma (81.000)

14. SSC Napoli (80.000)

15. Shakhtar Donetsk (80.000)

16. Manchester United (78.000)

17. Chelsea (77.000)

18. Tottenham Hotspur (72.000)

19. Zenit Saint Petersburg (72.000)

20. Villarreal (68.000)

21. Benfica (66.000)

22. Dynamo Kyiv (65.000)

Man City handed Premier League title boost in battle with Liverpool 

If next season's Champions League draw was to take place tomorrow, then Liverpool would be comfortably in pot two.

Liverpool would move up to 10th as Sevilla are currently outside the top four in La Liga.

However, this could all change depending on how the quarter-final ties play out.

If Manchester United and Tottenham were to progress and Liverpool were to go out - then pot three would be likely for Liverpool - depending on who else qualified for next season's compeition.

Liverpool and Manchester City are going head-to-head in the Premier League title race (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

So a meeting with Barcelona in the semi-final should be what Liverpool are hoping for.

However, if Liverpool were to win the Premier League, then how other teams do wouldn't decide their fate.

How the Champions League pots would look

Pot One (if Liverpool win the league)

Barcelona

Liverpool

Juventus

Bayern Munich

PSG

Zenit Saint Petersburg

Champions League Winner

Europa League winner

If the winners of the Champions League and Europa League won the domestic titles of the top six countries then the Portuguese or Ukrainian champions would enter pot one.

James Milner celebrates scoring the winner against Fulham (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Pot two (if Liverpool don't win either)

Real Madrid

Atletico Madrid

Porto

Arsenal (still in Europa League)

Borussia Dortmund

Liverpool

Napoli (still in Europa League)

Shakhtar Donetsk

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