Permutations and combinations for Barcelona to finish in the Champions League top eight

Barcelona have a crunch game against Chelsea coming up this evening in the UEFA Champions League .

Having faltered against Olympiacos in the last match, Barcelona find themselves in a difficult situation as they look to break into the top eight, which, at the moment, looks tricky.

In fact, the outcome of the match against Chelsea could determine whether the Catalans secure a direct ticket to the Champions League Round of 16 or are condemned to the treacherous playoff round.

Needless to say, a victory tonight is paramount for Barcelona if they are to still harbour the hopes of breaking into the top eight.

Securing three points in West London would not only bridge the gap to the elite eight but would also set the team up for a favourable run-in.

Following this match, the schedule softens significantly, with fixtures against Eintracht Frankfurt (23rd), Slavia Prague (30th), and Copenhagen (33rd) – two of which will be played at Camp Nou.

Barcelona must win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

If Barça can conquer Chelsea, they will likely only need to hold serve against lower-ranked opposition to hit the magic 19-point mark, a tally that usually guarantees a top-tier finish.

It must also be noted that in this gameweek, some of Barcelona’s direct rivals are facing each other, thus cannibalising points off each other.

Bayern Munich play Arsenal while Inter Milan play Atletico Madrid. Liverpool, meanwhile, are taking on fifth-placed PSG.

At least three of them are guaranteed to drop points, thus making it easier for Barcelona to break into the top eight.

At the same time, though, a slip-up in London complicates the math disastrously. A defeat would leave Barcelona hovering in the playoff zone, where they may face teams such as Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham and Atletico Madrid.