At the Emirates Stadium on 5/5, Atletico lost to Arsenal 0-1 in the second leg, resulting in a 1-2 aggregate defeat and elimination from the Champions League semifinals. This result halted La Liga's progress on the UEFA seasonal coefficient table, leaving them in second place with 21,781 points. La Liga risks losing this position if the Bundesliga, currently third with 21,214 points, improves its performance.
The Bundesliga holds a significant advantage with two remaining representatives: Bayern in the Champions League and Freiburg in the Europa League. Bayern faces PSG in the Champions League semifinal second leg (first leg 4-5), while Freiburg plays Braga in the Europa League semifinal second leg (1-2). If both German teams win their return legs and reach the finals, the Bundesliga will ascend to second place with 22,143 points.
 |
Saka (red shirt) scored to help Arsenal beat Atletico 1-0 in the Champions League semifinal second leg on 5/5 at the Emirates Stadium. Photo: *Arsenal*. |
La Liga now has only one representative left in European competition: Rayo Vallecano, who faces Strasbourg in the Conference League semifinal second leg (1-0). However, even if Rayo Vallecano wins and reaches the final, La Liga would only accumulate 22,094 points.
With 27,125 points, the Premier League has already secured the top spot.
Under UEFA regulations, the top two leagues in the seasonal coefficient table are granted five berths in the subsequent Champions League season. Leagues that have benefited from this rule since its implementation include Serie A and the Bundesliga in the 2024-2025 season, as well as the Premier League and La Liga in the 2025-2026 season. Notably, the Premier League will send six teams in the 2025-2026 season due to Tottenham winning the 2024-2025 Europa League.
La Liga's precarious position on the coefficient table is concerning news for Betis. Antony and his teammates currently hold fifth place in La Liga with 53 points, six points ahead of sixth-placed Celta Vigo with four rounds remaining.
Meanwhile, the race for a top 5 spot in the Bundesliga is more intense. Fourth-placed Leverkusen, fifth-placed Stuttgart, and sixth-placed Hoffenheim all share 58 points with two rounds remaining.
By Thanh Quy (Source: Marca)
