Do Celtic qualify for Champions League knockout stage if they beat Club Brugge? What Celtic must do to make UCL last 16

Celtic’s famous 3-1 win over RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Tuesday now puts them within touching distance of the knockout stage after a famous night in Glasgow’s east end.

Despite going behind to a Christoph Baumgartner header early on, a stunning first half-brace from Nicolas Kuhn, followed by Reo Hatate’s clinching goal in the 72nd minute ensured Brendan Rodgers’ side made it two home wins from two in the League Phase.

The mammoth victory added to their battling point against Atalanta in their last Champions League outing, where Rodgers’ side ground-out a 0-0 draw in Italy to move onto four points from their opening three games. With seven points now won from their opening four Champions League games, Celtic have moved into 13th place in the table.

As for their Bundesliga opponents, they have now suffered four consecutive defeats after losing to Liverpool, Juventus, Atletico Madrid and now Celtic to leave them on the verge of an early exit from Europe elite’s competition.

With another home game to come this month against Club Brugge on November 27, Celtic are in a strong position to quality for the last 16 of the competition for the first time since 2012/13. But how do they secure their place in the knockouts?

Here’s what they must do to secure qualification to the knockout stages ahead of tonight’s game:

The UEFA Champions League trophy visits Celtic Park. Cr: SNS Group. | SNS Group

Have Celtic qualified for the Champions League knockout stage?

No, as it stands, Celtic have not qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League. From their first four games played, they have beaten Slovan Bratislava 5-1 and RB Leipzig 3-1, drew 0-0 with Atalanta and lose 7-1 to Borussia Dortmund. They are in currently in 13th position on seven points.

Celtic’s remaining Champions League fixtures

Nov 27: Club Brugge (H) - 8pm

Dec 10: Dinamo Zagreb (A) - 5.45pm

Jan 22: Young Boys (H) - 8pm

Jan 29: Aston Villa (A) - 8pm

Will Celtic qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League if they beat Club Brugge?

No, Rodgers’ side can not confirm qualification to the knockout stage of the competition tonight, although a win over Club Brugge gives them a fantastic chance of doing so in the weeks to come.

Kyogo Furuhashi scores to make it 2-0 against Slovan Bratislava in Celtic's opening Champions League game. Cr: SNS Group. | SNS Group

Where do Celtic need to finish in the League Path to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League?

The top eight sides in the Champions League table will automatically qualify for the round of 16. However, the teams finishing in 9th to 24th place will compete in a two-legged knock-out phase play-off in order to secure their path to the last 16 of the competition.

Clubs that end their League Phase campaign in 25th place or lower will be eliminated. They will also not drop into to the UEFA Europa League.

What do Celtic need to do to qualify for the knockout stage of the Champions League?

The Scottish champions have four league phase games remaining. Their 3-1 win over Leipzig last night could prove vital to qualification to the last 16, though.

Another win will result in the Hoops finishing the league phase on at a minimum of 10 points and guarantees them at leasy a play-off spot. Should they win against Club Brugge this evening, they will seal a place in the last 16 play-off - and could aim for even more.

While the exact figure needed to finish in the top eight and qualify automatically is not yet able to be fully confirmed, the Opta supercomputer believes 16 points from a possible 24 would almost certainly be enough to finish in the top eight, guaranteeing a last 16 spot. A total of 15 points may also be enough to sneak into eighth place.