Liverpool MUST beat PSV to land Champions League jackpot

Liverpool face PSV in their final UEFA Champions League league phase matchday on Wednesday night at the Philips Stadion.

Arne Slot’s side have been perfect in their opening seven matches so far, defeating all comers, and stand with seven wins from seven to this point.

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The six-time European champions are three points clear at the top of the table and would have already wrapped up top spot were it not for a last-gasp win for Barcelona against Benfica last time out. Barca boast a better goal difference and host Atalanta in their final group phase game on Wednesday.

But the Reds are in the driving seat, ready to claim the sporting advantages that come with finishing top, as well as the bumper financial windfall that accompanies their successes to this point.

If they beat PSV they will claim the MAXIMUM award on offer from UEFA in their revamped Champions League format.

The Anfield side stand to make over €58m (£48m) for their work in Europe so far - as long as the Dutch side can be vanquished.

Liverpool can bank over £48m

That is not a bad prize money return for the club, who missed out on Champions League fortunes last term.

For qualifying for the Champions League ‘play-off stage’, the Reds will earn €18.62m. And in the ‘league phase’ each win comes with €2.1m, with Liverpool claiming seven such prizes so far (€14.7m). One more takes that total to €16.8m.

If they draw, however, they would get only €700k. Then Liverpool’s final position in the ‘league phase’ will bring with it extra rewards.

Finishing last (36th) earns a club €275k and each additional placing will fetch another €275k. By finishing top Liverpool would be taking home 36 x €275k - amounting to €9.9m.

Then there’s another €2m for finishing in the top eight of the ‘league phase’; money safe in the Reds’ back pocket. Furthermore for reaching the last 16, bypassing the knockout round play-offs, Liverpool earn another €11m.

Those are fortunes that will come in useful when contract renewals for Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are taken into account.

Missing the Champions League last season blew a €110m hole in FSG’s Liverpool budget, money that desperately needs to be clawed back.

So there is still plenty riding on the outcome of the PSV game; not only top spot but the additional riches that come with UEFA’s incremental rewards systems.

Liverpool’s final game of the Champions League phase against PSV Eindhoven is an 8pm GMT kick-off and will be broadcasted live on TNT Sports 3.

Not a subscriber? You can sign up here to watch the game.

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