The points Barça needs to secure a place in the Champions League round of 16

FC Barcelona took a key step towards the UEFA Champions League round of 16 with their victory over Red Star (2-5). The rout in Belgrade allowed Hansi Flick's men to climb, for the first time, to the direct qualification spots for the next phase (from 1st to 8th) since the start of the league phase.

At the moment, Barça is sixth in the general table with 9 points, 3 behind leaders Liverpool (12). The 'reds' host Real Madrid (18) in the next round, while the Catalans will do the same in Montjuïc against Stade Brest (4). The French have 10 points after beating Sparta Prague (1-2) away on Wednesday.

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In this sense, the Catalans now depend on themselves to avoid the play-offs in February, even though the first half of the league phase calendar has only been completed. Unlike the previous format, all teams must play eight matches between September and January, with two more matchdays than the schedule in force since 2003-04.

Two wins and two draws would take Barça straight to the last 16

But how many points does Barça need to qualify for the last 16? In principle, by winning their four remaining games, the Blaugrana would not only secure qualification, but also finish at the top of the table.

However, Barça's calculations allow the team a margin of error thanks to their current position in the table. In principle, given the current standings, everything seems to indicate that 17 points will be enough for a team to secure a place in the top eight.

The calculation has to do with the fact that Paris Saint-Germain, currently in 25th place (from 9th to 24th go to the play-off), could reach, at most, 16 points if they got all the points in the remaining games. Luis Enrique's team has only 4 points.

To reach the goal of 17 points, Hansi Flick's team would only need to win two of their games and draw the remaining two. In addition to the home game against Brest, Barça must visit Dortmund (7) and Benfica (19). In the last matchday, they will host Atalanta (9).

Adding the six points in Montjuïc against the French and Italians, together with two draws in Germany and Portugal, would be enough to see the Blaugrana team in the 'top 8' on January 29.

If they lose one of the games, they would have to win the other three to avoid any risks. However, given the team's long streak without a draw, the ideal would be to secure the 9 points in the next three games to reach the last matchday, probably, with qualification in their pocket.