Barcelona playing for €27m in prize money over next 9 days | OneFootball

Barcelona may be struggling in La Liga, but have put themselves in prime position to qualify for the Round of 16 in the Champions League, sitting second after six games. With two to go, Barcelona’s accountants will be desperate to see them finish the job against Benfica and Atalanta.

According to Marca, Barcelona have €27m on the line in their next two games. Finishing top of the table comes with a bounty of €10m in of itself, although they require Liverpool to slip up against Lille and PSV Eindhoven. Their prize money for the group phase will decrease gradually depending on position from that point, while finishing in the top eight also comes with a bonus of €2m, and qualifying for the Round of 16 means a bonus of €11m, something they would automatically achieve in the top eight.

Beating Benfica and Atalanta also comes with an additional €4.2m in matchday prize money. So far Barcelona have earned €29.12m for their participation, with €18.62m as an entry bonus, and €10.5m derived from their five wins to date. Barcelona will also be in the hunt for an additional €52.5m available for the winners of the competition outright.

The Portuguese giants will be no pushovers at the Estadio da Luz, having thumped Atletico Madrid earlier in the group phase 4-0. Meanwhile Atalanta remain one of the most impressive sides in Italian football, and gave Real Madrid a difficult test in December, albeit one they passed.