Why have English teams dominated as Real & PSG face play-offs?

The Premier League is flexing its muscles in Europe as five English teams finished in the top eight of the Champions League to reach the knockouts.

That could become six in the last 16 if Newcastle win their two-legged play-off after they finished 12th in the league phase following a 1-1 draw at defending champions PSG on Wednesday.

Arsenal finished in first place with Liverpool third, Tottenham fourth, Chelsea sixth and Manchester City finishing eighth.

History could be made if Newcastle progress through the play-offs as never before have there been six Premier League teams in the Champions League knockouts.

“That is dominant,” said Spurs boss Thomas Frank.

“I think we all said for a few years the Premier League is the best league in the world and I think this is another sign of it.”

The most obvious starting point is the financial power of the Premier League, which significantly outweighs other leagues.

Six Premier League sides sit inside the top 10 of the Deloitte Football Money League, while 50% of the top 30 come from the English top flight.

TV rights have generated enormous broadcast revenues for Premier League sides, with the income from that source dwarfing those of other countries.

Last summer, Premier League clubs outlaid more than ever before in the transfer window as spending surpassed £3bn.

More money means clubs can invest in bigger squads, with Arsenal seeing the benefits of spending big to increase their strength in depth as they finished first in the league phase of the Champions League and sit top of the Premier League.

“The biggest single reason that the English clubs have been dominant so far is the financial power of the Premier League,” former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock told BBC Sport.

“Also, it is about how competitive they have got by fighting it out and being in and around each other – they have pushed each other on.”

Newcastle forward Anthony Gordon also says a more open style of play in Europe has benefited English teams, while the Premier League is “more physical than I’ve ever known it to be”.

“I think in the Champions League, teams are more open. They all try to play. It’s less transitional,” he added.

“It [the Premier League] is like a basketball game sometimes, it’s so relentless physically. There’s not much control, it’s a running game and sometimes it’s about duels, whoever wins the duels wins the game. Or moments.

“The Champions League is a bit more of an older style of game, more football based. Teams come and try and play proper football.

It is undoubtedly an impressive achievement for five – and potentially six – Premier League teams to reach the knockouts.

But was the fixture computer kinder for them than other teams?

At the start of the season, football data statisticians Opta analysed every team’s Champions League fixtures and ranked them all to work out who had the kindest draw.

Arsenal’s fixtures were ranked the third easiest, with Tottenham fourth, Liverpool seventh and Chelsea eighth.

The last – and only – time five Premier League teams made it through to the knockouts was in 2017, when Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham all progressed.

However just two of those sides – Liverpool and Manchester City – got beyond the last 16, while the Reds went all the way to the final after knocking City out in the quarter-finals.

With five Premier League sides finishing in the top eight of this season’s league phase, and therefore avoiding the prospect of facing one another in the last-16, there is the chance of a record number of English teams making the quarter-finals.

Having numerous English clubs in latter stages of the Champions League is nothing new with four sides progressing to the quarters in both 2007-08 and 2008-09, as well as 2018-19 – leading to an all-English final in 07-08 and 2018-19.

No other country have ever had four teams in the quarter-finals – this year England could have as many as six.

But the demands of playing in the Premier League alongside the Champions League takes its toll, which is why many managers were relieved to avoid the two extra play-off games.

“I still think it will be very difficult for one of them to go on and win it, just because of how difficult the Premier League is every week – whether you are fighting for the title or for a place in the top four,” Warnock added.

The three other countries who had teams join English sides in progressing to the knockouts were Germany (Bayern Munich), Spain (Barcelona) and Portugal (Sporting CP).

That has left some surprises having to go through via the play-offs, with Paris St-Germain failing to get the win they needed against Newcastle to secure a top-eight spot.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, were on the wrong end of a thrilling and dramatic match with Benfica.

Real were reduced to nine men while a last-second goal by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin secured a memorable 4-2 win for Jose Mourinho’s side that earned them a play-off spot.

Other big sides who are facing the lottery of the play-offs include Italian sides Juventus and Inter Milan, along with Germany’s Borussia Dortmund and Spain’s Atletico Madrid – who were stunned by Bodo/Glimt on Wednesday.

The Norwegians have been the surprise package of the Champions League and their win against Atletico came just eight days after they beat Manchester City.

Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.