Sevilla

Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have both had their ups and downs so far in the 2015 2016 season, with the former replacing their coach and the latter going through an early dry spell that saw star striker Harry Kane playing at a lower-than-expected level. However, after week five both teams have secured spots in the Europa League 201516 knockout phase, marking a turn in the fortunes of both clubs.

The Reds and the Spurs are two of the 15 teams in this year's Europa League that, with just one game day remaining in the group stage, have officially earned advancement into the knockouts. That statistic leaves nine slots up for grabs, with the remaining eight to be filled by third-place squads from the Champions League.

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Liverpool secured their

When the groups were drawn for this year's UEFA Champions League on August 27^th, Group D looked like one of the most "open and shut" of the entire tournament. Between Juventus (last season's runners-up) and Manchester City (so clearly dominating the English Premier League this season), the group's top two teams were easy to identify. What were the chances of either of these top-ranking football clubs bowing out of the UCL before the knockouts? Never mind the fact that Sevilla were coming off two straight Europa League titles, or that Borussia Monchengladbach had just played one of their best seasons ever in the German Bundesliga. In the eyes of most soccer fans and experts alike, Champions League 2015 - 2016 Group D belonged to the Zebras and the Sky Blues.