The UEFA Champions League knockout stage begin next week, with Liverpool set to take on Atletico Madrid.

Atletico aren't having a good season but they still represent a real threat to the Reds - Diego Simeone has guided them to two finals before, after all.

But when Liverpool take to the field in their Round of 16 tie, they do so safe in the knowledge that they'll have another crack at the competition next season.

Because, quite incredibly, the Reds have already booked their place in the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League.

On the 17th of February. Before the previous season's knockout stage has even begun.

Chelsea's 2-0 defeat at home to Manchester United confirmed things as it means only one of them or Tottenham Hotspur can catch Liverpool.

Spurs are currently 36 points behind - exactly the amount that they can win - while Chelsea are back by 35 points.

Both sides have to play each other, though, so while each one can still catch Liverpool, they can't both do it.

So to just spell that out, if Spurs get all 36 points, Chelsea can get a maximum of 33 - leaving them two short of Liverpool.

If Chelsea get all 36, Spurs can only get 33, which isn't enough.

We all know it's been a truly remarkable season for Liverpool, of course, but these kinds of stats just hammer home how dominant they've been.

Just two years ago, they only confirmed their qualification on the final day - something did the year before that, too.

And yet here they are, confirming it in the middle of February before they've even begun their assault on the previous year's knockout stages.

The progress under Jurgen Klopp has been sensational and we really haven't seen anything quite like it before.