How Man United can get UEFA coefficient boost even if Liverpool and West Ham exit Europa League

The UEFA coefficient ranking is currently the talk of the football world, with an additional spot in next season's Champions League up for grabs.

As the competition expands to 32 teams, two leagues will gain an extra spot in Europe's premier club competition next season. The leagues to benefit will be determined by the UEFA coefficients, which are based on the performance of their teams in each of the three European tournaments.

At present, Italy's Serie A is leading the race for an extra spot, while the Premier League and Bundesliga are vying for the other. This means that finishing fifth in the Premier League this season could potentially lead to Champions League qualification.

ALSO READ: Gary Neville slams United treatment of World Cup winner as "illegal"

ALSO READ: Sir Jim Ratcliffe aiming for his own double on FA Cup semi-final day

However, the Bundesliga currently holds second place in the UEFA coefficient table. They extended their lead last night after Bayern Munich triumphed over Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final, and Manchester City were also eliminated at the hands of Real Madird.

This makes it challenging for England to secure the additional spot by the end of the season, but not unachievable. The Europa League and Europa Conference League also factor into the equation, although the outlook there appears difficult as well, reports football.london.

Liverpool enter Thursday's Europa League quarter-final second leg trailing Atalanta 3-0, while West Ham host German champions Bayer Leverkusen needing to overturn a 2-0 deficit. Neither team looks likely to progress as it stands.

However, Manchester United could receive a boost in their slim hopes of qualifying even if Liverpool and West Ham are