Liverpool victory good news for fifth Champions League spot hopes

Liverpool's victory over Lille last night was fundamentally good for them in that they are through to the last 16 and have secured a top-two seeding.

However, that is also a positive for English clubs as a whole.

The countries who finish top in the European Performance Spots table will get five teams in next season's Champions League.

England are currently top - clear of Italy, Spain and Portugal - and while Aston Villa's defeat did not help, bonus points are applied for every position in the table, with teams in the Champions League getting the most.

So Liverpool are heading for a chunky 12 or 11.75.

There has been so much talk about how well Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth have done in the Premier League this season. Their chances of Champions League qualification will increase if English clubs keep doing well in Europe.