Ronald Koeman insists Saints’ Champions League hopes are still alive – but admits his side need to win all six of their remaining games to have a chance of finishing in the top four.

Saints are five points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, with the two due to meet each other at the Etihad Stadium on the final day of the season.

With City having two decent home fixtures coming up, Koeman confessed his side are going to struggle to make the top four, but he does think that a fantastic run of six wins from here on in might just do it.

“Normally yes. The distance is five points. We need to win I think all,” said Koeman, whose side face Stoke at the Britannia Stadium tomorrow.

“They (City) don’t lose three games, no. They have the next two at home I think. Normally, with the players that they have, the qualities.

“You never know, but it’s all about to win the last six I think to have really a good chance to be one of the four teams in the league.”

Saints do have arguably the kindest run-in of any of the top-four chasing sides ,but Koeman doesn’t think that counts for much at this stage of the campaign.

He reflected: “Yeah, but I think in the last part of the season, ok, what’s the best to play against – a team who’s fighting for no relegation or two teams who are fighting for the title? I don’t know.

“Every game is difficult. You have to be on your level to get a good possibility to win a game. All are difficult.

“We play Sunderland away, we play Leicester away and they’re fighting for not going down and that’s even difficult.”

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He added: “The door is always a little bit open.

“It’s difficult because even Man City a little bit struggling in the last few weeks about the results and they have now two home games and they have enough qualities to reach the first four teams in the league.

“It’s difficult, but we try and it’s not important to look to the teams in front of us in the table because we have to win and if you win and other teams are struggling you come closer and have a good possibility.

“We have to focus on the fifth, sixth and seventh positions on the table.”

Even if Saints get shut out of the Champions League race in the coming days, it will be important for Koeman to keep the motivation levels in the team high, with a fifth-placed finish still very much available.

“You need always ambition. You need always a target,” he said. “That’s the best to motivate the team.

“Ok, Stoke, what’s the target now for Stoke? They can’t go down, they can’t go up. Normally they are not qualifying for Europe.

“They have a great season, they are middle of the table and you have to find something that gives the motivation to the players and, ok, if you play at home the motivation is the fans, the three points and we’re fighting for a high position on the table and that’s normally a very good motivation to the players.”