Champions League: How every team can qualify for the knockout rounds
We’re past the halfway stage of the Champions League group stage, and that means the best-performing sides have started to book their places in the round of 16.
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Here we take a look at the state of play across all eight groups.
The group winners and runners-up will go into the Champions League round of 16, third place drops into the Europa League knockout round to face group runners-up from that competition, while fourth is knockout out completely.
QUALIFIED IN UCL: Bayern Munich, Club Brugge, Manchester City, Napoli, Real Madrid
ELIMINATED: Celtic, Rangers, Viktoria Plzen
TIEBREAKERS:
– points in head-to-head matches among the tied teams
– goal difference in head-to-head matches among the tied teams
– goals scored in head-to-head matches among the tied teams
– overall goal difference
– overall goals scored
– overall away goals scored
– overall wins
– overall away wins
– disciplinary points
– UEFA club coefficient
GROUP A
Next fixtures, Oct. 26: Ajax vs. Liverpool, Napoli vs. Rangers
Group A
| GP | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – Napoli | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | +13 | 12 |
| 2 – Liverpool | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | +6 | 9 |
| 3 – Ajax | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -4 | 3 |
| 4 – Rangers | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -15 | 0 |
Napoli: Have qualified and will win the group if they better Liverpool’s result on Matchday 6.
Liverpool: Will be through to the round of 16 with a win/draw against Ajax.
Ajax Amsterdam: Must win at home to Liverpool to stay in contention.
Rangers: Have been eliminated from the Champions League and only have an outside chance of dropping into the Europa League, having already lost 4-0 to Ajax in the head to head.
GROUP B
Next fixtures, Oct. 26: Atletico Madrid vs. Bayer Leverkusen, Club Brugge vs. FC Porto
Group B
| GP | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – Brugge | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | +7 | 10 |
| 2 – Porto | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | +1 | 6 |
| 3 – Atletico | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -3 | 4 |
| 4 – Leverkusen | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -4 | 3 |
Club Brugge: Have qualified and will top the group with a win/draw at home to Porto.
FC Porto: Will qualify with a win at Club Brugge if Atletico Madrid draw/lose against Bayern Leverkusen. Two draws for Porto will not be enough if Atletico beat Leverkusen.
Atletico Madrid: Two wins guarantees a place in the round of 16. A win and a draw will also be enough for Atletico if Porto draw/lose against Club Brugge.
Bayer Leverkusen: Two wins will be enough if FC Porto draw/lose both their matches. Bayer Leverkusen also qualify with a win against Atletico and a draw vs. Club Brugge if FC Porto lose both their remaining games. If Porto lose to Atletico and draw with Club Brugge, that will leave Atletico, Bayer Leverkusen and FC Porto on seven points and the places would be decided on head-to-head goal difference.
GROUP C
Next fixtures, Oct. 26: Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich, Inter Milan vs. Viktoria Plzen
Group C
| GP | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – Bayern | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | +11 | 12 |
| 2 – Inter | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 7 |
| 3 – Barca | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | +1 | 4 |
| 4 – Plzen | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -13 | 0 |
Bayern Munich: Have qualified and will top the group with a win against Barcelona, or if Inter draw/lose against Viktoria Plzen.
Inter Milan: Will be through to the round of 16 with a win over Viktoria Plzen. A draw will also be enough if Barcelona draw/lose against Bayern.
Barcelona: A win at home to Bayern Munich gives themselves the most realistic chance of reaching the knockout rounds, but even that relies on an Inter draw/loss against Viktoria Plzen because Inter hold the head to head against Barca. Barca would still be in contention with a draw on Matchday 5 if Inter lose to Viktoria Plzen. Barca will be eliminated if they lose to Bayern Munich.
Viktoria Plzen: Have been knocked out of the Champions League and would almost certainly have to win both remaining games for a chance of finishing above Barcelona to drop into the Europa League.
GROUP D
Next fixtures, Oct. 26: Tottenham vs. Sporting CP, Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Marseille
Tottenham Hotspur: Will qualify with a win at home to Sporting CP.
Marseille: Will qualify with a win away to Eintracht Frankfurt as they hold the head to head over Sporting.
Sporting CP: Were in control of the group before losing both matches to Marseille, and will now only stay in contention if they win/draw at Spurs or Marseille draw/lose at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Eintracht Frankfurt: Must win/draw at home to Marseille to have hope going into Matchday 6.
GROUP E
Next fixtures, Oct. 25: FC Salzburg vs. Chelsea, Dinamo Zagreb vs. AC Milan
Chelsea: Will qualify with a win at FC Salzburg, while two draws will also send them through.
FC Salzburg: Will be through with a win at home to Chelsea as long as AC Milan do not beat Dinamo Zagreb.
AC Milan: Are eliminated if they lose to Dinamo Zagreb and FC Salzburg win against Chelsea. Their best hope is that Salzburg fail to beat Chelsea, which would set up a potential last-day clash for qualification between the two teams at San Siro — regardless of Milan’s result on Oct. 25.
Dinamo Zagreb: Still very much in contention, though they will be eliminated with a loss to Milan if Chelsea win/draw next time.
GROUP F
Next fixtures, Oct. 25: Celtic vs. Shakhtar Donetsk, RB Leipzig, vs. Real Madrid
Real Madrid: Have qualified for the round of 16 and will win the group with a win/draw vs. Leipzig.
RB Leipzig: Hold second place, but they must host Madrid in two weeks. Shakhtar vs. Leipzig on Matchday 6 appears to be the pivotal fixture right now. Will be through if they beat Madrid and Shakhtar lose to Celtic.
Shakhtar Donetsk: Will hope to win in Scotland in their next match and go into the final group game in charge of second place.
Celtic: Have been eliminated from the Champions League and must win both remaining games to have a chance of Europa League football.
GROUP G
Next fixtures, Oct. 25: Borussia Dortmund vs. Manchester City, Sevilla vs. FC Copenhagen
Group G
| GP | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – Man City | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | +10 | 10 |
| 2 – Dortmund | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | +5 | 7 |
| 3 – Sevilla | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -7 | 2 |
| 4 – Copenhagen | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -8 | 2 |
Manchester City: Have qualified and will secure top spot in the group with a win/draw at Borussia Dortmund next time out.
Borussia Dortmund: Need two points to be sure of qualifying, but will also be through regardless of their own result vs. Man City if Sevilla-Copenhagen is a draw.
Sevilla: Must win both of their remaining games and hope Dortmund lose both.
FC Copenhagen: Must win both of their remaining games and hope Dortmund lose both, or if Dortmund draw vs. Man City then Copenhagen must beat Dortmund by at least three goals to match or beat the head to head with the Bundesliga side.
GROUP H
Next fixtures, Oct. 25: Benfica vs. Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain vs. Maccabi Haifa
Group H
| GP | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – PSG | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | +3 | 8 |
| 2 – Benfica | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | +3 | 8 |
| 3 – Juventus | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -2 | 3 |
| 4 – M. Haifa | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -4 | 3 |
Paris Saint-Germain: Need two points to guarantee going through, though a draw against Maccabi Haifa will be enough if Juventus draw/lose against Benfica.
Benfica: Also need two points to be sure of a place in the round of 16, and like PSG can go through with a draw next time if Maccabi Haifa draw/lose.
Juventus: Must win both their remaining games and hope either Benfica or PSG drop points in their other game. If PSG or Benfica draw their other game, it would come down to head to head record between the teams. If both PSG and Benfica draw their other game, it will come down to a head-to-head mini-league between the three teams.
Maccabi Haifa: Have exactly the same qualification scenario as Juve.
