Champions League matchday 6: who needs what to qualify for the round of 16?
12 teams have already qualified for the Champions League round of 16. Who needs what next week to join them?
With one matchday of Champions League group games left to play, we take a look at who needs what to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition, or indeed finish third to drop down into the Europa League.
Champions League group stage tie-break system
Before getting into each group individually, a little reminder of how the tie-break system works when teams finish the group on the same number of points:
- points obtained in group matches played among teams in question
- superior goal difference from group matches played among teams in question
- goals scored in group matches played among teams in question
- superior goal difference in all group matches
- goals scored in all group matches
- away goals scored in all group matches
- wins in all group matches
- away wins in all group matches
- disciplinary points total based only on yellow and red cards
- UEFA club coefficient
Champions League matchday six permutations
Group A
Qualified - Napoli and Liverpool
Napoli and Liverpool have already qualified. Napoli will finish top of the group unless Liverpool beat them by more than a three-goal margin at Anfield.
Similarly, Ajax will drop down into the Europa League unless they lose by five goals or more to Rangers in Glasgow.
Group B
Qualified - Club Brugge and Porto
Club Brugge and Porto are through to the knockout stages. If the Belgians match the Portuguese outfit’s result next week, they qualify as group leaders. Should both teams end on the same number of points (a Club Brugge defeat to Bayer Leverkusen and a Porto draw against Atlético Madrid), overall goal difference rather than head-to-head will decide who goes through, as both sides won 4-0 away to the other. As Porto are already one goal better off, they would progress.
Bayer Leverkusen will pip Atleti to the Europa League spot only if they better the Spaniards’ result in the last match.
Group C
Qualified - Bayern Munich (1st) and Inter (2nd)
Europa League - Barcelona
Bayern Munich are through as group winners, Inter qualify as runners-up and Barcelona drop into the Europa League. Nothing will change. Simple.
Group D
On the contrary, any number of things could still happen here, with no team qualified as yet.
If Spurs win at Marseille and Sporting defeat Eintracht Frankfurt at home, they will both go through. Spurs can also afford to draw, as only one of Sporting and Eintracht could better their tally of nine points.
Were Spurs to lose to Marseille, the French side would go through as would the winners of the Sporting vs Eintracht clash. If Sporting vs Eintracht ends in a draw and Spurs lose, then three teams would be tied on eight points, with Sporting going through by virtue of picking up the highest number of points in the fixtures between the three teams.
If that were to happen, then Spurs would drop into the Europa League and Eintracht would finish bottom.
If Marseille draw with Spurs then Igor Tudor’s side will qualify for the Europa League only if Eintracht beat Sporting. If Sporting win, Eintracht finish third and Marseille are out.
Group E
Qualified - Chelsea (1st)
Chelsea go through as group winners. Milan need a point against Salzburg to join them, while the Austrians must win at San Siro.
The only way Dinamo Zagreb can take a Europa League spot is if they win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and Salzburg lose in Milan.
Group F
Qualified - Real Madrid
Real Madrid are through and need a victory against Celtic at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu to be sure of pipping RB Leipzig to first place. The Germans must win against Shakhtar Donetsk to have any chance of topping the group, a draw wouldn’t be enough, even if Madrid lose. A point would, however, see them qualify, although the Ukrainians will go through if they win in Warsaw.
Shakhtar will play in the Europa League after Christmas unless they win against RB Leipzig.
Group G
Qualified - Manchester City (1st), Borussia Dortmund (2nd)
Europa League - Sevilla
Everything is already decided here.
Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund are through. City will win the group, while the Germans go through in second spot.
Europa League specialists Sevilla, meanwhile, are assured of a place in their favourite competition.
Group H
Qualified - PSG and Benfica
PSG and Benfica have both already qualified for the knockout stages. Whoever posts the better result on the final matchday will top the group. If they both get the same result, PSG will finish first on head-to-head.
The Europa League place may well come down to goal difference between Juventus and Maccabi Haifa. The clubs are level on points and on head-to-head. If Juventus win their final match at home to PSG, they’ll take third, no matter what.
Champions League matchday six fixtures
Tuesday 1 November
Group A
Liverpool vs Napoli - 3pm ET
Rangers vs Ajax - 3pm ET
Group B
Bayer Leverkusen vs Club Brugge - 11:45am ET
Porto vs Atlético Madrid - 11:45am ET
Group C
Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan - 3pm ET
Viktoria Plzen vs Barcelona - 3pm ET
Group D
Marseille vs Tottenham - 3pm ET
Sporting vs Frankfurt - 3pm ET
Wednesday 2 November
Group E
Chelsea vs Dinamo Zagreb - 3pm ET
AC Milan vs RB Salzburg - 3pm ET
Group F
Real Madrid vs Celtic - 11:45am ET
Shakhtar Donetsk vs RB Leipzig - 11:45am ET
Group G
Copenhagen vs Borussia Dortmund - 3pm ET
Manchester City vs Sevilla - 3pm ET
Group H
Juventus vs Paris Saint-Germain - 3pm ET
Maccabi Haifa vs Benfica - 3pm ET