What happens if teams are level on points in the Champions League group stage and what criteria is used?
With the final two games of the 2022-23 Champions League group stage outstanding, only five teams have sealed their tickets to the Round of 16.
Chelsea, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain became the latest clubs to qualify for the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday joining Club Brugge, Man City, Bayern Munich, Napoli and Real Madrid in taking the total number of teams through to the knockout stages to nine.
🧐 Who'll go through today? #UCL
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 26, 2022
Approaching the penultimate round of games, each of the eight groups still offered places in the next phase of the competition for the top two sides in each group with the third placed team heading to the Europa League. But what happens if teams are tied on points at the end of the group stage? what criteria are used to separate these clubs?
Criteria for a tie on points
There are eleven different factors that UEFA consider when deciding how tied teams advance:
1) Head-to-head. Points accrued in matches between both sides is used to separate teams tied on points.
2) Goal difference in head-to-head games between tied teams.
3) Goals scored in head-to-head games between the sides in question.
4) Away goals scored in head-to-head games between the tied sides.
5) Goal difference in all group stage games.
6) Goals scored in all group stage matches.
7) Away goals scored in all group stage games.
8) Wins in all group stage games.
9) Away wins in all group stage matches.
10) Group stage disciplinary record.
11) Current UEFA coefficient