Editor’s note: This article was originally published before matchday 5 in Champions League. It has now been updated after the latest round of matches ahead of matchday 6.
In a cramped season with near non-stop football action so far, the group stage of the prestigious Uefa Champions League will come to a close next week. And there are a few top clubs who are staring at a potential early exit.
Paris Saint-Germain will be playing for their Champions League lives against Manchester United on Wednesday, with last season’s runners-up knowing that the cost of group-stage elimination could be enormous on and off the field.
Here’s a group-wise breakdown of who stands where ahead of matchday 5 that starts on Tuesday.
(Note: Scroll sideways on tables below to view all columns. The tiebreaker scenarios are explained at the end of the article.)
Group A
| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC Bayern Munich | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 13 |
| Club Atlético de Madrid | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 6 |
| FC Salzburg | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 15 | -5 | 4 |
| FC Lokomotiv Moskva | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 3 |
Qualified teams: Bayern Munich (top of the group)
Remaining fixtures:
Matchday 6 (December 9): Bayern vs Lokomotiv, FC Salzburg vs Atletico
Scenarios updated after matchday 5:
Bayern were already assured of the top spot in Group A so a weakened team was fielded against Atletico. While that was still enough for the defending champions to clinch a draw, their incredible streak of 15 consecutive wins came to an end. As a result of that draw, and Salzburg’s impressive win against Lokomotiv, Atletico’s qualification hangs in the balance. The pacesetters in La Liga still only need a point in the final match but a defeat against Salzburg will see the Austrian club progress.
Group B
| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 8 |
| FC Shakhtar Donetsk | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 12 | -7 | 7 |
| Real Madrid CF | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 7 |
| FC Internazionale Milano | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 9 | -2 | 5 |
Qualified teams: None
Remaining fixtures:
Matchday 6 (December 9): Real Madrid vs Gladbach, Inter vs Shakhtar
Scenarios updated after matchday 5:
What a fascinating group this has turned into. Going into matchday 6, any one of the four teams can finish in the top two and progress to UCL round of 16. Any one of the four teams can finish third and reach the Europa League. Any one of the four teams can be eliminated.
It is, without a shadow of doubt, the most incredible group in this year’s Champions League.
So, let’s look at the possible scenarios:
- Real Madrid still only need a win against Gladbach to progress to round of 16. And they will do as group winners if Inter avoid defeat. A draw will leave them hoping for an Inter win against Shakhtar. Defeat will end their hopes of UCL progress, but they can finish third if Inter lose. An unimaginable scenario for Madridistas would be if Real lose and Inter defeat Shakhtar, then it’s the end of European football for the season.
- Inter Milan’s equation is simple. Win their last match and pray. No other result will be sufficient for Antonio Conte’s team to ensure they remain in Europe (UCL or UEL). If they win, they will still need Real vs Gladbach to have a winner.
- Gladbach still only need a point to progress. A win against Real will seal their top spot. Defeat in Madrid, however, will mean Gladbach will depend on Shakhtar and Inter playing out a draw.
- Shakhtar have lost 10-0 over two matches against Gladbach but, incredibly, are still in with a great shout as they need to just beat Inter away on the final day. A draw will be enough if Real don’t beat Gladbach.
Here are some tiebreaker scenarios:
A tie between Inter and Gladbach favours Inter.
A tie between Real Madrid and Shakhtar favours Shakhtar.
A tie between Real Madrid and Inter favours Real Madrid.
A tie between Gladbach and Shakhtar favours Gladbach.
Group C
| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester City FC | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 13 |
| FC Porto | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| Olympiacos FC | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 8 | -6 | 3 |
| Olympique de Marseille | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 10 | -8 | 3 |
Qualified teams: Manchester City (top of the group), FC Porto
Remaining fixtures:
Matchday 6 (December 9): Man City vs Marseille, Olympiakos vs FC Porto
Scenarios updated after matchday 5:
Manchester City assured themselves of the top spot, while Porto sealed their progress after a mutually beneficial 0-0 draw. Nothing left to play for in this group apart from seeing who among Marseille and Olympiakos reach Europa League. Currently level on three points, a tie between the two will favour Olympiakos on away goal count in matches between the two teams.
Group D
| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool FC | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 12 |
| Atalanta BC | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| AFC Ajax | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| FC Midtjylland | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 12 | -9 | 1 |
Qualified teams: Liverpool (top of the group)
Remaining fixtures:
Matchday 6 (December 9): FC Midtjylland vs Liverpool, Ajax vs Atalanta
Scenarios updated after matchday 5:
Liverpool, battered and bruised, have accomplished their mission of reaching the UCL knockouts as group winners after recovering from the blip against Atalanta. For the second spot, it’s a straight shootout between Ajax and Atalanta on the final matchday. Ajax must win, Atalanta need to avoid defeat.
Group E
| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea FC | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 12 | 13 |
| Sevilla FC | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 10 |
| FC Krasnodar | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 10 | -5 | 4 |
| Stade Rennais FC | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 8 | -6 | 1 |
Qualified teams: Chelsea (top of the group), Sevilla
Remaining fixtures:
Matchday 6 (December 8): Chelsea vs Krasnodar, Rennes vs Sevilla
Scenarios updated after matchday 5:
Absolutely nothing left to play for. Chelsea, thanks to a four-goal performance by Olivier Giroud, ensured that they will finish top of the group. Sevilla will progress as the second-placed team. Rennes are out of Europa League contention.
Group F
| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borussia Dortmund | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| SS Lazio | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| Club Brugge | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | -2 | 7 |
| FC Zenit | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 11 | -8 | 1 |
Qualified teams: Borussia Dortmund
Remaining fixtures:
Matchday 6 (December 8): Lazio vs Club Brugge, Zenit vs Dortmund
Scenarios updated after matchday 5:
Dortmund are through to the round of 16 after a 1-1 draw against Lazio, despite missing star striker Erling Haaland. Top spot is not yet assured though, but a win against struggling Zenit will confirm that on matchday 6. Should they lose, then Dortmund will hope for a Club Brugge win to progress as group winners.
A draw between Lazio and Club Brugge won’t be enough for Dortmund should they remain on 10 points as the Italian side would have a better head-to-head record and finish first. A win for Lazio would mean Dortmund have to win too, for finishing first.
Beligan side Club Brugge will reach the knockout rounds if they win at Lazio but can’t take top spot away from Dortmund.
Group G
| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC Barcelona | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 14 | 15 |
| Juventus | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 12 |
| FC Dynamo Kyiv | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 13 | -10 | 1 |
| Ferencvárosi TC | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 16 | -11 | 1 |
Qualified teams: Barcelona, Juventus
Remaining fixtures:
Matchday 6 (December 8): Barcelona vs Juventus, Dynamo Kyiv vs Ferencvaros
Scenarios updated after matchday 5:
The two favourites from the group have assured their places in the Round of 16 but in contrasting fashion. While Barcelona cruised against Kyiv, Juve were made to sweat against Hungarian underdogs Ferencvaros. On matchday 5, Juventus kept the pressure on Barcelona as both sides won their matches 3-0.
Now, the showdown at Nou Camp (a potential Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi faceoff) will decide the group winners. But it’s not going to be easy for Juventus as they lost 0-2 against Barcelona. With the head-to-head record deciding a tie, Juventus will have to win by a two-goal margin or better. (Further tiebreaker scenarios are explained below as a 2-0 win for Juventus will make things more complicated.)
Group H
| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United FC | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 9 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 9 |
| RB Leipzig | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 10 | -2 | 9 |
| Istanbul Başakşehir | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 13 | -7 | 3 |
Qualified teams: None
Remaining fixtures:
Matchday 6 (December 8): PSG vs Istanbul Basaksehir, RB Leipzig vs Man United
Scenarios updated after matchday 5
If you thought Group B was complicated, Group H went and made it itself as exciting if not more ahead of the final round of matches. THREE teams are tied on nine points with their last matches left. While it’s not as open as Group B where four teams are alive, the permutations and combinations in Group H are no less complicated. The late, late goal Neymar scored might just prove crucial.
- First things first, all three teams control their own fate. Win and progress to the round of 16 in the most coveted European event. In that case PSG will join the winners of Leipzig vs United in the next round. A two-way tie between PSG and either of the side will favour the French giants, so they will finish top of the group.
- A draw is sufficient in Germany for Manchester United to progress thanks to their 5-0 win over the Bundesliga side earlier. Top spot will then depend on PSG losing against Istanbul.
- If PSG win and Leipzig vs United is a draw, then the Paris side will finish as group-toppers while the English side will progress in the second place.
- If PSG lose and United win, then the head-to-head tiebreaker between PSG and Leipzig will be in favour of the French giants (one win each but PSG have an away goal in Germany). United and PSG will qualify, in that order.
- If PSG lose and Leipzig win, it will be curtains for United as the head-to-head tiebreaker between PSG and United favours the French side too, thanks to scoring one more goal (1-2 in Paris, 1-3 in Manchester).
- The other scenario is when both matches end in a draw on the final day, with three teams finishing on 10 points. In that case, points scored in the matches between those three teams will come into play. That situation would favour United (2 wins, 1 draw, 1 defeat) and PSG (2 wins) over Leipzing (1 win, 1 draw) in that order.
Tiebreakers:
If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following criteria are applied in the order given to determine their rankings:
— via Uefa regulations
- higher number of points obtained in the group matches played among the teams in question;
- superior goal difference from the group matches played among the teams in question;
- higher number of goals scored in the group matches played among the teams in question;
- higher number of away goals scored in the group matches played among the teams in question;
- if, after having applied criteria a) to d), teams still have an equal ranking, criteria a) to d) are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the remaining teams to determine their final rankings. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria f) to l) apply in the order given to the two or more teams still equal;
- superior goal difference in all group matches;
- higher number of goals scored in all group matches;
- higher number of away goals scored in all group matches;
- higher number of wins in all group matches;
- higher number of away wins in all group matches;
- lower disciplinary points total based only on yellow and red cards received by players and team officials in all group matches (red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points);
- higher club coefficient
Standings courtesy Uefa Champions League
With AFP inputs
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