Champions League group tiebreakers: What happens if teams are tied on points?

By | October 25, 2022
0 Comment

There is still plenty left to be decided in the final matchday and a half of the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League group stage, including several scenarios that could involve tiebreakers coming into play.

But keep the calculators stowed away. We’ve done all the work on the potential scenarios in which teams could finish tied on points in each group. 

Remember: Group winners will advance to the Champions League knockouts as seeded teams. They will be drawn against one of the eight group runners-up in the Nov. 7 Round of 16 draw. Third-place finishers clinch a spot in the Europa League knockout playoffs.

MORE: Round of 16 draw date, seeds and rules

Below you’ll find the official list of group-stage tiebreakers:

Champions League group stage tiebreakers

The full list of UEFA Champions League group stage tiebreakers follow below as per the official tournament regulations: 

  1. points obtained in group matches played among teams in question
  2. superior goal difference from group matches played among teams in question
  3. goals scored in group matches played among teams in question
  4. superior goal difference in all group matches
  5. goals scored in all group matches
  6. away goals scored in all group matches
  7. wins in all group matches
  8. away wins in all group matches
  9. disciplinary points total based only on yellow and red cards
  10. UEFA club coefficient

One twist to the tiebreaker rules: If there are three or more teams deadlocked on points and tiebreakers No. 1-3 help to separate one or more of those teams, then tiebreakers No. 1-3 are reapplied to any remaining teams that are still tied before moving on to No. 4-10.

Here are the group standings and the scenarios in which tiebreakers come into play:

Champions League group tables

Group A table

Liverpool and Napoli still have one more match to play against one another on the final matchday on Nov. 1 at Anfield. So first place could still be in play if Liverpool can win big in that one.

If Ajax hope to advance as the second-place team, they will need to beat Liverpool on Wednesday by a wider margin than they lost to the Reds on Sept. 13 (2-1), and then hope that Napoli beat Liverpool on the final day. 

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
1. Napoli-X 12 4 4 0 0 17 4 +13
2. Liverpool 9 4 3 1 0 12 6 +6
3. Ajax Amsterdam 3 4 1 3 0 8 12 -4
4. Rangers 0 4 0 4 0 1 16 -15
  • X = qualified to the Round of 16
  • UEL = clinched berth to Europa League knockout playoffs
  • E = eliminated

Group B table

With a victory and draw over Atletico Madrid in Matchdays 3 and 4, Club Brugge own the tiebreaker against the Colchoneros, which officially clinches them a Round of 16 berth.

Brugge can do one better and lock up the top seed with a win against Porto on Tuesday (or a draw and a combination of other results).

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
1. Club Brugge-X 10 4 3 0 1 7 0 +7
2. Porto 6 4 2 2 0 6 6 0
3. Atletico Madrid 4 4 1 2 1 2 5 -3
4. Bayer Leverkusen 3 4 1 3 0 2 6 -4
  • X = qualified to the Round of 16
  • UEL = clinched berth to Europa League knockout playoffs
  • E = eliminated

Group C table

Barcelona are still alive but just barely. An Inter Milan win against Viktoria Plzen on Wednesday would sent Inter Milan through as the second qualifier from Group C.

Inter Milan still have to play Bayern Munich one more time on the final matchday on Nov. 1. If the Italian side are somehow three points away from Bayern at that juncture, they’d need to win that direct matchup by more than a two-goal margin to overtake the German side for first place. 

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
1. Bayern Munich-X 12 4 4 0 0 13 2 +11
2. Inter Milan 7 4 2 1 1 6 5 +1
3. Barcelona 4 4 1 2 1 8 7 +1
4. Viktoria Plzen 0 4 0 4 0 3 16 -13
  • X = qualified to the Round of 16
  • UEL = clinched berth to Europa League knockout playoffs
  • E = eliminated

Group D table

Group D is still wide open, but Tottenham at least know they own the tiebreaker over Eintracht Frankfurt after the draw and win in the head-to-head matches against them.

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
1. Tottenham 7 4 2 1 1 5 4 +1
2. Marseille 6 4 2 2 0 6 4 +2
3. Sporting CP 6 4 2 2 0 6 6 0
4. Eintracht Frankfurt 4 4 1 2 1 3 6 -3

Group E table

Chelsea won the group, clinching a berth into the Round of 16 thanks to a win at RB Salzburg on Matchday 5. That leaves them four points in front of the Austrian side with only three points left to play for. In addition, Chelsea own the tiebreaker over AC Milan (two head-to-head victories), which means that the other three teams in the group cannot overtake them on the final day.

AC Milan face RB Salzburg in the group finale on Nov. 2, and a win or draw will see the Italian club advance as the second-place team from Group E.

RB Salzburg owns the head-to-head against Dinamo Zagreb should they finish level on points for third place.

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
1. Chelsea-X 10 5 3 1 1 8 3 +5
2. AC Milan 7 5 2 2 1 8 7 +1
3. RB Salzburg 6 5 1 1 3 5 5 0
4. Dinamo Zagreb 4 5 1 3 1 3 9 -6
  • X = qualified to the Round of 16
  • UEL = clinched berth to Europa League knockout playoffs
  • E = eliminated

Group F table

Real Madrid are already through, but the second team from the group remains to be determined.

RB Leipzig are in pole position heading into the final day, but a loss at Shakhtar Donetsk would send the Ukrainian side as the group runner-up.

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
1. Real Madrid-X 10 5 3 1 1 10 5 +5
2. RB Leipzig 9 5 3 2 0 9 9 0
3. Shakhtar Donetsk 6 5 1 1 3 8 6 +2
4. Celtic-E 2 5 0 3 2 3 10 -7
  • X = qualified to the Round of 16
  • UEL = clinched berth to Europa League knockout playoffs
  • E = eliminated

Group G table

Manchester City are officially the group winners after the 0-0 draw earned at Borussia Dortmund on Oct. 25 in the penultimate matchday. Since the Citizens also beat Dortmund 2-1 on Sept. 14, they hold the tiebreaker over the German club, confirming Pep Guardiola’s will finish on top.

Dortmund also secured the runner-up position and a spot in the Round of 16 since they own the tiebreaker over Sevilla thanks to a win and draw in the group stage.

Sevilla in turn will settle for third place and a Europa League knockout playoff berth. The Spanish side holds the tiebreaker over FC Copenhagen after a win and draw.

All this means that the final day of matches will be inconsequential outside of goals scored by Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham in the race for the tournament Golden Boot.

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
1. Manchester City-X 11 5 3 0 2 11 1 +10
2. Borussia Dortmund-X 8 5 2 1 2 9 4 +5
3. Sevilla-UEL 5 5 1 2 2 5 9 -4
4. FC Copenhagen-E 2 5 0 3 2 0 11 -11
  • X = qualified to the Round of 16
  • UEL = clinched berth to Europa League knockout playoffs
  • E = eliminated

Group H table

Benfica and PSG tied both of their head-to-head matches 1-1. So if they finish tied on points at the top of Group H, it will come down to overall goal difference. And PSG’s big 7-2 home win over Maccabi Haifa gives them the advantage in that department.

It will be Benfica’s turn to face the Israeli side on the road in the group finale. PSG travel to Italy take on a Juventus side that will be hoping to do enough to secure third place and a spot in the Europa League knockout playoffs.

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
1. PSG-X 11 5 3 0 2 14 6 +8
2. Benfica-X 11 5 3 0 2 10 6 +4
3. Juventus-E 3 5 1 4 0 8 11 -3
4. Maccabi Haifa-E 3 5 1 4 0 6 15 -9
  • X = qualified to the Round of 16
  • UEL = clinched berth to Europa League knockout playoffs
  • E = eliminated

Source