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

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

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 eight group runners-up in the Nov. 7 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 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 and are officially qualified.

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 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 at that juncture, they’d need to win that direct matchup by more than a two-goal margin to take 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

Group E is still very tight and it’s too soon to do any math here. Chelsea do own the tiebreaker over AC Milan with two victories in those head-to-heads.

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

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
1. Chelsea 7 4 2 1 1 6 2 +4
2. RB Salzburg 6 4 1 0 3 4 3 +1
3. AC Milan 4 4 1 2 1 4 7 -3
4. Dinamo Zagreb 4 4 1 2 1 3 5 -2

Group F table

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

Group G table

Manchester City beat Dortmund 2-1 on Sept. 14. If Dortmund can beat Man City by the same score or by a wider margin on October 25, then first place could come into play.

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
1. Manchester City-X 10 4 3 0 1 11 1 +10
2. Borussia Dortmund 7 4 2 1 1 9 4 +5
3. Sevilla 2 4 0 2 2 2 9 -7
4. FC Copenhagen 2 4 0 2 2 0 8 -8
  • 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.

Team PTS GP W L D GF GA GD
1. PSG 8 4 2 0 2 7 4 +3
2. Benfica 8 4 2 0 2 6 3 +3
3. Juventus 3 4 1 3 0 5 7 -2
4. Maccabi Haifa 3 4 1 3 0 4 8 -4
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