How every team can qualify for the Champions League knockout rounds

We’re at the halfway stage of the Champions League group stage, and that means the best-performing sides can start booking their places in the round of 16.

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Here we take a look at the state of play across all eight groups.

TIEBREAKERS:
– points in head-to-head matches among the tied teams
– goal difference in head-to-head matches among the tied teams
– goals scored in head-to-head matches among the tied teams
– overall goal difference
– overall goals scored
– overall away goals scored
– overall wins
– overall away wins
– disciplinary points
– UEFA club coefficient

GROUP A

Next fixtures, Wednesday: Napoli vs. Ajax, Rangers vs. Liverpool

Napoli: Will qualify with a win/draw at home to Ajax.

Liverpool: Cannot qualify on Matchday 4, but a win over Rangers and defeat for Ajax would leave Jurgen Klopp’s men needing at most one point from their final two matches.

Ajax Amsterdam: Victory against Napoli would put them in a much stronger position to qualify. But defeat in Italy, coupled with a win for Liverpool, would leave the Eredivisie side needing to win both of their remaining games to have any chance of qualifying.

Rangers: Still without a point in the competition, Rangers will be eliminated from the Champions League if they draw/lose at home to Liverpool.

GROUP B

Next fixtures, Wednesday: Atletico Madrid vs. Club Brugge, Bayer Leverkusen vs. FC Porto

Club Brugge: Will qualify for the round of 16 with a win/draw at Atletico. They will secure top spot in the group with a victory if Leverkusen-Porto is a draw.

FC Porto: Victory in Germany would put them in a stronger position, but the battle for second place in Group B is very tight, and Porto have only one home game left — against Atletico on Matchday 6.

Bayer Leverkusen: Must win at home to FC Porto to give themselves a strong chance of qualifying, having already lost to them last week. Another defeat would leave them three points behind the Portuguese side and losing the head-to-head.

Atletico Madrid: The Spanish club still have two home games to play, but defeat at home to Club Brugge would leave them in a difficult position.

GROUP C

Next fixtures, Wednesday: Barcelona vs. Inter Milan, Viktoria Plzen vs. Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich: Will qualify with a win against Plzen as long as Barca do not beat Inter.

Inter Milan: Will be through with a win at Camp Nou. A draw would also be a very good result, as victory at home to Plzen on Matchday 5 would send them through with the head-to-head over Barca.

Barcelona: Must win at home to Inter to give themselves a realistic chance of reaching the knockout rounds.

Victoria Plzen: With no points and a goal difference of minus-11, Plzen have little chance of progressing. But they will still be mathematically in contention with a loss to Bayern as long as Barca beat Inter.

GROUP D

Next fixtures, Wednesday: Sporting CP vs. Marseille, Tottenham vs. Eintracht Frankfurt

Sporting CP: No team can qualify on Matchday 4 in this exceptionally tight group, but Sporting CP will have one foot in the round of 16 with a win at home to Marseille.

Tottenham Hotspur: A victory over Frankfurt will give Spurs the head-to-head over the German team, and it’s possible they could then qualify with a win at home to Sporting on Matchday 5.

Eintracht Frankfurt: Much like Spurs, a win in North London gives them the head-to-head and the chance to progress by beating Marseille in two weeks.

Marseille: The best result for Marseille is a draw between Spurs and Frankfurt. But if Marseille lose to Sporting, and there is a winner in the other game, a path to the round of 16 will be very tough.

GROUP E

Next fixtures, Wednesday: AC Milan vs. Chelsea, Dinamo Zagreb vs. FC Salzburg

FC Salzburg: Another very close group from which no team can go through this week. Salzburg can move close to the round of 16 with a win in Zagreb and would only need a draw at home to Chelsea in two weeks should the West London club lose in Milan.

Chelsea: Victory in Milan would give Chelsea a three-point lead over Milan and the head-to-head record, which would probably leave them needing one more win to go through.

AC Milan: If Milan can avoid defeat at home to Chelsea, the group will be wide open. However, they would need to win by three goals to claw back in the head-to-head with Chelsea after their heavy loss at Stamford Bridge last week.

Dinamo Zagreb: Still very much in contention, and will go second in the group with a win at home to Salzburg if Milan-Chelsea is a draw. Don’t rule out the Croatians yet.

GROUP F

Next fixtures, Tuesday: Celtic vs. RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Real Madrid

Real Madrid: A draw against Shakhtar will send them through, while a win secures top spot in the group.

Shakhtar Donetsk: Cannot qualify this week, and any points picked up against Madrid will be considered a bonus in the battle for second place.

RB Leipzig: Victory in Scotland will most probably send them up to second place, but they must then host Madrid in two weeks. Shakhtar vs. Leipzig on Matchday 6 appears to be the pivotal fixture right now.

Celtic: Defeat at home to Leipzig will all but end their hopes, but a first group win could put them right back in contention.

GROUP G

Next fixtures, Tuesday: Borussia Dortmund vs. Sevilla, FC Copenhagen vs. Manchester City

Manchester City: A victory sends them through, and as group winners if Dortmund draw/lose. A draw for Man City will also be enough to reach the round of 16 if Sevilla draw/lose.

Borussia Dortmund: Will be through with a win as long as Copenhagen draw/lose. Even if Dortmund only draw against Sevilla, the head-to-head probably leaves them only needing a point from their final two matches to qualify.

Sevilla: Realistically they have to beat Dortmund to stay in contention, and will be eliminated with a loss.

FC Copenhagen: Will be eliminated if they draw/lose and Dortmund beat Sevilla. Must beat Man City to have any real chance.

GROUP H

Next fixtures, Tuesday: Maccabi Haifa vs. Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain vs. Benfica

Paris Saint-Germain: Will qualify with a victory at home to Benfica.

Benfica: Through with a win in Paris.

Juventus: Realistically need to beat Maccabi Haifa to have the best chance of finishing in the top two with only one home game remaining, against PSG on Matchday 6.

Maccabi Haifa: Without a point so far, they will be knocked out with a loss at home to Juve.

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