Champions League Group Stage (2023)

FAQs

What happens if you finish 3rd in Champions League group stage? ›

Third-placed teams transfer to the Europa Conference League, where they will face the group runners-up from that competition in the knockout round play-offs.

UEFA Champions League knockout round schedule, matches

Sixteen clubs that finish first or second in the group stage will advance to the knockout round. They will be seeded by group stage finish, with seeded teams drawn against unseeded teams for the Round of 16.

How did the group stage draw work? The 32 teams were split into four seeding pots. Pot 1 consisted of the holders, the UEFA Europa League winners and six domestic champions. Pots 2 to 4 were determined by the club coefficient rankings.

The top two teams of each group advanced to the round of 16. The third-placed teams were transferred to the Europa League knockout round play-offs, while the fourth-placed teams were eliminated from European competitions for the season.

Will fifth place qualify if Man City win the Champions League? To put it simply for fifth-placed Liverpool, no they won't. As mentioned, City would qualify for next season's Champions League as reigning champions should they lift the trophy in June's final.

If the Premier League provides one of the top two performers for a nation in the 2023/24 Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League, the team finishing fifth this season will earn a UCL spot in 2024/25.

If two or more teams' total points scored and goal differences are both equal, then often goals scored is used as a further tiebreaker, with the team scoring the most goals winning. After this a variety of other tiebreakers may be used.

The team that scores more goals over the two legs advances to the next round. If the aggregate score is level, the away-goals rule is applied. Therefore, the club that scores more goals away from home over the two legs advances. If away goals are also equal, then extra time (an additional 30 minutes) is played.

CHL Tie-breaking Rules

In the event two teams are still tied, the team that scored the higher number of goals in one of their mutual games gets the advantage. Should three or more teams be tied on points, then a sub-group amongst the tied teams is created and the same Tie-breaking Rules are applied.

The two group winners advance into the round of 16, with the winners seeded and runners-up unseeded. The third-placed team enter the Europa League play-off round, while the team who finishes bottom of the group is eliminated from European competition entirely.

How many make it out of Champions League group stage? ›

The 32 teams are drawn into eight groups of four teams and play each other in a double round-robin system. The eight group winners and eight runners-up proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final match in late May or early June.

If two or more teams in the same group are tied in points, goal difference, and goals scored, they will then be ranked head-to-head. If two teams are tied, you look at the one group game results. If one team won, they are ranked higher. If not, we move on to fair play record.

The top two teams in a group advance to the next round of the competition, while the third-place team moves down to the Europa League. The fourth-place team is eliminated from European competition.

At the start of the season, the top four in the Premier League qualify for the Champions League, while fifth place and the FA Cup winners enter the Europa League.

Europa League explained

There are 12 groups of four teams, with each team playing everyone else in that group on a home and away basis. The top two in each group, plus the eight third-placed teams who depart from the UEFA Champions League group stage, progress to the round of 32.

The two group winners advance into the round of 16, with the winners seeded and runners-up unseeded. The third-placed team enter the Europa League play-off round, while the team who finishes bottom of the group is eliminated from European competition entirely.