The UEFA Champions League is nearing the end of its group stage, with 16 precious places in the first knockout round up for grabs.
Manchester City are looking to go back-to-back after their triumph in last season’s Champions League, potentially becoming the first English club since Nottingham Forest in 1980 to successfully defend the trophy.
The likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona have also enjoyed strong group-stage campaigns and will surely be in the mix towards the sharp end of the competition.
Yet there is plenty to decide as we enter the decisive rounds of the group phase. While some teams are on the brink of progress, others, such as Manchester United, have bowed out in ignominy.
The Sporting News reviews the group stage ahead of its final match night and examines what teams from each group need to qualify for the Round of 16.
MORE: Champions League Round of 16 schedule, draw & qualified teams
Champions League permutations, scenarios: What teams need to qualify
Group A
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
| Bayern Munich (Q) | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | +6 | 16 |
| Copenhagen (Q) | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Galatasaray | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -3 | 5 |
| Manchester United | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 4 |
Bayern Munich coasted into the knockout rounds but Copenhagen, Galatasaray and Manchester United all entered the final matchweek with a chance of joining the Bundesliga giants.
Galatasaray knew that if they beat Copenhagen at Parken they would go through but Lukas Lerager scored the only goal in a 1-0 win for the hosts
Manchester United are out of Europe altogether after a limp display against Bayern at Old Trafford, where Kingsley Coman sealed a 1-0 win for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
Results
| Date | Fixture/Result |
| Sept. 20 | Galatasaray 2-2 FC Copenhagen |
| Sept. 20 | Bayern Munich 4-3 Manchester United |
| Oct. 3 | Manchester United 2-3 Galatasaray |
| Oct. 3 | FC Copenhagen 1-2 Bayern Munich |
| Oct. 24 | Galatasaray 1-3 Bayern Munich |
| Oct. 24 | Manchester United 1-0 FC Copenhagen |
| Nov. 8 | Bayern Munich 2-1 Galatasaray |
| Nov. 8 | FC Copenhagen 4-3 Manchester United |
| Nov. 29 | Galatasaray 3-3 Manchester United |
| Nov. 29 | Bayern Munich 0-0 FC Copenhagen |
| Dec. 12 | FC Copenhagen 1-0 Galatasaray |
| Dec. 12 | Manchester United 0-1 Bayern Munich |
Group B
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
| Arsenal (Q) | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | +12 | 13 |
| PSV (Q) | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | -2 | 9 |
| Lens | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -5 | 8 |
| Sevilla | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | -5 | 2 |
Arsenal finished top of the pile and their 6-0 thrashing of Lens on matchday five confirmed them as winners of Group B.
PSV‘s comeback win over Sevilla meant have also qualified thanks to Lens‘ defeat. The Ligue 1 side beat their LaLiga opponents 2-1 to make sure of a Europa League berth as PSV and Arsenal played out an entertaining 1-1 draw.
Results
| Date | Fixture/Result |
| Sept. 20 | Sevilla 1-1 Lens |
| Sept. 20 | Arsenal 4-0 PSV |
| Oct. 3 | Lens 2-1 Arsenal |
| Oct. 3 | PSV 2-2 Sevilla |
| Oct. 24 | Sevilla 1-2 Arsenal |
| Oct. 24 | Lens 1-1 PSV |
| Nov. 8 | Arsenal 2-0 Sevilla |
| Nov. 8 | PSV 1-0 Lens |
| Nov. 29 | Sevilla 2-3 PSV |
| Nov. 29 | Arsenal 6-0 Lens |
| Dec. 12 | Lens 2-1 Sevilla |
| Dec. 12 | PSV 1-1 Arsenal |
Group C
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
| Real Madrid (Q) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | +9 | 18 |
| Napoli (Q) | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| Braga | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -6 | 4 |
| Union Berlin | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | -4 | 2 |
Real Madrid, the 14-time European champions, completed six-wins out of six with a topsy-turvy 3-2 win away to Union Berlin
MORE: Jude Bellingham’s incredible stats for Real Madrid this season
That result ruled the Bundesliga side out of the Europa League, a spot Braga claim as consolation after Napoli snuffed out their slim hopes of second place with a 2-0 win at the Diego Armando Maradona.
Results
| Date | Fixture/Result |
| Sept. 20 | Real Madrid 1-0 Union Berlin |
| Sept. 20 | Braga 1-2 Napoli |
| Oct. 3 | Union Berlin 2-3 Braga |
| Oct. 3 | Napoli 2-3 Real Madrid |
| Oct. 24 | Braga 1-2 Real Madrid |
| Oct. 24 | Union Berlin 0-1 Napoli |
| Nov. 8 | Napoli 1-1 Union Berlin |
| Nov. 8 | Real Madrid 3-0 Braga |
| Nov. 29 | Real Madrid 4-2 Napoli |
| Nov. 29 | Braga 1-1 Union Berlin |
| Dec. 12 | Napoli 2-0 Braga |
| Dec. 12 | Union Berlin 2-3 Real Madrid |
Group D
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Real Sociedad (Q) | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | +5 | 12 |
| 2. Inter Milan (Q) | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 12 |
| 3. Benfica | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -4 | 4 |
| 4. RB Salzburg | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -4 | 4 |
Real Sociedad and Inter Milan dominated Group D and could not be separated as they shared a 0-0 draw at San Siro. That left the Basque side top of the pile on goal difference.
Salzburg had their Europea League destiny in their own hands but crashed out as an Angel Di Maria-inspired Benfica ran out 3-1 winners in Austria. Roger Schmidt’s side progressed on goals scored, with Arthur Cabral’s stoppage-time strike proving decisive
Results
| Date | Fixture/Result |
| Sept. 20 | Real Sociedad 1-1 Inter Milan |
| Sept. 20 | Benfica 0-2 RB Salzburg |
| Oct. 3 | RB Salzburg 0-2 Real Sociedad |
| Oct. 3 | Inter Milan 1-0 Benfica |
| Oct. 24 | Inter Milan 2-1 RB Salzburg |
| Oct. 24 | Benfica 0-1 Real Sociedad |
| Nov. 8 | Real Sociedad 3-1 Benfica |
| Nov. 8 | RB Salzburg 0-1 Inter Milan |
| Nov. 29 | Benfica 3-3 Inter Milan |
| Nov. 29 | Real Sociedad 0-0 RB Salzburg |
| Dec. 12 | RB Salzburg 1-3 Benfica |
| Dec. 12 | Inter Milan 0-0 Real Sociedad |
Group E
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Atletico (Q) | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | +9 | 11 |
| 2. Lazio (Q) | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +2 | 10 |
| 3. Feyenoord | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| 4. Celtic | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -11 | 1 |
Atletico Madrid and Lazio have confirmed themselves as the two qualifiers for the Round of 16 and top spot in Group E will be decided by their showdown in the Spanish capital on December 13. Feyenoord will finish third and drop into the Europa League.
Results and remaining fixtures
| Date | Fixture/Result |
| Sept. 19 | Feyenoord 2-0 Celtic |
| Sept. 19 | Lazio 1-1 Atletico |
| Oct. 4 | Atletico 3-2 Feyenoord |
| Oct. 4 | Celtic 1-2 Lazio |
| Oct. 25 | Feyenoord 3-1 Lazio |
| Oct. 25 | Celtic 2-2 Atletico |
| Nov. 7 | Atletico 6-0 Celtic |
| Nov. 7 | Lazio 1-0 Feyenoord |
| Nov. 28 | Lazio 2-0 Celtic |
| Nov. 28 | Feyenoord 1-3 Atletico |
| Dec. 13 | Atletico vs. Lazio |
| Dec. 13 | Celtic vs. Feyenoord |
Group F
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Bor. Dortmund (Q) | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +3 | 10 |
| 2. PSG | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | +1 | 7 |
| 3. Newcastle | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 4. AC Milan | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -4 | 5 |
Group F has confirmed one qualifier ahead of the final round of matches with the impressive Borussia Dortmund sealing their place in the Round of 16.
If Paris Saint-Germain win away at Dortmund in their final game, they will join the Bundesliga side in the knockouts, but a draw or defeat in Germany would offer hope to Newcastle and AC Milan.
Newcastle have a head-to-head advantage over PSG, so if the Magpies beat Milan at St. James’ Park, and PSG fail to beat Dortmund, they will progress.
A draw will not be enough for either Newcastle or Milan, regardless of PSG’s result, while Milan need to win and PSG to lose to stand a chance.
Results and remaining fixtures
| Date | Fixture/Result |
| Sept. 19 | Milan 0-0 Newcastle |
| Sept. 19 | PSG 2-0 Dortmund |
| Oct. 4 | Dortmund 0-0 Milan |
| Oct. 4 | Newcastle 4-1 PSG |
| Oct. 25 | PSG 3-0 Milan |
| Oct. 25 | Newcastle 0-1 Dortmund |
| Nov. 7 | Dortmund 2-0 Newcastle |
| Nov. 7 | Milan 2-1 PSG |
| Nov. 28 | PSG 1-1 Newcastle |
| Nov. 28 | Milan 1-3 Dortmund |
| Dec. 13 | Dortmund vs. PSG |
| Dec. 13 | Newcastle vs. Milan |
Group G
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Man City (Q) | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | +10 | 15 |
| 2. RB Leipzig (Q) | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | +2 | 9 |
| 3. Young Boys | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -5 | 4 |
| 4. Red Star Belgrade | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -6 | 1 |
Manchester City and RB Leipzig confirmed their knockout places after four games played and City’s 3-2 comeback win over the Bundesliga team on November 28 clinched top spot in Group G for Pep Guardiola.
Results and remaining fixtures
| Date | Fixture/Result |
| Sept. 19 | Young Boys 1-3 RB Leipzig |
| Sept. 19 | Man City 3-1 Red Star Belgrade |
| Oct. 4 | RB Leipzig 1-3 Man City |
| Oct. 4 | Red Star Belgrade 2-2 Young Boys |
| Oct. 25 | RB Leipzig 3-1 Red Star Belgrade |
| Oct. 25 | Young Boys 1-3 Man City |
| Nov. 7 | Man City 3-0 Young Boys |
| Nov. 7 | Red Star Belgrade 1-2 RB Leipzig |
| Nov. 28 | Man City 3-2 RB Leipzig |
| Nov. 28 | Young Boys 2-0 Red Star Belgrade |
| Dec. 13 | RB Leipzig vs. Young Boys |
| Dec. 13 | Red Star Belgrade vs. Man City |
Group H
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Barcelona (Q) | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | +7 | 12 |
| 2. Porto | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | +5 | 9 |
| 3. Shakhtar Donetsk | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| 4. Antwerp | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | -12 | 0 |
Barcelona’s 2-1 home win over Porto sealed their place in the Round of 16 from Group H. The battle to join them will be a straight shootout between Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk ahead of their meeting on December 13.
Porto won the reverse fixture 3-1 in September and a home win would see them through.
Results and remaining fixtures
| Date | Fixture/Result |
| Sept. 19 | Barcelona 5-0 Antwerp |
| Sept. 19 | Shakhtar Donetsk 1-3 Porto |
| Oct. 4 | Antwerp 2-3 Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Oct. 4 | Porto 0-1 Barcelona |
| Oct. 25 | Barcelona 2-1 Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Oct. 25 | Antwerp 1-4 Porto |
| Nov. 7 | Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 Barcelona |
| Nov. 7 | Porto 2-0 Antwerp |
| Nov. 28 | Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 Antwerp |
| Nov. 28 | Barcelona 2-1 Porto |
| Dec. 13 | Antwerp vs. Barcelona |
| Dec. 13 | Porto vs. Shakhtar Donetsk |
Champions League Round of 16 lineup: Which teams have qualified?
The following teams are already qualified for the Champions League Round of 16 after four matches:
- Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Inter Milan, Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Atletico Madrid, Lazio, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, Arsenal, PSV
The full Round of 16 lineup will not be known until after all the groups have completed their fixtures.
When is the Champions League Round of 16 draw?
The draw for the Round of 16 will be made in Nyon, Switzerland at UEFA’s headquarters on Monday, December 18, 2023 at 12 noon CET (6 a.m. ET).
The teams will be divided into group winners and second-place finishers, with each runner-up drawn against a group winner. No team can be drawn against anyone from the same country until at least the quarterfinals. Third-place finishers in each group will drop into the Europa League playoff round.
