Fri. Nov 15th, 2024
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Manchester City won their first Champions League title in June
Manchester City won their first Champions League title in June

Holders Manchester City and Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig became the first sides to reach the knockout stages of this season’s Champions League, securing their spots in the last 16 with two matches to spare on Tuesday.

English sides Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle, plus Scottish champions Celtic, can all still mathematically join City and Leipzig in the last 16.

The top two teams in each of the eight groups advance to the knockouts, with third place dropping into the Europa League.

So which clubs are almost there? And who needs a miracle? BBC Sport gives you the lowdown on all the Champions League group stage permutations.

Team P W D L GD PTS
1 Bayern Munich 3 3 0 0 4 9
2 Galatasaray 3 1 1 1 -1 4
3 Manchester United 3 1 0 2 -1 3
4 FC Copenhagen 3 0 1 2 -2 1

Bayern Munich are dominating Group A and will reach the knockouts with victory over Galatasaray on Wednesday.

Should Galatasaray fail to beat Bayern, and Manchester United beat Copenhagen on Wednesday, the Old Trafford club will move up to second and boost their qualification chances with two matches remaining.

Team P W D L GD PTS
1 Arsenal 3 2 0 1 4 6
2 Lens 3 1 2 0 1 5
3 Sevilla 3 0 2 1 -1 2
4 PSV Eindhoven 3 0 2 1 -4 2

Arsenal and Lens will both advance from Group B with two wins from their final three matches.

If the Gunners beat Sevilla in their next match on Wednesday and Lens defeat PSV, Mikel Arteta’s side will secure a place in the last 16 with two matches to spare.

Team P W D L GD PTS
1 Real Madrid 3 3 0 0 3 9
2 Napoli 4 2 1 1 1 7
3 Sporting Braga 3 1 0 2 -1 3
4 Union Berlin 4 0 1 3 -3 1

Real Madrid will advance to the knockout stages for the 26th consecutive season with a win over Sporting Braga on Wednesday.

All four sides in Group C could still mathematically reach the last 16 after Union Berlin avoided an early elimination by collecting their first Champions League point in a 1-1 draw at Napoli on Wednesday.

Team P W D L GD PTS
1 Real Sociedad 4 3 1 0 5 10
2 Inter Milan 3 2 1 0 2 7
3 RB Salzburg 3 1 0 2 -1 3
4 Benfica 4 0 0 4 -6 0

Real Sociedad eliminated Benfica from Champions League knockout contention with a 3-1 win on Wednesday.

La Real and Inter Milan will both reach the last 16 with two matches to spare if Inter beat Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday.

Benfica can still reach the Europa League last 32 with a third-placed finish.

Team P W D L GD PTS
1 Atletico Madrid 4 2 2 0 7 8
2 Lazio 4 2 1 1 0 7
3 Feyenoord 4 2 0 2 2 6
4 Celtic 4 0 1 3 -9 1

Celtic need an improbable set of results to reach the knockout stage for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign.

The Scottish champions must win their final two matches against Feyenoord and Lazio – scoring at least two goals away to the latter, and also hope both sides lose to Atletico Madrid.

Celtic are the only side who can be eliminated from last 16 contention from Group E before the sixth and final round of fixtures.

Team P W D L GD PTS
1 Borussia Dortmund 4 2 1 1 1 7
2 Paris St-Germain 4 2 0 2 1 6
3 AC Milan 4 1 2 1 -2 5
4 Newcastle 4 1 1 2 0 4

Newcastle United will be unable to reach the last 16 if they lose to Paris St-Germain in their next match on 28 November.

That is due to the Magpies’ inferior head-to head record versus Borussia Dortmund (two defeats). But Eddie Howe’s side will go second with one fixture remaining in Group F if they beat PSG later this month.

Team P W D L GD PTS
1 Manchester City 4 4 0 0 9 12
2 RB Leipzig 4 3 0 1 3 9
3 Red Star Belgrade 4 0 1 3 -5 1
4 Young Boys 4 0 1 3 -7 1

Manchester City reached the last 16 with two matches to spare by defeating Young Boys on Tuesday night.

On the same evening, Group G rivals RB Leipzig joined them in the knockouts, advancing with a win over Red Star Belgrade.

City will win the group with one game still to play if they avoid defeat to Leipzig when the pair face off at Etihad Stadium in their next fixture on 28 November.

Team P W D L GD PTS
1 Barcelona 4 3 0 1 6 9
2 FC Porto 4 3 0 1 6 9
3 Shakhtar Donetsk 4 2 0 2 -1 6
4 Royal Antwerp 4 0 0 4 -11 0

Barcelona missed out on reaching the knockout stage for the first time in three years when they failed to pick up a point against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.

But the five-time winners can still advance with a game to spare if they beat FC Porto on 28 November. Porto and Shakhtar, who meet each other on matchday six, remain in contention to qualify.

Royal Antwerp’s hopes are already over, but the Belgian champions could end up in the Europa League if they win, and Shakhtar lose, their final two games.

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