UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2024, TIE-BREAKER SYSTEM EXPLAINED: HOW ARE TEAMS WITH EQUAL POINTS SPLIT AFTER THE UCL GROUP STAGE?

Teams from all over the continent are divided into eight groups under the current UEFA Champions League system, with the top two teams automatically advancing to the Round of 16.

The third-placed team in the group advances to the UEFA Europa League knockout stages. UEFA has tiebreakers in place to separate teams in a group if two or more of them finish with the same number of points after playing their required number of matches.

How does UEFA’s tie-breaker system work?

If two or more clubs end up on the same number of points at the end of the group stage, the following tie-breaker will be applied in the same order.

• higher number of points in the group matches played between the teams
• superior goal difference among the teams in contention in the group stage
• higher number of goals scored among the teams in contention in the group stage
• if after the first three criteria are applied, teams still have an equal ranking, the criteria are reapplied to the matches involving the remaining teams in question. In case the tie continues, the following criteria will be apllied.
• superior goal difference across all group stage matches
• higher number of away goals in all group stage matches
• higher number of wins in all group stage matches
• higher number of away wins in all group stage matches
• lower disciplinary points based on yellow and red cards received by players and team officials in all group matches (red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, two yellow cards in one game = 3 points)
• higher club coefficient