Champions League & Europa League group stages: What does each team need to qualify?

This week will see teams play their final group stage fixture in Europe.

All four English clubs have progressed to the knockout phase of the Champions League with a game to spare, with another seven teams across Europe joining them.

Meanwhile, West Ham’s stellar campaign sees them top their Europa League group, while Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur’s European journey still hangs in the balance and will be decided by this week’s fixtures.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

This week could prove very tasty for the neutral and can get particularly hard to keep up with who needs what, so we have helped you out below...

Champions League

Group A

Manchester City secured their place in the last 16 and became group winners when they beat Paris Saint-Germain in their previous Champions League clash.

PSG are also through to the knockout stage - meaning RB Leipzig and Club Bruges are left to battle it out for Europa League qualification.

Leipzig will be hoping the Belgian side lose out to PSG, otherwise they have to beat Man City in tonight’s fixture.

Group B

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Liverpool progressed as group winners with two games to spare, while Porto currently sit in second on five points.

Second place is still up for grabs with all three remaining teams still able to qualify.

Porto will host Atletico Madrid tonight, while AC Milan face Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Group C

Ajax have won Group C and Sporting Lisbon have also progressed, meaning Borussia Dortmund are the first shock departure of the competition.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Besiktas finish the group bottom and currently sit on zero points - meaning the this week’s fixtures will have no impact on the final standings in Group C.

Group D

Real Madrid and Inter Milan are both through to the knockout stage and, with only two points between them, will be fighting for top spot in their clash at the Bernabeu tonight.

Sheriff Tiraspol finish third in the group after a very respectable campaign, while Shakhtar Donetsk finish bottom.

Group E

Perhaps the most tense of the remaining fixtures, Barcelona currently sit second in their group and will have to either beat group winners Bayern Munich or hope that Dynamo Kyiv can take something from Benfica to progress.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Benfica currently sit two points behind the La Liga giants in third, while Dynamo Kyiv are on one point.

Group F

Manchester United’s win over Villarreal confirmed their place as group winners, while the Spaniards will have to do anything but lose against Atalanta to take second place.

The Italians can join United in the knockout stage if they beat Villarreal.

Group G

Group G is extremely tight and can see any of the four teams progress going into the final group game.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Lille - who sit top - will face bottom place Wolfsburg, while RB Salzburg take on Sevilla.

Group H

Chelsea moved to top of Group H when they came out victorious over Juventus and will finish as group winners if they match or better the Italian’s result this week.

Zenit are set to finish third in the group, while Malmo are bottom.

Europa League & Europa Conference League

Leicester City

Leicester City are currently top of Group C but there is only two points between them and bottom place Legia Warsaw.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Brendan Rodgers’ side will have the tough task of earning at least a draw against Napoli to advance and only a win would be enough to guarantee them top spot.

West Ham

West Ham’s win over Rapid Vienna means they win their group with a match to spare and will avoid the qualifying round play-off.

Dinamo Zagreb are in second and Genk sit third.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur currently sit second in Group G of the Europa Conference League and are level on points with third place Vitesse.

If they finish on the same points as the Dutch side then it is likely to go to goal difference and Spurs are currently two goals better off in that respect.

Even if Antonio Conte’s team beat Rennes in their final match, if Vitesse manage to beat Mura, and won by three goals more than Spurs, then they would overtake the Premier League side.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.