What happens if Champions League teams finish on level points? Tiebreaker explained

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• UEFA Champions League

Need to know

The Champions League's league phase concludes tonight but only eight teams will automatically qualify for the knockout rounds, while 16 sides will enter the playoffs

Manchester City are hoping to qualify for the Champions League's knockout rounds tonight(Image: 2026 Getty Images)

Champions League league phase tie break conditions explained

If Teams Finish on Level Points:

1. Goal Difference First: If teams finish level on points in the Champions League league phase while aiming to qualify in the top eight or the following 16 play-off positions, the main tiebreaker is superior overall goal difference across all eight matches. This ensures the margin of victory throughout the entire league phase is the most significant factor for ranking who progresses.
2. Total Goals Scored: Should the goal difference be identical, the team that has scored the higher number of total goals in the competition will be ranked higher. This rewards attacking output over the course of the eight fixtures played.
3. Away Goals Count: If teams remain tied, the side with the higher number of goals scored away from home is given the advantage. Even though the divisive "away goals rule" was scrapped for knockout matches, a version of it remains a critical tiebreaker in the league table.
4. Number of Wins: If the teams are still inseparable, the number of total wins achieved during the league phase is used to break the deadlock. A team with more victories will finish higher than a team with more draws, even if their points are equal.
5. Away Wins Priority: If goal difference, total goals, away goals and total wins are all equal, the team with the highest number of away wins takes precedence. This further emphasises the value of performing successfully on the road in the new format.
6. Strength of Schedule (Opponent Points): If still tied, UEFA calculates the collective points earned by all eight of each team’s opponents. The team whose opponents performed better overall—indicating a theoretically harder schedule—will be ranked higher.
7. Opponent Goal Statistics: In the unlikely event that a tie persists, the ranking is decided by the superior collective goal difference of a team’s eight opponents. This is followed by the higher number of goals scored collectively by those same opponents.
8. Disciplinary Record & Coefficient: Should all footballing metrics be identical, the team with the lower disciplinary points (yellow/red cards) will finish higher. If that is also equal, the final deciding factor is the higher club coefficient gathered over previous seasons.