PalpiGol News · GUIDES
How the Champions League table works at the halfway point
Four of the eight matchdays are done in the Champions League league phase, and the table is already tight enough to explain how the new format works. PSG and Real Madrid lead with 12 points each, nine clubs are bunched on 9, and Atlético Madrid and Porto sit outside the places that keep a team alive.
In 30 seconds: 36 clubs play in one table, and each plays eight matches · The top eight go straight to the round of 16; 9th to 24th play a playoff; 25th to 36th are out · PSG and Real Madrid lead with 12 points · Nine clubs are level on 9, from 4th to 12th · Real Madrid vs PSV and Arsenal vs Borussia Dortmund open matchday 5 on Nov 24
One table, eight matches
By the numbers: 36 · clubs in a single league-phase table
By the numbers: 8 · matches for each club, four at home and four away
By the numbers: 24 · clubs that stay alive after the league phase
The old group stage is gone. Instead of four-team groups, all 36 clubs sit in one table and each plays eight different opponents, four at home and four away. Wins are worth three points and draws one. The league phase ends on Wednesday, Jan 27, with all 18 games played at the same time.
The table decides everything. The top eight go straight to the round of 16. Clubs from 9th to 24th play a two-legged playoff for the other eight places, and the clubs from 25th to 36th are eliminated.
Highlight: Eighth place avoids the playoff; ninth does not. The margin on the table is thin, and goals scored can decide it.
How ties are broken
Clubs level on points are separated first by goal difference, then by goals scored, and after that by away goals, wins and further criteria published by UEFA. The effect is visible today. Liverpool, Club Brugge and Sporting all have 9 points and a +4 goal difference, and the order comes down to goals scored: Liverpool are 8th, Brugge 9th and Sporting 10th. In practice, one goal is the difference between a direct place in the round of 16 and a playoff.
Where the table stands
By the numbers: 12 · points each for PSG and Real Madrid, the only two with four wins in four games
By the numbers: 9 · clubs on 9 points, from 4th to 12th
By the numbers: 13 · goal difference for Como, fourth, after a 9-1 win at Lens
PSG lead on goal difference, +15, after a 6-0 win at Villarreal on matchday 4. Real Madrid beat AEK 3-2 in Athens, their eighth straight win in all competitions. Arsenal are third with 10 points, three wins and a draw, and are unbeaten.
| # | Team | Pts | GP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PSG | 12 | 4 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 12 | 4 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 10 | 4 |
| 4 | Como | 9 | 4 |
| 5 | Barcelona | 9 | 4 |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 9 | 4 |
| 7 | Manchester City | 9 | 4 |
| 8 | Liverpool | 9 | 4 |
Barcelona beat Aston Villa 3-0 and are fifth. Liverpool lost 3-2 at Fenerbahçe on matchday 4 but still hold the last direct place.
Who needs to catch up
Atlético Madrid lost 2-0 at home to Bayern Munich and are 23rd with 4 points and a -1 goal difference, five points behind eighth place. Porto are 26th with 3 points, inside the elimination zone. Inter and Manchester United have 6 points, and Bayern Munich are unbeaten with 8, two wins and two draws, and a point behind the group on 9.
What comes next
Matchday 5 is on Nov 24 and 25, after the domestic leagues return. Real Madrid host PSV and Arsenal host Borussia Dortmund, who have 9 points and are 12th, both on Tuesday at 3pm ET. On Wednesday, Atlético Madrid host Viking, who have the same 4 points and the same -1 goal difference, in a game where a win lifts Diego Simeone's side out of the danger zone. Barcelona visit Sabah, and Club Brugge host Liverpool.
Result: Villarreal 0 x 6 PSG · Champions League · matchday 4
Result: Lens 1 x 9 Como · Champions League · matchday 4
Result: AEK 2 x 3 Real Madrid · Champions League · matchday 4
Result: Barcelona 3 x 0 Aston Villa · Champions League · matchday 4
Result: Atlético Madrid 0 x 2 Bayern Munich · Champions League · matchday 4
Result: Fenerbahçe 3 x 2 Liverpool · Champions League · matchday 4
Brazil corner
Brazil's top-flight league, the Brasileirão, is paused for the international break. Flamengo lead with 76 points and Palmeiras have 73, and Palmeiras play two finals: the Copa Libertadores final against Estudiantes on Nov 28 in Montevideo, and the final of the Copa do Brasil, Brazil's national knockout cup, against Grêmio on Dec 6 in Brasília.
Coming up
Fixture: Sat (Nov 21), 3pm · Real Madrid vs Celta Vigo · LaLiga · matchday 13
Fixture: Tue (Nov 24), 3pm · Real Madrid vs PSV · Champions League · matchday 5
Fixture: Tue (Nov 24), 3pm · Arsenal vs Borussia Dortmund · Champions League · matchday 5
Fixture: Wed (Nov 25), 3pm · Atlético Madrid vs Viking · Champions League · matchday 5
Fixture: Sat (Nov 28) · Palmeiras vs Estudiantes · Copa Libertadores · final · Montevideo
PalpiGol prediction: Arsenal 2 x 1 Borussia Dortmund · Arsenal are unbeaten and at home, but Dortmund come in on 9 points and are good enough to score at the Emirates.
All times ET. Who ends up in the top eight? Make your prediction.
Sources: UEFA (uefa.com); CBF (cbf.com.br); Diario de Pernambuco; DGABC.