Ian JohnWe have reached the midway point in the Champions League and that means from now on, we will see a number of teams start to confirm their place in the Knockout Phase of the competition over the remaining three Matchdays.
Alongside that, there will be a battle in many groups for teams jostling for top spot and a seeded spot in the Round of 16 draw, plus there will also be battles for teams trying to finish third in the group and land the consolation prize of a spot in the Europa League playoff stages in the New Year.
So what we have done this week is given you the lowdown of how things stand in each of the eight groups, information on which teams can earn a place in the knockout phase if results go their way on Matchday 4.
Then we’ve given you our tips for the 16 games taking place across Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
We have used the odds available at bet365 Sport for this article and all stated odds were correct at the time of writing but can and likely will change in the run up to kick off for each game.
Let’s now take a look at the current standings in the Champions League, together with details on any team that can qualify from their group this week.
Champions League Standings (After Matchday 3)
Group A
Group A Standings
- Napoli – 9pts (+11)
- Liverpool – 6pts (0)
- Ajax Amsterdam – 3pts (-2)
- Rangers – 0pts (-9)
Should Napoli beat Ajax, then Napoli would be confirmed as one of the qualifiers from Group A.
If Rangers lose then they will not be able to qualify for the knockout phase.
Group B
Group B Standings
- Club Brugge – 9pts (+7)
- FC Porto -3pts (-3)
- Bayer Leverkusen – 3pts (-1)
- Atletico Madrid – 3pts (-3)
Should Club Brugge defeat Atletico Madrid they would be confirmed as being qualified from this group and if the game between FC Porto and Bayer Leverkusen ends in a draw too, then Club Brugge would be confirmed as Group B winners.
Group C
Group C Standings
- Bayern Munich – 9pts (+9)
- Inter Milan – 6pts (+1)
- Barcelona – 3pts (+1)
- Viktoria Plzen – 0 pts (-11)
If Bayern beat Viktoria Plzen, then they will be confirmed as qualified from the group provided that Barcelona do not beat Inter Milan.
Group D
Group D Standings
- Sporting Lisbon – 6pts (+2)
- Tottenham Hotspurs – 4pts (0)
- Eintracht Frankfurt – 4pts (-2)
- Marseille – 3pts (0)
Nothing can be decided in Group D on Matchday 4.
Group E
Group E Standings
- Red Bull Salzburg – 5pts (+1)
- Chelsea – 4pts (+2)
- Milan – 4pts (-1)
- Dinamo Zagreb – 3pts (-2)
Nothing can be decided in Group E on Matchday 4.
Group F
Group F Standings
- Real Madrid – 9pts (+6)
- Shakhtar Donetsk – 4pts (+2)
- Red Bull Leipzig – 3pts (-3)
- Celtic – 1pt (-5)
A win for Real Madrid over Shakhtar Donetsk would confirm Real Madrid as being qualified from Group F and if Celtic and Red Bull Leipzig draw, or Celtic win, and Real also win, then Real will be confirmed as Group Winners.
Group G
Group G Standings
- Manchester City – 9pts (+10)
- Borussia Dortmund – 6pts (+5)
- Sevilla – 1pt (-7)
- Copenhagen – 1pt (-8)
Manchester City require a win to confirm their place in the Knockout Phase. Borussia Dortmund will also qualify for the Knockout Phase with a win.
Group H
Group H Standings
- Paris St Germain – 7pts (+3)
- Benfica – 7pts (+3)
- Juventus – 3pts (0)
- Maccabi Haifa – 0pts (-6)
If Juventus lose to Maccabi Haifa, then if there is a winner of the Paris St Germain v Benfica clash, the winning team would qualify from the group.
Champions League Fixtures – Matchday 4
All games will kick off at 8pm UK Time on their respective days apart from those with alternative times shown in brackets after the game.
Tuesday 11th October
- Group H – Maccabi Haifa v Juventus (5.45pm)
Juventus made heavy weather of their 3-1 win over Maccabi last week and this is symptomatic of the poor form they have been in of late. Maccabi will make it tough for the Italians, but I think Juve’s quality may just prevail. Take Juventus to win 2-1 here at 15/2.
- Group G – Copenhagen v Manchester City (5.45pm)
City strolled to a 5-0 win over these opponents last week and I think they won’t have too much trouble in the return game in Denmark. Haaland is on fire at the moment and I can see him firing City to another comfortable win. Take Man City to win 4-0 at 15/2.
- Group E – Dinamo Zagreb v Red Bull Salzburg
Salzburg edged to a 1-0 win last week and I think they are going to find Dinamo a tough nut to crack back in Zagreb. The home side have a strong record at home and I fancy them to get something from this game. I like the look of a 1-1 draw here which is an 11/2 chance.
- Group E – AC Milan v Chelsea
Chelsea ran out impressive 3-0 winners when the teams met last week and I was so disappointed in Milan and how they approached the game. They’ll be more dangerous at home, but I still feel Chelsea can pick them off on the break. As such, I fancy Chelsea to land a key 2-1 win here at 8/1.
- Group F – Celtic v Red Bull Leipzig
Celtic need a big result here, but after losing 3-1 last week to the German side, I do feel they are going to be up against it here too as Leipzig are a decent side on the counter. Celtic’s defence could struggle against that kind of pace, so take Leipzig to land the win at 21/10.
- Group F – Shakhtar Donetsk v Real Madrid
Real ran out comfortable winners at home last week and in truth, I can’t see anything but the same kind of result here for Carlo Ancelotti’s men. Donetsk have done well to sit 2nd in the group, but I can’t see them getting anything here. Take Real to win 2-0, which is a 7/1 chance.
- Group G – Borussia Dortmund v Sevilla
After thumping Sevilla 4-1 in Spain, Dortmund come into this game knowing a win will put them into the knockout phase in all likelihood. Sevilla are struggling and it is hard to see them picking up anything from this trip to Germany. Dortmund to win 3-1 is a boosted price of 14/1 and that looks a great bet.
- Group H – Paris St Germain v Benfica
A solid 1-1 draw last week, PSG will now face Benfica without Lionel Messi in the return game and Benfica will take heart from that. The Portuguese side have been impressive the last couple of years but I can’t back against PSG at home. Take Paris St Germain to win 2-0 at 15/2.
Wednesday 12th October
- Group A – Napoli v Ajax Amsterdam (5.45pm)
Napoli smashed Ajax to pieces last week recording a 6-1 win in Amsterdam to take total control of Group A. It’s hard to see anything else other than another Napoli win here and a Napoli win and both teams to score is a very appealing 7/4.
- Group B – Atletico Madrid v Club Brugge (5.45pm)
Atletico Madrid have struggled in Europe so far and after losing to Brugge last week, they will want revenge. However Brugge have a 100% record in the group and have yet to concede a goal. To me, this has the hallmarks of a 0-0 draw, which is a 10/1 chance at bet365.
- Group A – Rangers v Liverpool
Liverpool defeated Rangers 2-0 last week but have since lost to Arsenal and also lost two key players in Alexander-Arnold and Diaz to injury. Rangers may not have a better opportunity to beat the Reds but I still feel Liverpool will win. Take Liverpool to win 2-1 at the boosted price of 17/2/.
- Group B – Bayer Leverkusen v FC Porto
Porto ran out 2-0 winners last week in a must win game for them, but in Germany Leverkusen will be a tougher test and I think the German side know that they need something from this game to stand a chance of progressing. A draw looks a good bet and a 1-1 draw is a 6/1 shot.
- Group C – Barcelona v Inter Milan
Last week Inter landed as controversial win over Barcelona to put the Spaniards in third spot in this group. I expect Barcelona to be primed for revenge in this game and at home, I would expect them top land a comfortable win against the Italians. A Barcelona 3-0 win is a tempting 9/1.
- Group C – Viktoria Plzen v Bayern Munich
The Czech side have struggled in this elite company in Group C and it is hard to see them being likely to get anything from this game either. Bayern are not as strong as they once were but they should still pick up a very comfortable win here. Back Bayern to win 3-1 at 10/1.
- Group D – Sporting Lisbon v Marseille
A ill-tempered game between the two last week saw Marseille run out winners as Lisbon saw their keeper sent off in the first half. He will be a big miss here and I think the French side could well cause something of an upset with a win. Take Marseille to win the game here at 19/10.
- Group D – Tottenham v Eintracht Frankfurt
A 0-0 draw last week didn’t really help either team much in the group but Spurs will now have home advantage and that should be enough for them to get over the line here. Frankfurt are not the side they were last season and as such, I am backing Spurs to land a 2-0 win which is a 13/2 shot.
To finish off, here are the latest Champions League 2022/23 stats including the leading goalscorers in the tournament and the players that have received a red card in the Group Stages this season.
Other Champions League Stats
Top Goalscorers 2022/23
- 5 Goals – Erling Haaland (Man City), Frantzdy Pierrot (Maccabi Haifa), Mislav Orsic (Dinamo Zagreb), Victor Boniface (Bodo Glimt)
- 4 Goals – Adama Traore (Ferencvaros), Amahl Pellegrino (Bodo Glimt), Goncalo Ramos (Benfica), Ibrahima Wadji (Qarabag), Kady (Qarabag), Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich)
Players shown in italics are at teams no longer competing in the Champions League.
The totals shown include goals scored in the pre-qualifying rounds for the Champions League which took place ahead of the Group Stages.
Champions League Group Stage Red Cards
- Antonio Adan (Sporting Lisbon)
- James Sands (Rangers)
- Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen)
- Chancel Mbemba Mangulu (Marseille)
- Mehdi Taremi (FC Porto)
- Pavel Bucha (Viktoria Plzen)
- Dusan Tadic (Ajax)
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