Tottenham sit top of a tight Champions League group (Picture: Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
The Champions League group stage 2022 comes to an end this week with the sixth round of matches taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday evening.
A number of the groups are tied on a knife-edge with teams locked on the same number of points.
Tottenham go into their final group game away at Marseille just one point ahead of Sporting and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Meanwhile, Liverpool can still finish top of their group despite sitting three points behind Napoli ahead of their clash with the Italians at Anfield on Tuesday.
Only the top two in each group will make it through to the Round of 16 stage which takes place after Christmas, while the teams finishing in third place drop down to the Europa League.
But what happens if two teams finish the Champions League group stage with the same number of points?
Read on to find out if the group stage standings are decided on goal difference or head-to-head.
UEFA has its own criteria for separating teams level on points (Picture: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
How is the Champions League group stage decided?
Teams that finish level on points after their six Champions League group stage games are first determined by head-to-head points in the fixtures between the two sides.
This is different to the Premier League, which uses goal difference to separate sides when they are tied on the same number of points.
Should the head-to-head points also be tied, then the two sides are sorted by a criteria set out by UEFA.
UEFA Champions League criteria for clubs level on points
Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
Away goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
Goal difference in all group matches;
Goals scored in all group matches;
Away goals scored in all group matches;
Wins in all group matches;
Away wins in all group matches;
Disciplinary points (red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points);
UEFA club coefficient
More: Champions League
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A crucial bit of information.
