Champions League Groups Matchday 6 Final Round Preview: Feature Matches, Standings & Betting
Some of Europe’s finest soccer teams will battle for a place in the knockout stage of the Champions League when Matchday 6 gets underway.
Several elite clubs have already fallen by the wayside, as Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Juventus all faltered last time out. The likes of AC Milan and Tottenham will now bid to avoid a similar fate, so there are lots of exciting games to look forward to.
We have rounded up the situation in each group as the various teams prepare for the final round of group stage matches. Read on to discover which teams have already qualified for the Round of 16, who might join them and our top tips for Matchday 6.
When Do The Champions League Final Group Matches Take Place?
The Champions League group stage games start on Tuesday evening in Europe. Most of the matches are held at 8pm UTC, which means that Australian soccer fans will need to wait until 5am on Wednesday morning to watch the action. There are another eight matches on Wednesday evening in Europe, so they will be shown on Thursday morning AEST.
Champions League Matchday 6 Group Standings & What’s Up For Grabs?
Group A
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Napoli | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | 16 | 15 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 12 |
| 3 | Ajax | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 15 | -7 | 3 |
| 4 | Rangers | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 19 | -18 | 0 |
Serie A leaders Napoli cruised through the group stage as one of just two teams with a 100% winning record. Liverpool recovered after suffering a shock 5-1 defeat to Napoli in their opener, and they have also booked a place in the Round of 16 after winning four on the bounce. Ajax will drop down to the Europa League, while Rangers are out of European competitions entirely.
Group B
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Club Brugge | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
| 2 | Porto | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 9 |
| 3 | Atlético Madrid | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | -3 | 5 |
| 4 | Bayer Leverkusen | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 4 |
Club Brugge are the surprise package of this season’s Champions League. The Belgian champions are already assured of a place in the knockout stage, and they still have a chance to win their group. Porto, who thumped Brugge 5-0 on Matchday 5, will join them in the Round of 16, leaving Atlético Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen to fight it out for the consolation prize of a place in the Europa League.
Group C
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 14 | 15 |
| 2 | Inter Milan | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 3 | Barcelona | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 10 | -2 | 4 |
| 4 | Viktoria Plzen | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 20 | -17 | 0 |
Bayern Munich won all five group stage games in imperious fashion. Some fans feared the Bavarians would struggle after star striker Robert Lewandowski forced through a move to Barcelona before the season began. However, Bayern beat Barça 2-0 at home and 3-0 on the road, consigning them to the Europa League and perhaps making Lewandowski regret his decision. Inter Milan are also into the knockout stage after taking four points off Barcelona and thumping the hapless Viktoria Plzen.
Group D
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Tottenham Hotspur | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 8 |
| 2 | Sporting Lisbon | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 3 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | -2 | 7 |
| 4 | Marseille | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
Group D remains wide open after Sporting Lisbon held Tottenham to a 1-1 draw in London during Matchday 5. Spurs are in pole position, but all four of these teams could qualify for the knockout stage as we head into the final round of fixtures.
Group E
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Chelsea | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| 2 | AC Milan | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | RB Salzburg | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | Dinamo Zagreb | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | -6 | 4 |
Chelsea ruthlessly dispensed with manager Thomas Tuchel after losing 1-0 to Dinamo Zagreb in their opener. Replacement Graham Potter has led the Blues to three wins and a draw from four matches, ensuring they will finish top of the group. AC Milan will take on Austrian champions RB Salzburg on Matchday 6, and a draw would be enough to see them join Chelsea in the Round of 16.
Group F
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Real Madrid | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 2 | RB Leipzig | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| 3 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| 4 | Celtic | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 10 | -7 | 2 |
Real Madrid took a commanding lead in Group F by winning their opening three matches. The reigning European champions have since run out of steam, but they are guaranteed a place in the knockout stage. They need to beat Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic team in their final match to sew up top spot, which would theoretically result in a less taxing Round of 16 clash. RB Leipzig, who beat a depleted Real Madrid 3-2 last time out, will aim to maintain their fine form against Shakhtar Donetsk, although they suffered a heavy defeat to the Ukrainian side earlier this season – a result that caused them to sack Domenico Tedesco as manager.
Group G
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Manchester City | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 11 |
| 2 | Borussia Dortmund | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 8 |
| 3 | Copenhagen | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 5 |
| 4 | Sevilla | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 11 | -11 | 2 |
Champions League favourites Manchester City lived up to their hype by easing to victory in each of their first three group stage games. Since then, star striker Erling Haaland has barely featured, and they have drawn back-to-back matches 0-0. However, they are guaranteed to finish top of the group, and Borussia Dortmund will join them in the Round of 16.
Group H
| 1 | PSG | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 11 |
| 2 | Benfica | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 11 |
| 3 | Juventus | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 11 | -3 | 3 |
| 4 | Maccabi Haifa | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 15 | -9 | 3 |
PSG and Benfica have both qualified for the knockout stage with identical, unbeaten records. They drew their games against one another and vanquished Juventus and Maccabi Haifa. It has been a disastrous campaign for Juventus, who suffered a shock 2-0 defeat to Maccabi Haifa in Israel. The Bianconeri may now need to get a result against the mighty PSG in their final group stage game to clinch a place in the Europa League.
What Are The Matches That Matter In Champions League Matchday 6?
Marseille vs. Tottenham
A draw in the south of France would be enough to send Spurs through to the knockout stage, but defeat could result in them being eliminated. It could be a tight clash, so we make Tottenham the narrow $2.20 favourites, with Marseille priced at $3.05 and $3.35 on the draw.
Sporting vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
Sporting and Eintracht are level on seven points apiece in Group D, so either team would advance to the Round of 16 if they were to win this match. It finished 3-0 to Sporting when they met in Germany, and we make the Portuguese team to $2.33 favourites to clinch a famous win.
Porto vs. Atlético Madrid
Porto could finish top of their group if they beat Atlético Madrid, while Diego Simeone’s men will fight for a place in the Europa League.
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Club Brugge
Club Brugge will aim to bounce back from a chastening 4-0 defeat to Porto by winning this one and clinching top spot, but Bayer Leverkusen are still trying to pip Atlético Madrid to a Europa League place.
AC Milan vs. RB Salzburg
This is arguably the biggest game in Matchday 6. AC Milan know that a draw will see them through to the Round of 16, whereas Salzburg need a win to usurp the Rossoneri. The Austrians have been cautious thus far, but they will take the handbrake off in this clash, which should be an entertaining affair.
Real Madrid vs. Celtic
Los Blancos just need to beat Celtic to wrap up first place in their group, and they should saunter to victory. We make them the $1.16 favourites, but there are various Asian handicaps to check out.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs. RB Leipzig
Shakhtar thumped Leipzig 4-0 on Matchday 1, but they now trail their German rivals by three points. However, victory in this game would see them qualify for the Round of 16 at Leizpig’s expense, so it promises to be a gripping contest.
Champions League Matchday 6 Tips
- Tottenham to beat Marseille at $2.20 – Spurs beat the Ligue 1 team 2-0 in London last month, and they should have the edge when the teams renew hostilities for a crucial game on Matchday 6.
- Barcelona -1.5/-2.0 vs. Viktoria Plzen at $1.86 – Barça’s pride will be wounded after losing 3-0 to Bayern Munich, and they will be keen to end the group stage with an emphatic win against the Czech champions, who have conceded 20 goals in five matches.
- Benfica to beat Maccabi Haifa at $1.66 – Benfica can still clinch top spot in their group if they beat Maccabi Haifa and PSG fail to beat Juventus, and they should win this match.
**Odds quoted are accurate at the time of writing but are subject to change.
