The 2022/23 Champions League: The Road to the Final
The Race for Group Stage Dominance Heats Up
The UEFA Champions League, Europe's elite club competition, is back with a bang, and the battle for group stage supremacy is already reaching fever pitch.
With just a few match days remaining, the top two teams from each of the eight groups are vying for automatic qualification to the knockout phase, while the third-placed sides will drop into the UEFA Europa League.
Here's a closer look at the race in each group:
Group A
* Napoli (12 points) * Liverpool (9 points) * Ajax (6 points) * Rangers (0 points)Napoli and Liverpool look set to battle it out for top spot, with Ajax needing a miracle to overturn a six-point deficit.
Group B
* Club Brugge (10 points) * FC Porto (6 points) * Bayer Leverkusen (5 points) * Atlético Madrid (4 points)Club Brugge have surprised many by topping the group, but Porto and Leverkusen are still in contention for a top-two finish.
Group C
* Bayern Munich (12 points) * Inter Milan (7 points) * Barcelona (4 points) * Viktoria Plzen (0 points)Bayern Munich are runaway leaders, leaving Inter, Barcelona, and Viktoria Plzen to battle it out for second place.
Group D
* Tottenham Hotspur (8 points) * Sporting CP (7 points) * Eintracht Frankfurt (7 points) * Marseille (6 points)Tottenham, Sporting CP, and Eintracht Frankfurt are all level on points, setting up a thrilling three-way battle for the top two spots.
Group E
* Chelsea (10 points) * AC Milan (7 points) * RB Salzburg (6 points) * Dinamo Zagreb (4 points)Chelsea look strong favorites to finish top, with AC Milan and RB Salzburg battling for second place.
Group F
* Real Madrid (10 points) * RB Leipzig (9 points) * Shakhtar Donetsk (5 points) * Celtic (1 point)Real Madrid and RB Leipzig are in a tight race for first place, while Shakhtar Donetsk are well-placed to finish third.
Group G
* Manchester City (11 points) * Borussia Dortmund (7 points) * Sevilla (5 points) * FC Copenhagen (2 points)Manchester City are clear favorites to win the group, with Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla set to battle for second place.
Group H
* Paris Saint-Germain (11 points) * Benfica (8 points) * Juventus (3 points) * Maccabi Haifa (3 points)Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica are well-placed to qualify for the knockout phase, with Juventus and Maccabi Haifa battling for third place.
The UEFA Champions League knockout phase begins in February, with the final scheduled to be held at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on June 10, 2023.
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