Group A
| Pos | Team | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 5 | 10 |
| 2 | Lech Poznan | 2 | 8 |
| 3 | Juventus | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | Red Bull Salzburg | -7 | 2 |
Manchester City and Lech Poznan secured their passage into the final 32 this week. City’s 3-0 win over Salzburg eased them through, while Lech Poznan’s 1-1 home draw with Juventus in snowy conditions was enough to send the Polish side through at the expense of the Italian giants.
Lech drew 3-3 at Juve earlier in the competition and can’t be headed by the Old Lady due to a superior head-to-head record.
Group B
| Pos | Team | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayer Leverkusen | 6 | 11 |
| 2 | Aris Saloniki | 0 | 7 |
| 3 | Atletico Madrid | 2 | 7 |
| 4 | Rosenborg | -8 | 3 |
Bayer Leverkusen’s 1-0 win at Rosenborg this week sealed both side’s fates but Aris’ shock 3-2 win at holders Atletico Madrid has left this group on.
Aris’ superior record over Atletico (the Greek side won their first encounter 1-0), means they only need to match the Spanish side’s result on the final matchday. Aris host bottom-placed Rosenborg, while Atletico travel to Leverkusen in a fortnight’s time.
Group C
| Pos | Team | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sporting Lisbon | 9 | 12 |
| 2 | Gent | -2 | 7 |
| 3 | Lille | -1 | 5 |
| 4 | Levski Sofia | -6 | 4 |
Sporting’s 1-0 win over Lille sealed top spot for the Portuguese side, while second-spot in this group remains open after Gent defeated Levski Sofia 1-0.
Lille host Gent in a fortnight’s time and the French side must win to progress. Levski can not go through.
Group D
| Pos | Team | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Villarreal | 2 | 9 |
| 2 | PAOK Saloniki | 1 | 8 |
| 3 | Dinamo Zagreb | 0 | 7 |
| 4 | Club Brugge | -3 | 3 |
Spanish side Villarreal sealed their progress in this group after a 3-0 home win over Dinamo Zagreb during the week, while PAOK missed out on making their place secure after a 1-1 draw with the now eliminated Club Brugge.
PAOK’s failure to defeat the Belgians, means they must not lose at Dinamo Zagreb in a fortnight’s time.
Group E
| Pos | Team | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dynamo Kyiv | 4 | 10 |
| 2 | BATE Borisov | 3 | 10 |
| 3 | Sheriff Tiraspol | -2 | 4 |
| 4 | AZ Alkmaar | -5 | 4 |
Dynamo Kyiv settled any doubts in this group after a comprehensive 4-1 win at fellow East Europeans BATE Borisov sealed their progress into the final 32. AZ drew 1-1 in Moldova with Sheriff meaning both sides blew any hope they had of staying alive.
Dynamo’s superior head-to-head record over BATE means they know victory over Sheriff at home in a fortnight’s time will seal top spot for them in this group.
Group F
| Pos | Team | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CSKA Moscow | 15 | 15 |
| 2 | Sparta Praha | 0 | 8 |
| 3 | Palermo | -5 | 4 |
| 4 | Lausanne | -10 | 1 |
Last season’s Champions League quarter-finalists CSKA Moscow continued their dominance of this group with a 5-1 thrashing of Lausanne during the week, while Sparta Praha sealed their passage through after a holding Palermo to a 2-2 draw in Sicily.
Group G
| Pos | Team | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zenit St Petersburg | 9 | 15 |
| 2 | AEK Athens | -1 | 7 |
| 3 | Anderlecht | -2 | 4 |
| 4 | Hajduk Split | -6 | 3 |
Zenit St Petersburg’s sensational Europa League form continued after a 3-1 home win over Anderlecht. AEK Athens firmed for second spot, and eliminated Hajduk Split in the process, after a 3-1 win in Croatia.
Anderlecht, who have the better of the head-to-head against AEK, need to beat Hajduk in Brussels in their final group game and hope AEK lose at home to Zenit. AEK simply need a result, but if Anderlecht don’t win, then the Greeks will progress no matter what.
Group H
| Pos | Team | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VfB Stuttgart | 6 | 12 |
| 2 | Young Boys | 1 | 9 |
| 3 | OB Odense | -2 | 4 |
| 4 | Getafe | -5 | 4 |
Swiss side Young Boys sealed their passage into the final 32 after their 4-2 win over Stuttgart. Odense and Getafe could only play out a 1-1 draw and are subsequently eliminated.
Group I
| Pos | Team | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PSV Eindhoven | 7 | 13 |
| 2 | Metalist Kharkiv | 5 | 10 |
| 3 | Sampdoria | -1 | 5 |
| 4 | Debrecen | -11 | 0 |
Sampdoria needed to beat PSV Eindhoven in midweek to keep alive their hopes of progressing, but the Dutch side stunned them with Ola Toivonen’s late goal sealing a 2-1 win which sends the Italians out of the group. Metalist Kharkiv’s 2-1 home win over Debrecen sealed their passage through.
Group J
| Pos | Team | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PSG | 5 | 11 |
| 2 | Sevilla | 3 | 9 |
| 3 | Borussia Dortmund | 3 | 8 |
| 4 | Karpaty Lviv | -11 | 0 |
Parisian giants PSG go through after their hard-fought 4-2 win over Sevilla, while Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund remain in the hunt after defeating struggling Karpaty Lviv 3-0 in Germany.
Dortmund now must win in Sevilla in a fortnight’s time.
Group K
| Pos | Team | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 5 | 9 |
| 2 | Steaua Bucuresti | -1 | 6 |
| 3 | Napoli | -2 | 4 |
| 4 | FC Utrecht | -2 | 4 |
Liverpool’s uninspiring 1-1 draw at Steaua Bucuresti ensured the Reds progressed through this group, but the final spot remains wide open after Utrecht and Napoli drew 3-3 in the Netherlands.
Napoli could be regarded favourites with a home match against Steaua coming up, but the Italians will know they must win to progress. Utrecht have the difficult task of an away game at Liverpool knowing they must win to have any hope. The Dutch side, though, need Napoli to win to have any chance, as Steaua have a superior head-to-head record.
Group L
| Pos | Team | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC Porto | 8 | 13 |
| 2 | Besiktas | 1 | 10 |
| 3 | CSKA Sofia | -4 | 3 |
| 4 | Rapid Vienna | -5 | 3 |
This group is well and truly settled with FC Porto and Besiktas cruising through. Besiktas’ 2-1 win at CSKA Sofia sealed their passage, while Porto’s 3-1 win at a wintry Rapid Vienna ensured the door was shut.