Champions League 2022/23 - Who has qualified to the knockout stage & who is out?
By Sean Walsh
We have nearly reached the end of the condensed Champions League group stage and we're starting to get an idea as to which teams will be competing in the last 16 come February.
On the flip side, we're also discovering which sides have been absolutely useless and have already been eliminated from contention.
Here are the teams that are definitely through to the knockout stages, and the teams already out.
Teams to have qualified for Champions League knockout stage
1. Napoli
The first team to emerge from Group A is Liv- oh, wait, no. It's Napoli!
Luciano Spalletti has got Gli Azzurri firing on all cylinders and they are the top scorers in the group stage with 20 goals.
2. Club Brugge
The Belgian champions were first to qualify from a group containing Atletico Madrid, Porto and Bayer Leverkusen. Simon Mignolet kept five clean sheets in six games.
What is going on?
3. Bayern Munich
Having been drawn into the Group of Death alongside Barcelona and Inter (plus Viktoria Plzen), Bayern Munich won all six group games.
They've been much better in Europe than the Bundesliga this season.
4. Real Madrid
Obviously, Real Madrid are into the knockout stage. It's Real Madrid.
5. Manchester City
Manchester City stumbled against Copenhagen recently, but they're into the last 16 regardless of that misstep.
6. Chelsea
Graham Potter remains unbeaten in the Champions League proper, guiding Chelsea into the knockout stage despite the Blues only taking one point from their opening two games.
7. Borussia Dortmund
Despite losing Erling Haaland (and even coming up against him in the group stage), Dortmund have reached the last 16 with relative ease.
8. Paris Saint-Germain
The front three of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar look refreshed and reinvigorated, firing PSG into the knockout stages of the Champions League once again.
9. Benfica
Benfica have been one of European football's surprise packages this season, advancing from a group that featured PSG and Juventus.
10. Inter
After struggling for so long to advance from the group stages, Inter will head to the knockouts for a second year running.
11. Liverpool
Liverpool may be struggling domestically, but since their thrashing of Napoli on matchday one, they haven't missed a beat in Europe.
12. Porto
Four consecutive wins after two opening losses helped Porto top Group B, sealing first place on the final day.
13. Tottenham
A few dramatic nights and tight calls meant Tottenham took their qualification hopes to the last day, but a 2-1 success at Marseille sent them through as group winners.
14. Eintracht Frankfurt
Qualifying alongside Spurs were Eintracht Frankfurt. The Europa League holders have struggled this season but victory at Sporting CP saw them squeeze through.
Teams that have been knocked out of the Champions League
15. Rangers
Six games. Six losses. A goal difference of -22, the worst ever recorded for a side that lost all six group stage games in the Champions League.
Ta ra, Rangers.
16. Viktoria Plzen
Well, Viktoria Plzen, no one expected you to get anything against Bayern, Barcelona or Inter. And that's exactly what happened. Fair enough.
17. Celtic
Big things were hoped of Ange Postecoglou's Celtic on their return to the Champions League.
They were eliminated at the earliest possible stage and there'll be no Europa League safety net to drop into.
18. Dinamo Zagreb
After beating Chelsea on matchday one, it looked as if Dinamo Zagreb could prove troublesome in Group E. However, they are the first team to be eliminated from it.
19. Sevilla
Sevilla are assured of third place in their group and are heading to the Europa League.
Because of course they are.
20. Copenhagen
Poor Copenhagen weren't given much hope when drawn with Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla.
It was easy to understand why.
21. Juventus
Juventus' horrendous start to the 2022/23 season has been compounded by their woeful Champions League form, with elimination sealed after matchday five.
22. Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa at least put up a decent fight in their Group H matches and they can still secure a transfer to the Europa League if they better Juventus' result on matchday six.
23. Ajax
The attacking pedigree of Napoli and Liverpool proved too much for Ajax, who will be dropping into the Europa League.
24. Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone's not having a great season. They failed to get out of the group stage for the first time since 2017/18 and fourth place leaves them without any Europa.
25. Bayer Leverkusen
Well, Xabi Alonso, we still have no idea if you're a good coach or not, but at least you won't be ripped to shreds in the Champions League knockout stages.
26. Barcelona
Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.