The group stage at the Club World Cup is well underway, and we’ll soon start to find out our first qualifiers for the round of 16.
Who can qualify on Matchday 2, who has work to do, and what are the results to look out for?
Here’s how it’s all shaping up.
Tiebreakers
1. Group points
2. Head-to-head in the game(s) between the teams in question
3. Goal difference in the game(s) between the teams in question
4. Goals scored in the game(s) between the teams in question
5. Group goal difference
6. Group goals scored
7. Disciplinary points (yellow and red cards)
8. Drawing of lots
GROUP A
Saturday, June 14
Al Ahly 0-0 Inter Miami CF
Sunday, June 15
Palmeiras 0-0 FC Porto
Thursday, June 19
Palmeiras vs. Al Ahly, 12 p.m. ET (East Rutherford, N.J.)
Inter Miami vs. FC Porto, 2 p.m. ET (Atlanta)
Monday, June 23
Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras, 9 p.m. ET (Miami Gardens, Fla.)
FC Porto vs. Al Ahly, 9 p.m. ET (East Rutherford)
With both opening games in Group A finishing goalless, it’s not possible for any team to book their place in the round of 16 on Matchday 2.
What we do know is that five points will be enough to secure qualification, and four points might even do it. So any club who can pick up three points on Thursday will be in a strong position.
GROUP B
Sunday, June 15
Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 Atlético Madrid
Botafogo 2-1 Seattle Sounders FC
Thursday, June 19
Seattle Sounders vs. Atlético Madrid, 6 p.m. ET (Seattle)
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Botafogo, 9 p.m. ET (Pasadena, Calif.)
Monday, June 23
Atlético Madrid vs. Botafogo, 3 p.m. ET (Pasadena)
Seattle Sounders vs. Paris Saint-Germain, 3 p.m. ET (Seattle)
Seattle Sounders and Atlético Madrid face off first Thursday, and the result of this game will determine which one team can qualify on Matchday 2.
If Seattle win or draw, Botafogo can qualify with a victory over PSG.
If Atlético win or draw, PSG can qualify with a victory over Botafogo.
Seattle Sounders will be eliminated if they lose followed by a PSG victory.
Neither PSG nor Botafogo can qualify with a draw.
Second place is sure to go to Matchday 3.
GROUP C
Sunday, June 15
Bayern Munich 10-0 Auckland City
Monday, June 16
Boca Juniors 2-2 Benfica
Friday, June 20
Benfica vs. Auckland City, 12 p.m. ET (Orlando, Fla.)
Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors, 9 p.m. ET (Miami)
Tuesday, June 24
Auckland City vs. Boca Juniors, 3 p.m. ET (Nashville, Tenn.)
Benfica vs. Bayern Munich, 3 p.m. ET (Charlotte, N.C.)
Bayern Munich are the only team that can secure their passage to the round of 16 with a game to spare, and it will be confirmed with a victory over Boca Juniors on Friday.
Benfica will be expected to claim three points against amateur side Auckland City, who are out if they lose, and it could yet be that second place vs. Boca Juniors depends on goal difference — effectively who beats the New Zealanders, who lost 10-0 to Bayern, by the biggest scoreline.
Boca Juniors, of course, will have other ideas and will be going for a positive result of their own against Bayern.
GROUP D
Monday, June 16
Chelsea 2-0 LAFC
Flamengo 2-0 Espérance de Tunis
Friday, June 20
Flamengo vs. Chelsea, 2 p.m. ET (Philadelphia)
LAFC vs. Espérance de Tunis, 6 p.m. ET (Nashville)
Tuesday, June 24
Espérance de Tunis vs. Chelsea, 9 p.m. ET (Philadelphia)
LAFC vs. Flamengo, 9 p.m. ET (Orlando)
Flamengo and Chelsea, winners of their opening group games, meet each other in the first fixture Friday. Neither team can qualify with a point.
If Chelsea win, they will be through to the round of 16 through an LAFC victory or draw in the second match.
If Flamengo win, they will be qualified via an Espérance de Tunis victory or draw.
Espérance de Tunis will be eliminated if Chelsea win or draw, and the Tunisian club then lose to LAFC.
Second place will definitely go to Matchday 3.
GROUP E
Tuesday, June 17
River Plate 3-1 Urawa Red Diamonds
Monterrey 1-1 Internazionale
Saturday, June 21
Internazionale vs. Urawa Red Diamonds, 3 p.m. ET (Seattle)
River Plate vs. Monterrey, 9 p.m. ET (Pasadena)
Wednesday, June 25
Internazionale vs. River Plate, 9 p.m. ET (Seattle)
Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Monterrey, 9 p.m. ET (Pasadena)
River Plate sit on top of the group with three points and will guarantee their place in the round of 16 with a victory over Monterrey on Saturday.
No other team can progress, but Urawa Red Diamonds will be eliminated if they lose.
GROUP F
Tuesday, June 17
Fluminense 0-0 Borussia Dortmund
Ulsan Hyundai 0-1 Mamelodi Sundowns
Saturday, June 21
Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund, 12 p.m. ET (Cincinnati)
Fluminense vs. Ulsan Hyundai, 6 p.m. ET (East Rutherford)
Wednesday, June 25
Borussia Dortmund vs. Ulsan Hyundai, 3 p.m. ET (Cincinnati)
Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Fluminense, 3 p.m. ET (Miami)
Mamelodi Sundowns are the only team with a win to their name. They will be through to the round of 16 with a victory against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
No other team can progress, but Ulsan Hyundai are out if they lose to Fluminense.
GROUP G
Wednesday, June 18
Manchester City 2-0 Wydad AC
Al-Ain 0-5 Juventus
Sunday, June 22
Juventus vs. Wydad AC, 12 p.m. ET (Philadelphia)
Manchester City vs. Al-Ain, 9 p.m. ET (Atlanta)
Thursday, June 26
Juventus vs. Manchester City, 3 p.m. ET (Orlando)
Wydad AC vs. Al-Ain, 3 p.m. ET (Washington)
Juventus and Manchester City are in command after picking up victories on Matchday 1, and this group could be wrapped up on Sunday.
If Juventus beat Wydad AC in the opening game, the Serie A side will qualify if Man City then win or draw vs. Al-Ain.
And if Juve win or draw, that means Man City will qualify with a victory.
If both Juve and Man City win, the top two places will be finalised and the teams will play for top spot on Thursday.
If either Wydad AC or Al-Ain lose, they will be eliminated unless Juventus or Man City are defeated in the opposite fixture.
GROUP H
Wednesday, June 18
Real Madrid 1-1 Al Hilal
Pachuca 1-2 RB Salzburg
Sunday, June 22
Real Madrid vs. Pachuca, 3 p.m. ET (Charlotte)
RB Salzburg vs. Al Hilal, 6 p.m. ET (Washington)
Thursday, June 26
Al Hilal vs. Mexico Pachuca, 9 p.m. ET (Nashville)
RB Salzburg vs. Real Madrid, 9 p.m. ET (Philadelphia)
Only RB Salzburg can secure their place in the round of 16 on Sunday, and it will be confirmed with a victory over Al Hilal.
Pachuca will be eliminated if they lose to Real Madrid.
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