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The Champions League league table will be finalised on Wednesday, but not before 18 games have taken place, with all 36 teams in the competition playing at the exact same time. Arsenal currently sit top of the table after seven matches, with a three-point gap over second-placed Bayern Munich. They are virtually guaranteed a place in the top eight.

It is not as plain sailing elsewhere, despite five Premier League teams starting the night in those coveted positions. The likes of Manchester City, Newcastle and Tottenham especially could be relying on tiebreak scenarios, with UEFA rules very clear on who would finish ahead of one another based on a number of different stipulations.

If teams end up with equal points in the Champions League league phase, while vying for a spot in the top eight or the subsequent 16 play-off positions, the primary tiebreaker is superior overall goal difference across all eight matches.

This ensures that the margin of victory throughout the entire league phase is the most significant factor in determining who advances.

If the goal difference is identical, the team that has scoredmore goals in the competition will be ranked higher. This rewards attacking prowess over the course of the eight fixtures played.

If teams remain tied, the side with the greater number of goals scored away from home is given the advantage. Despite the controversial away goals rule being abolished for knockout matches, a version of it remains a crucial tiebreaker in the league table.

If the teams are still level on the three figures, the total number of wins achieved during the league phase is used to break the deadlock. A team with more victories will finish higher than a team with more draws, even if their points tally is the same.

If goal difference, total goals, away goals and total wins are all equal, the team with the highest number of away wins takes precedence. This further underscores the importance of performing well on the road in the new format.

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If a tie still exists, UEFA calculates the total points earned by all eight opponents of each team. The team whose opponents have performed better overall - suggesting a theoretically tougher schedule - will be ranked higher.

In the unlikely event of a tie still, the ranking is determined by the superior collective goal difference of a team's eight opponents. This is followed by the greater number of goals scored collectively by those same opponents.

Should all footballing metrics be identical, the team with fewer disciplinary points (yellow/red cards) will finish higher. If that too is equal, the final deciding factor is the higher club coefficient accumulated over previous seasons.