2020 AFC Champions League group stage


The 2020 AFC Champions League group stage commenced on 10 February 2020. A total of 32 teams compete in the group stage to decide the 16 places in the knockout stage of the 2020 AFC Champions League.
The competition has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic until at least the end of June 2020.
On 9 July 2020, AFC announced that 2020 AFC Champions League would return on 14 September 2020.

Draw


The draw for the group stage was held in 10 December 2019, 16:30 MYT, at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 32 teams were drawn into eight groups of four: four groups each in the West Region and the East Region. Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.

The mechanism of the draw was as follows:
  • For the West Region, there was no associations draw due to country protection. A draw was held for each of the four associations with more than one direct entrant to determine for each team their group positions:
  • *The three direct entrants of the United Arab Emirates were drawn to positions A1, B2, or C3, while the play-off winners West 1 were allocated to position D4.
  • *The three direct entrants of Saudi Arabia were drawn to positions B1, C2, or D3, while the play-off winners West 2 were allocated to position A4.
  • *The two direct entrants of Qatar were drawn to positions C1 or D2, while the play-off winners West 3 and 4 were drawn to positions A3 or B4.
  • *The two direct entrants of Iran were drawn to positions D1 or C4.
  • *The direct entrants of Uzbekistan and Iraq were allocated to positions B3 and A2 respectively.
  • For the East Region, a draw was held for the two associations with three direct entrants to determine the order of associations. After the associations draw, a draw was held for each of the four associations with more than one direct entrant to determine for each team their group positions:
  • *The three direct entrants of the first association drawn were drawn to positions E1, F2, or G3, while the play-off winners East 1 or 2 were allocated to position H4.
  • *The three direct entrants of the second association drawn were drawn to positions F1, G2, or H3, while the play-off winners East 1 or 2 were allocated to position E4.
  • *The two direct entrants of Japan were drawn to positions G1 or H2, while the play-off winners East 3 and 4 were either allocated to F4 and E3 respectively, or drawn to positions E3 or F4.
  • *The two direct entrants of Australia were either drawn to positions H1 or F3, or positions H1 or E2.
  • *The direct entrants of Thailand and Malaysia were allocated to either positions G4 and E2, positions F3 and G4, or positions E2 and G4 respectively.
The following 32 teams enter into the group stage draw, which include the 24 direct entrants and the eight winners of the play-off round of the qualifying play-offs, whose identity was not known at the time of the draw.

Format


In the group stage, each group is played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The winners and runners-up of each group advance to the round of 16 of the knockout stage.

Tiebreakers


The teams are ranked according to points. If tied on points, tiebreakers are applied in the following order :
  1. Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  2. Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  3. Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  4. Away goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  5. If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
  6. Goal difference in all group matches;
  7. Goals scored in all group matches;
  8. Penalty shoot-out if only two teams playing each other in the last round of the group are tied;
  9. Disciplinary points ;
  10. Association ranking.

    Schedule

The schedule of each match day is as follows.
  • Matches in the West Region are played on Mondays and Tuesdays. Two groups are played on each day, with the following groups being played on Mondays:
  • *Matchdays 1 and 2: Groups A and B
  • *Matchday 3: Groups A and C
  • *Matchday 4: Groups B and D
  • *Matchdays 5 and 6: Groups C and D
  • Matches in the East Region are played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Two groups are played on each day, with the following groups being played on Tuesdays:
  • *Matchdays 1 and 2: Groups E and F
  • *Matchday 3: Groups E and G
  • *Matchday 4: Groups F and H
  • *Matchdays 5 and 6: Groups G and H
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only 27 group stage matches had been played before the AFC announced on 14 April 2020 that all matches and competitions scheduled to take place in May and June would be postponed until further notice.
On 16 July 2020, AFC announced that Qatar would host 2020 AFC Champions League in the West region from the group stage to the semi-finals. On 27 July 2020, AFC confirmed that Malaysia would host matches of Group G and H.
MatchdayOriginal datesOriginal scheduled matches
Matchday 110–12 February 2020 'Team 1 vs. Team 4, Team 3 vs. Team 2
Matchday 217–19 February 2020 'Team 4 vs. Team 3, Team 2 vs. Team 1
Matchday 32–4 March 2020 'Team 4 vs. Team 2, Team 1 vs. Team 3
Matchday 46–8 April 2020 'Team 2 vs. Team 4, Team 3 vs. Team 1
Matchday 520–22 April 2020 'Team 4 vs. Team 1, Team 2 vs. Team 3
Matchday 64–6 May 2020 'Team 1 vs. Team 2, Team 3 vs. Team 4

Groups

Group A

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Group B

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Group C

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Group D

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Group E

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Group F

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Group G

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Group H

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