On Wednesday, January 28, all 18 games in the league phase of the 2025–2026 UEFA Champions League will begin simultaneously at 9 p.m. WAT.
Arsenal has already put in a lot of effort at the pinnacle. They are now solidly on 21 points after seven straight victories, ensuring a top-eight finish and automatic entry into the knockout stage.
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Despite a single loss, Bayern Munich is likewise in a strong position with 18 points and should easily trail the Gunners into the round of sixteen. With favorable goal differentials, Real Madrid and Liverpool share 15 points, and only a spectacular collapse would prevent either team from qualifying automatically.
The current top eight is completed by Tottenham, PSG, Newcastle, and Chelsea, although their spots are far from certain. Fifth and thirteenth place are separated by just one point, so the final rankings could be drastically altered based on the outcome.
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Sporting, and Manchester City are all barely outside the automatic spots and will be anxiously watching since they know that a victory combined with a loss elsewhere might alter their destiny.
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The struggle to stay in the top 24 is just as intense further down. While teams like Napoli, Copenhagen, and Club Brugge are hanging on and need good wins to escape elimination, teams like Juventus, Inter, Dortmund, and Atalanta should have enough to secure playoff berths. The margins are harsh for clubs that are ranked 25th or lower. European aspirations might be completely dashed on a bad night.
Several heavyweight fights stand out while looking at the schedule. In a match that could affect the top eight and the playoff scenario, Benfica takes on Real Madrid. Dortmund vs. Inter and PSG vs. Newcastle are also probably going to directly affect qualifying spots. Arsenal, Bayern, and Liverpool, on the other hand, seem to be in a strong position to finish the job against less favored opponents.
Predicted Champions League Top Eight Finishers for 2025–2026
Arsenal
Bayern Munich
Real Madrid
Liverpool
Tottenham
PSG
Newcastle
Chelsea
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Barcelona, Sporting, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, Inter, Juventus, Dortmund, Galatasaray, Qarabag FK, Marseille, Leverkusen, Monaco, PSV, Athletic Club, and Olympiacos are the teams predicted to make the Champions League Playoffs.
Matchday Eight Schedule. They all begin at 9:00 p.m. WAT on Wednesday:
Sporting vs. Athletic Club
Qarabag vs. Liverpool FK.
Copenhagen vs. Barcelona
Juventus vs. Monaco
Olympiacos vs. Ajax
PSG versus Newcastle
Inter vs. Dortmund
Chelsea vs. Napoli
Tottenham vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
Bodø vs. Atletico Madrid Glimt
Villarreal vs. Leverkusen
Kairat vs. Arsenal
Slavia Praha vs. Pafos
Galatasaray vs. Manchester City
Marseille vs. Club Brugge
Real Madrid vs. Benfica
Union Atalanta vs. Saint-Gilloise
Bayern Munich vs. PSV
