Everything at stake in the Champions League

Bet Brothers Football
Everything at stake in the Champions League
newsJanuary 26, 2026By: Antxon Pascual

Everything at stake in the Champions League

Of the 36 teams participating in Europe's top competition, 30 will be playing for their future on the final day of the Champions League group stage.

The eighth and final matchday of the Champions League group stage promises to be exciting. Only Arsenal and Bayern Munich have already qualified, and up to eleven teams, including the rest of the big favourites to win the competition, such as Real Madrid and Liverpool, will be playing for a direct ticket to the round of 16. They all depend on themselves, as it is the goal difference that separates many of them.

In this battle, the key match is between the reigning champions, Luis Enrique's PSG, and Newcastle at the Parc des Princes. The loser will have to settle for playing in the play-offs. Six other teams, including Chelsea, Barcelona, Manchester City and Atlético Madrid, are tied on points and must win and do so by the maximum goal difference to be among the top eight.

Only four teams have been eliminated

While the battle to qualify directly for the round of 16 and secure a home leg in the second leg is fierce, the fight to remain in the Champions League is heating up. Teams such as Inter Milan, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund have almost no chance of finishing in the top eight, but they must win to secure a more manageable preliminary round with the second leg at their home stadium.

The last six places will be contested by 14 teams whose ambition is to remain in the Champions League. This group includes illustrious teams such as Napoli, Bayer Leverkusen and Benfica. The gap between the 14 teams is only three points, so the final matchday promises to be full of excitement. Only four teams, Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Villarreal and Kairat Almaty, have been eliminated.

Leagues mentioned in this article

UEFA Champions League

UEFA Champions League

Season 2025/2026

08-0718-03

Teams mentioned in this article

Arsenal FC

Arsenal FC

Stadium: Emirates Stadium (London)
Capacity: 60,383

Bayern München

Liverpool

Liverpool

Stadium: Anfield (Liverpool)
Capacity: 61,276
Real Madrid

Real Madrid

Stadium: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu (Madrid)
Capacity: 85,454
PSG

PSG

Stadium: Parc des Princes (Paris)
Capacity: 47,929
Manchester City

Manchester City

Stadium: Etihad Stadium (Manchester)
Capacity: 55,097
Barcelona

Barcelona

Stadium: Spotify Camp Nou (Barcelona)
Capacity: 99,787
Atlético de Madrid

Atlético de Madrid

Stadium: Riyadh Air Metropolitano (Madrid)
Capacity: 70,460
Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur

Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London)
Capacity: 62,850
Newcastle United

Newcastle United

Stadium: St. James' Park (Newcastle upon Tyne)
Capacity: 52,758
Internazionale

Internazionale

Stadium: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (Milano)
Capacity: 80,018
Juventus FC

Juventus FC

Stadium: Allianz Stadium (Torino)
Capacity: 45,666
Napoli

Napoli

Stadium: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona (Napoli)
Capacity: 60,240
Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen

Stadium: BayArena (Leverkusen)
Capacity: 30,210
Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund

Stadium: SIGNAL IDUNA PARK (Dortmund)
Capacity: 81,365
Benfica

Benfica

Stadium: Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica (da Luz) (Lisboa)
Capacity: 65,647
Sporting CP

Sporting CP

Stadium: Estádio José Alvalade (Lisboa)
Capacity: 52,095
Athletic Club

Athletic Club

Stadium: Estadio de San Mamés (Bilbao)
Capacity: 53,289
Villarreal

Villarreal

Stadium: Estadio de la Cerámica (Villarreal)
Capacity: 24,500