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

Current Round:8 / 8
16-0928-01

Teams mentioned in this article

Arsenal

Arsenal Football Club

England
Stadium: Emirates Stadium (Londres) Capacity: 60,355
Coach: Mikel Arteta
Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich

Germany
Stadium: Allianz Arena (München) Capacity: 75,000
Coach: Vincent Kompany
Liverpool

Liverpool Football Club

England
Stadium: Anfield (Liverpool) Capacity: 54,074
Coach: Arne Slot
Real Madrid

Real Madrid

Spain
Stadium: Santiago Bernabéu (Madrid) Capacity: 85,454
Coach: Álvaro Arbeloa
PSG

Paris Saint-Germain

France
Stadium: Parc des Princes (Paris) Capacity: 49,691
Coach: Luis Enrique
Manchester City

Manchester City Football Club

England
Stadium: Etihad Stadium (Mánchester) Capacity: 55,097
Coach: Pep Guardiola
Barcelona

FC Barcelona

Spain
Stadium: Spotify Camp Nou (Barcelona) Capacity: 99,787
Coach: Hansi Flick
Atlético de Madrid

Atlético de Madrid

Spain
Stadium: Riyadh Air Metropolitano (Madrid) Capacity: 68,000
Coach: Diego Simeone
Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club

England
Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (Londres, Inglaterra) Capacity: 62,062
Coach: Thomas Frank
Newcastle

Newcastle United Football Club

England
Stadium: St. James' Park (Newcastle upon Tyne) Capacity: 52,389
Coach: Eddie Howe
Inter

Inter Milan, Internazionale

Italy
Stadium: Giuseppe Meazza (Milano, Italia) Capacity: 82,995
Coach: Cristian Chivu
Juventus

Juventus Football Club S.p.A.

Italy
Stadium: Allianz Stadium (Turín, Italia) Capacity: 41,000
Coach: Luciano Spalletti
Napoli

Napoli FC

Italy
Stadium: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona (Nápoles, Italia) Capacity: 76,824
Coach: Antonio Conte
Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Germany
Stadium: BayArena (Leverkusen) Capacity: 30,210
Coach: Kasper Hjulmand
Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund

Germany
Stadium: Signal Iduna Park (Dortmund) Capacity: 81,359
Coach: Niko Kovac
Benfica

Sport Lisboa e Benfica

Portugal
Stadium: Estádio da Luz (Lisboa) Capacity: 65,647
Coach: José Mourinho
Sporting CP

Sporting CP

Portugal
Stadium: José Alvalade (Lisboa) Capacity: 50,486
Coach: Rui Borges
Athletic

Athletic Club

Spain
Stadium: San Mamés (Bilbao) Capacity: 53,332
Coach: Ernesto Valverde
Villarreal

Villarreal CF

Spain
Stadium: Estadio de la Cerámica (Villarreal) Capacity: 23,000
Coach: Marcelino