Champions League Penultimate Match DayA Chapter by Steve Clark The following article details matches surrounding the 2025-26 Champions League. Champions League Penultimate Match Day After six Champions League Match Days, the results culminated in the below table.
Manchester City is in third, as they were at the same stage last season. AS Monaco are in the top four after six games, in the same manner as last season, and even on points and goal difference with Liverpool. Bayern München are one spot above where they were after six Match Days last season. Juventus, in a similar position to twelve months ago, needed to gain key results in their final two games. At the edge of the playoff cut-off, Tottenham and Frankfurt are on the same points and goal difference. Borussia Dortmund again teeter on the edge of elimination, and PSV are worse off than they were at the same stage last year. Bayer Leverkusen have significantly dropped this season, only earning two draws in six matches. The biggest surprise, though, is Villarreal, who only conceded goals for the first time in their sixth match and lead the 35 other teams by a point.
Paros have no hope of making the Playoffs due to their poor goal difference. Bayer Leverkusen are in a similar boat, and while they can mathematically reach the Playoffs, it is unlikely.
Villarreal, Barcelona, and Manchester City are likely to progress straight to the Round of 16, however, the nine teams from fourth to twelfth are separated by a single point. Inter Milan, last year’s winners, and currently in 13th, will look to build momentum as they did last season into the knockout stages. Remembering that a top eight position will not always equate to progression to the Quarter Finals and beyond. Those top spots are unlikely to feature Atlético de Madrid, Club Brugge, Tottenham, Frankfurt, and Borussia Dortmund. However, places are still up for grabs.
Villarreal v Juventus Juventus needed a win to stay in the hunt of the Playoffs and made two changes, while Villarreal searched for their sixth win and stay on top of the table. That change by Juventus meant Dušan Vlahović started the goal scoring when he was found alone in the box. Both sides had chances to score, though Juventus took control of the latter of the first half, working mainly through the right wing. The second half started in favour of Juventus, only for their defence to break down soon after the hour mark. Nicolas Pépé set up a shot for his substituted teammate, Ayoze Pérez Gutiérrez, before finishing off the saved shot. Alberto Moleiro then gave Villarreal the lead after Pépé’s initial shot was saved, even though Juventus did look the more dangerous. Rattled, Juventus rallied as a unit, but it was the home side that came closest to another goal by hitting the woodwork, much to the relief of Player of the Match Michele Di Gregorio, with his eight saves. 2-1 to Villarreal. Juventus must win their final game to reach the Playoffs.
Napoli v Sporting Lisbon Sporting Lisbon needed a win to consolidate a Playoff spot, while Napoli wanted to be in the top eight with their own three points. Rasmus Højlund opened the tale before anyone had time to blink with a through ball from Player of the Match Kevin de Bruyne and a fine shot from a tight angle. The early lead meant Napoli took control of the midfield, though Sporting did steal the ball in good positions at times and countered with some semblance of a chance of scoring. Napoli played keepings off for long periods, and nearly doubled the lead, but it was Sporting that equalised with five minutes remaining. Substitute Geovany Quenda had a shot saved, and the ball fell to Sporting’s best player, Giorgi Kochorashvili, who made no mistake with the goalkeeper otherwise preoccupied. Napoli’s quick passes may have looked speccy, but in the end, the match ended in a draw.
Bayer Leverkusen v PSV Both sides needed a win to have any hope of a Playoff spot. Bayer Leverkusen dominated possession early, and PSV were content to sit off, though their main aim was to clear the ball instead of looking for a choice counter opportunity. This fell into Leverkusen’s hands as Malik Tillman was able to head home from a cross early and give the home side the crucial lead. PSV tried earning more possession after the break, though Leverkusen exploited again down the left wing and earned three corners in a row. In the 81st minute, Tillman took on the PSV defence himself and snagged with his left foot his second for the match, and Leverkusen had their first win of the Champions League. Ismael Saibari did snag back a goal for PSV, set up by substitute Alassane Pléa. 2-1 to the hosts.
Arsenal v Olympiacos In the race for the top eight, Arsenal and Olympiacos met. Both sides had chances early, before Olympiacos took charge of the match, earning three uninspiring corners. Ayoub El Kaabi, the player to watch this match, had two opportunities go begging, though the second one was from a tight angle with pressure applied. Arsenal, though, powered home the opener early in the second half via Viktor Gyökeres when his marked man left him too early, and he strolled into the box and slotted home Martín Zubimendi’s pass. Leandro Trossard scored at the death to make it 2-0, though Olympiacos looked dangerous with more corners won in the second half. Still, the hosts took the full three points.
Royale Union Saint-Gilloise v Newcastle Newcastle desired a win to be in the Playoffs and made one change, while Royale Union had to gain three points to have any hope of reaching the top 24. Promise David got the home side ahead after Newcastle look the more dangerous side. Nick Woltemade had the best chance to score for the visitors, only for Kevin Mac Allister to tackle with perfection to deny him the shot. After the break, Anthony Gordon, the player to watch after last match, crossed into Woltemade, who headed with prowess to level the match. In the 62nd minute, the two combined again, this time Gordon providing a through ball as Woltemade made no mistake one-on-one. Joelinton then made it three after Player of the Match Anthony Elanga crossed to his run into the box, and the power of the midfielder’s shot was too much for the home goalkeeper. In almost a repeat effort, Elanga crossed to Joelinton, but this time defensive pressure stopped the header being on target. The ball fell to Gordon, who found the back of the net. Woltemade hit the post in his hat trick attempt. In the end, Newcastle came from behind to win 4-1.
Qarabağ FK v FC København Qarabağ needed a win to have any chance of the top 24, while København could sniff a crucial top 10 finish. The visitors took the lead late in the first half, with Youssoufa Moukoko’s shot saved by the Qarabağ goalkeeper, only to loop up in the air and bounce over the line. However, after the break, Gabriel Pereira gave away a penalty, and Toral Bayramov sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, levelling the match. The match was even until late, when Player of the Match Marko Janković found Kady, who pocketed coming from behind to take the lead. From there, Qarabağ held firm for the win.
AS Monaco v Manchester City A top eight clash between Monaco and Manchester City for Match Day 7 ensued, with Round of 16 spots on the horizon. Manchester City looked the better side in the first half, though they had better chances on the counter as Monaco looked to use the midfield for their advancements and leaving their flanks vulnerable when the ball was lost. Mika Biereth, however, had other plans in the second half, as he scored for Monaco from a Denis Zakaria assist when they teased the visiting defenders out of position. Monaco used the same tactic and it nearly paid off, before Biereth added a second goal in injury time as Manchester City were out of position trying to counter and Zakaria found the left striker alone. A huge win for Monaco.
Borussia Dortmund v Athletic Club One point separated Borussia Dortmund and Athletic Club, with the home side just outside the Playoff positions and in desperate need of a win. A win would also put a dampener on their German rivals, Leverkusen’s, slim hopes of reaching the top 24. The hosts made one change at right midfield due to injury, but it was Athletic Club who opened the tale after winning the ball in midfield. The left foot of Gorka Guruzeta found the back of the net in the twelfth minute, putting the Germans on the defence. Instead, they went on the attack, and put the visitors under pressure. Serhou Guirassy had a choice shot saved by Player of the Match Unai Simón, only for Felix Nmecha to pick up the loose ball and level the match. The game soon became intercept central, as neither side could put together any build up play (ten intercepts for Athletic Club and fourteen for Borussia Dortmund in the first half alone). In the 75th minute, after the hosts looked the better side, the Spaniards then shot straight up the middle with quick passes, and Oihan Sancet was found one-on-one against the goalkeeper. He made no mistake. Athletic Club won 2-1.
Barcelona v Paris St Germain Both Barcelona and PSG craved a win to have the Playoffs period to rest for the Round of 16. The first half saw Barcelona with more chances to score, only for the PSG defence to hold firm against 72% possession. Eventually, that pressure paid off as Raphinha scored, finishing off a brilliant tiki taka move by the hosts. Then late, Lucas Chevalier stopped Dani Olmo from running into goal, and Robert Lewandowski snagged Barcelona’s second from the spot. Lamine Yamal then finished off the 3-0 win with the last kick of the match.
Kairat v Bayern München Harry Kane scored in the seventh minute to start the ball rolling against Kairat for Bayern München. Serge Gnabry tripled the lead, kicking to the opposite side of the goal to Kane with two goals. Gnabry scored again in the 31st minute to round out his hat trick. Aleksandr Shirobokov gained a goal back for Kairat, only for Goretzka to score Bayern’s fifth goal.
Atalanta v Club Brugge The necessity of three points befell Atalanta and Club Brugge. The match looked even for much of the first half until Mario Pašalić was found with a choice through ball and he pocketed the opener. Just before the hour mark, Marten de Roon doubled the lead, again with a Champions League-worthy through ball. Gianluca Scamacca then made it three in additional time, a solid performance for the home side as they overtook Club Brugge on the ladder.
FK Bodø/Glimt v Tottenham Bodø/Glimt sought their first win, while three points for Tottenham would boost their Playoff chances. Håkon Evjan opened the scoring for the hosts, as a cutback pass from Jens Hauge found him curling the ball around two defenders trying to block his shot. However, Tottenham evened the scores when Mohammed Kudus assisted Dominic Solanke with an easy shot right in front of goal. Stalemate in midfield ensued for the rest of the first half. Bodø/Glimt dominated long periods of the second half in possession, only for both sides to have chances go begging. In the end, Bodø/Glimt claimed their fourth draw of the campaign.
Marseille v Ajax Marseille, on the cusp of the top eight, faced Ajax, who needed a win to stay in contention of a Playoff spot. Both sides had control of the play, until Marseille brought about a great period of build-up play that led to Youri Baas causing a penalty. However, Amine Gouiri shot the spot kick over the bar. Instead, the rattled Ajax defence left too many holes, and Marseille capitalised through Player of the Match Pierre-Emile Højbjerg. Ajax tried in vain working up the left flank, and that soon dissipated as Marseille took full possession control. That eventually led to a second goal by Angel Gomes, running onto an Gouiri assist and firing into the back of the net. Marseille had 190 more passes, with possession of 71%, and most of that in their front third. 2-0 was a modest result with those numbers in mind. The hosts can feel the top eight beckoning them.
Galatasaray v Liverpool Sixth faced fifth in a grand penultimate clash, in the hopes of solidifying a spot in the top eight and having two Match Days’ rest. A loss would see Galatasaray or Liverpool drop out of the top eight. Liverpool made one change due to injury at left back. However, it was Victor Osimhen who scored for the hosts, continuing the momentum of his two goals in the previous match. This was after Liverpool tried crossing from the right wing to no avail, whilst Galatasaray were more direct in their play. In the second half, blocked shots were the order on the menu, only for Osimhen to score again as Galatasaray took charge in the midfield. From there, the hosts played the lead to perfection, and now have a real shot at the top eight.
Inter Milan v Slavia Praha Inter needed a win to boost hopes of making the top eight against Slavia Praha. Lautaro Martínez set up Marcus Thuram for his eleventh goal of the tournament when they stole the ball off the defenders. In the nineteenth minute, Martínez had his own goal when no marking man stayed near him in the box. Four minutes later, Thuram scored his second goal, taking the ball with his feet off a cross and turning his marking man. Hakan Çalhanoğlu then scored from the spot right before the break. Nicol�™ Barella added a fifth, aided by a Thuram assist. A sixth came the way of Martínez, who curled in from the edge of the box. 6-0 the final score.
Chelsea v Benfica The winner of Chelsea and Benfica would put three points’ gap on the other, as both had nine points. Chelsea put the visitors under pressure early, and Cole Palmer set up Enzo Fernández for the opener. João Pedro had a second with the relentless gathering of the ball by Chelsea after losing it. Player of the Match Pedro Neto then added a third before the break when an initial save landed in his path, and he made no mistake. Jamie Gittens made it four after an initial defensive header fell to his path, and he slotted it with his head. Four different goal scorers �" that stood Chelsea in good stead leading beyond the league phase.
Atlético de Madrid v Frankfurt An away win for Frankfurt would see them leap Atlético, whilst the hosts needed a solid victory to almost ensure a Playoff spot. Frankfurt surprised early with a Hugo Larsson goal, gifted to him by a choice Farès Chaïbi pass that sliced through Atlético’s defence. The hosts worked back into the match and gained a goal right before the break as Frankfurt tried to take the lead into halftime. Player of the Match Pablo Barrios pounced on a loose defensive clearance and made no mistake. However, a free kick for Frankfurt was finished by Jonathan Burkardt’s head. After the break, Julián Alvarez made the most of a counter after Frankfurt looked the goods for a third goal, levelling the match. In the 79th minute, Alvarez hit the crossbar and nearly gave Atlético the lead. Instead, neither side felt a draw was enough in such a feisty game, with five yellow cards.
Pafos v Real Madrid Rounding out the penultimate Match Day was Pafos and Real Madrid. Kylian Mbappé started the scoring with Vinicius Jr gifting him the perfect assist. Jude Bellingham made it two goals �" this time a through ball sliced open the defence. Mbappé added his second inside nine minutes. Rodrygo added another in the first half, before Bellingham gained a brace in the 56th minute. Bruno and Mislav Oršić pegged goals back for Pafos, only for Bellingham to round out a hat trick and give his side a 6-2 victory heading into the final Match Day.
Ajax and Bayer Leverkusen have an outsider’s chance of making it to the Playoffs. Kairat, Borussia Dortmund and Club Brugge are in a similar boat, needing other results to go their way as well as winning their final match.
Atlético Madrid, Frankfurt and Tottenham can hold onto Playoff spots if Juventus and Qarabağ do not better their results, and other results go their way.
All Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Newcastle are all teetering on the edge of the top eight. They are all guaranteed, at least, a Playoff spot. Where they sit currently gives them an advantage if they are required in the Playoff stage.
Napoli and Inter Milan are also guaranteed a Playoff spot and will try to reach the top eight to gain two rest Match Days.
Atalanta, København, and Benfica are likely to remain in a Playoff spot, if results go their way. They cannot reach the top eight but will be vying for a top sixteen finish.
Athletic Club, Olympiacos and Sporting Lisbon are also likely to be safe in the Playoffs, but realistically Athletic Club are the only ones with a real chance of making the top eight.
Villarreal and Barcelona know they are into the Round of 16. Monaco, Galatasaray, and Bayern München are likely to join them, should results go their way. Real Madrid and Marseille, with a win, will make the top eight as well.
PSV, Bodo/Glimt, and Royale Union, along with Slavia Praha and Pafos, have no hope of reaching the Playoff stage. © 2025 Steve Clark |
Stats
140 Views
Added on December 17, 2025 Last Updated on December 17, 2025 Author
Steve ClarkAdelaide, South Australia, AustraliaAboutA free spirited educator who dabbles in the art of writing novels and articles. more.. |
Share This
Email
Facebook
Twitter
Read Request
My Library
Subscribe
Flag Writing