It's been a thrilling start to this season's Champions League competition, but now that we are six Matchdays in, we are getting to the business end of the league phase.
There are plenty of crucial and eye-catching fixtures on the horizon, including Inter Milan vs Arsenal (January 20) and Borussia Dortmund vs Inter Milan (January 28), to name just a couple. You could be sitting in some of Europe's best stadiums for one or some or the upcoming match-ups.
While some teams are looking to consolidate their lofty positions after making positive starts to their European campaigns, others are still trying to hit top form and clinch a vital top-8 spot, or desperately trying to pick up points to prevent their continental dreams from being dashed for good.
Two Matchdays of the league phase are still left to play. While Matchday 7 games are played across two days (January 20 & 21), all sixteen final round (Matchday 8) league encounters will be played at the same time on January 28.
Upcoming UEFA Champions League fixtures?
NB: In the schedule below, kick-off is shown in GMT first, followed by the home team's local time
| Date | Match | Location | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue Jan 20 | Kairat vs Club Brugge (3.30pm / 8.30pm) | Astana Arena (Astana) | Tickets |
| Bodø/Glimt vs Manchester City (5.45pm / 6.45pm) | Aspmyra Stadion (Bodø) | Tickets | |
| Copenhagen vs Napoli (8pm / 9pm) | Parken Stadium (Copenhagen) | Tickets | |
| Inter Milan vs Arsenal (8pm / 9pm) | San Siro (Milan) | Tickets | |
| Olympiakos vs Bayer Leverkusen (8pm / 10pm) | Karaiskakis Stadium (Piraeus) | Tickets | |
| Real Madrid vs Monaco (8pm / 9pm) | Santiago Bernabeu (Madrid) | Tickets | |
| Sporting CP vs Paris Saint-Germain (8pm) | Estadio Jose Alvalade (Lisbon) | Tickets | |
| Tottenham vs Borussia Dortmund (8pm) | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London) | Tickets | |
| Villarreal vs Ajax (8pm / 9pm) | Estadio de la Ceramica (Villarreal) | Tickets | |
| Wed Jan 21 | Galatasaray vs Atletico Madrid (5.45pm / 8.45pm) | Rams Park (Istanbul) | Tickets |
| Qarabag vs Eintracht Frankfurt (5.45pm / 9.45pm) | Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium (Baku) | Tickets | |
| Atalanta vs Athletic Club (8pm / 9pm) | Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia (Bergamo) | Tickets | |
| Bayern Munich vs Union Saint-Gilloise (8pm / 9pm) | Allianz Arena (Munich) | Tickets | |
| Juventus vs Benfica (8pm / 9pm) | Juventus Stadium (Turin) | Tickets | |
| Marseille vs Liverpool (8pm / 9pm) | Stade Velodrome (Marseille) | Tickets | |
| Newcastle United vs PSV (8pm) | St James' Park (Newcastle) | Tickets | |
| Slavia Prague vs Barcelona (8pm / 9pm) | Fortuna Arena (Prague) | Tickets | |
| Wed Jan 28 | Ajax vs Olympiakos (8pm / 9pm) | Johan Cruyff Arena (Amsterdam) | Tickets |
| Arsenal vs Kairat (8pm) | Emirates Stadium (London) | Tickets | |
| Athletic Club vs Sporting CP (8pm / 9pm) | San Mames (Bilbao) | Tickets | |
| Atletico Madrid vs Bodø/Glimt (8pm / 9pm) | Metropolitano Stadium (Madrid) | Tickets | |
| Barcelona vs Copenhagen (8pm / 9pm) | Camp Nou (Barcelona) | Tickets | |
| Bayer Leverkusen vs Villarreal (8pm / 9pm) | BayArena (Leverkusen) | Tickets | |
| Benfica vs Real Madrid (8pm) | Estadio da Luz (Lisbon) | Tickets | |
| Borussia Dortmund vs Inter Milan (8pm / 9pm) | Westfalenstadion (Dortmund) | Tickets | |
| Club Brugge vs Marseille (8pm / 9pm) | Jan Breydel Stadium (Bruges) | Tickets | |
| Eintracht Frankfurt vs Tottenham (8pm / 9pm) | Waldstadion (Frankfurt) | Tickets | |
| Liverpool vs Qarabag (8pm) | Anfield (Liverpool) | Tickets | |
| Manchester City vs Galatasaray (8pm) | City of Manchester Stadium (Manchester) | Tickets | |
| Monaco vs Juventus (8pm / 9pm) | Stade Louis II (Monaco) | Tickets | |
| Napoli vs Chelsea (8pm / 9pm) | Stadio Diego Armando Maradona (Naples) | Tickets | |
| PSV vs Bayern Munich (8pm / 9pm) | Philips Stadion (Eindhoven) | Tickets | |
| Pafos vs Slavia Prague (8pm / 10pm) | Alphamega Stadium (Limassol) | Tickets | |
| Paris Saint-Germain vs Newcastle (8pm / 9pm) | Parc des Princes (Paris) | Tickets | |
| Union Saint-Gilloise vs Atalanta (8pm / 9pm) | Constant Vanden Stock Stadium (Brussels) | Tickets |
What to expect from the Champions League Matchdays 7 & 8?
It's no surprise that Arsenal are the current favourites to lift the biggest prize in European football for the first ever time in the club’s history. The Gunners, who are setting the pace domestically in the Premier League, have also been dominant in Europe.
Arsenal top the Champions League standings, having won all six of their starts to date and remaining the only unbeaten side in the competition. Mathematically, they require just a single point from their remaining games against Inter Milan and Kairat to clinch a top-8 spot and a bye to the Round of 16.
The other sides currently holding highly-sought after top-8 slots are Bayern Munich, PSG, Man City, Atalanta, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid. However, with the likes of Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham, Newcastle, Chelsea, Sporting CP, and Barcelona breathing down their necks, all within 2 points of the top-8, we are set for a dramatic conclusion to the league phase of the competition.
What is the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 schedule?
The qualifying rounds for this season’s Champions League kicked off way back in mid-June. So the complete competition lasts almost twelve months, with the final taking place at the Puskas Arena in Budapest at the end of May. This is the remaining round dates:
- Jan 20-21: League Phase (Matchday 7)
- Jan 28: League Phase (Matchday 8)
- February 17-18: Knockout phase play-offs (1st leg)
- February 24-25: Knockout phase play-offs (2nd leg)
- March 10-11: Round of 16 (1st leg)
- March 17-18: Round of 16 (2nd leg)
- April 7-8: Quarter-finals (1st leg)
- April 14-15: Quarter-finals (2nd leg)
- April 28-29: Semi-finals (1st leg)
- May 5-6: Semi-finals (2nd leg)
- May 30: Final
How to buy UEFA Champions League match tickets
Apart from the UEFA Champions League final, you cannot buy tickets for Champions League games directly through UEFA itself. Instead, they are sold club-by-club among the teams competing in this season's edition. You must visit the individual club’s sites for the fixture you want to attend and buy your seat from there.
While the official club portals are the safest way for supporters to purchase Champions League tickets, those looking to attend matches may wish to consider secondary resale sites such as StubHub, which could give them the best opportunity of securing last-minute seats.
How much are UEFA Champions League match tickets?
The price for UEFA Champions League tickets varies depending on several factors, including which clubs are involved, the venue, and the stage of the competition. For example, a semi-final featuring Real Madrid or Arsenal would cost far more than a league phase encounter in Limassol, watching Pafos.
Clubs will typically set prices for UEFA Champions League tickets at the start of a season for the league stage. If a team progresses to the knockout rounds, then prices may increase for certain fixtures, depending on opponent, location, and demand.
Keep tabs on the various clubs’ official ticket portals for additional information about availability and prices. Tickets on secondary resale sites such as StubHub are currently available from €35 upwards.
UEFA Champions League 2025/26: Matches to watch
Here is a pick of the matches taking place during the final two Matchdays of the league phase of this season’s Champions League:
Inter Milan vs Arsenal
Tue Jan 20 – San Siro (Milan)
The Champions League returns with a bang as Inter Milan host the league phase pacesetters, Arsenal, who are also the only unbeaten side left in the competition. It’s the only Matchday 7 clash that pits two current top-8 sides against each other, and with both sides flying high at the top of their respective domestic leagues, it’s set to be a European epic. While Arsenal have played six and won six in Europe, Inter are desperate to rediscover their touch after losing two on the spin (vs Atletico Madrid and Liverpool).
The sides also locked horns at the San Siro during last season’s league phase with Inter digging deep to clinch a 1-0 victory thanks to a first half penalty from Turkish international, Hakan Calhanoglu. However, I Nerazzurri haven’t always had it their own way against the Gunners. When Arsenal visited Milan back in 2003, they romped to a 5-1 success with Thierry Henry bagging a brace.
Tottenham vs Borussia Dortmund
Tue Jan 20 – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London)
Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund kick off this intriguing Matchday 7 encounter with identical records, having won 3, drawn 2 and lost 1 during the opening six rounds of league matches. Both teams currently reside just outside the top-8 (Dortmund in 10th and Tottenham in 11th) and the result in London will prove crucial to their Euro ambitions, with tough final league phase games to follow.
Dortmund, who lifted the Champions League trophy aloft in 1997 and were runners-up two seasons ago, are aiming to reach at least the Round of 16 stage for a fourth successive season. However, despite some inconsistent form on all fronts of late, Tottenham won’t be overawed by the occasion. The defending UEFA Europa League champions have won four in-a-row against Die Schwarzgelben.
Marseille vs Liverpool
Wed Jan 21 – Stade Velodrome (Marseille)
Marseille, who famously won the inaugural edition of the Champions League in 1993, made a sluggish start to this season’s European campaign. Roberto De Zerbi’s men lost three of their opening four games, before steadying the ship with back-to-back wins against Newcastle and Union Saint-Gilloise. They know they must keep their foot on the gas though and win their last two league starts to maintain any top-8 hopes, starting with the home game against Liverpool.
Defending Premier League champions, Liverpool, find themselves in a better position, after winning four of their opening six league phase starts. It leaves them in 9th spot in the standings, though they are on the same points as three current top-8 sides. The Reds’ final league phase fixture looks a very winnable home match against Qarabag, but they’ll want as many points in the bag as possible, so won’t be resting on any laurels just yet. Liverpool are currently on a 3-game winning streak against Marseille, but the most recent of those victories came almost 20 years ago (2008).
Borussia Dortmund vs Inter Milan
Wed Jan 28 – Westfalenstadion (Dortmund)
Depending on the Matchday 7 results, it’s likely that one or both of Dortmund and Inter are going to need a result from this huge encounter from the highly impressive Westfalenstadion. The atmosphere in the Westfalenstadion, which has the biggest capacity (80,000+) in Germany, is guaranteed to be electric. If history is anything is to go by, we can expect goals. All three previous games between these two European giants on German soil have been action-packed affairs. It finished 3-2 to Dortmund in 2019, 3-1 to Inter in 1994 and there was a 2-2 draw way back in 1964.
Paris Saint-Germain vs Newcastle
Wed Jan 28 – Parc des Princes (Paris)
PSG and Newcastle were involved in two memorable encounters during the group stage of the Champions League two seasons ago. With both sides likely to be in contention for a spot in the top-8 spot during the final round of this season’s league phase, this could be another thriller. The Parc des Princes crowd was treated to a goalfest when PSG last entertained in Europe this season and again their opponents hailed from England. Despite going a goal down to Tottenham in November, Vitinha and Co. roared back in style to run out 5-3 winners.