L-R: Declan Rice, Dembele, Yamal and Bastoni starred for their clubs in the Champions League
The final matches of the 2025/2026 UEFA Champions’ League group stage produced dramatic results, with some giants falling while others soared to secure qualification on January 28, 2026.
The most talked-about fixture was Real Madrid’s 4-2 loss to Benfica, despite Kylian Mbappé scoring a brace.
The defeat ended Los Blancos’ hopes of automatic qualification, leaving them ninth and heading into the play-offs to determine their fate.
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Elsewhere, rivals Barcelona came from a goal down to thrash Copenhagen 4-1, with Yamal, Raphinha, and Lewandowski all on the scoresheet.
At the Wanda Metropolitano, Atlético Madrid were stunned by Bodø/Glimt, as Sørloth’s opener was cancelled out by Horgh and Fredrik, securing a 2-1 away win.
Premier League sides continued their dominance:
Arsenal sealed top spot with a 3-2 win over Kairat Almaty.
Liverpool delivered one of their best performances of the season, demolishing Qarabag FK 6-0 at Anfield to qualify automatically.
Chelsea travelled to Naples and beat Napoli 3-2, with João Pedro netting a brace.
Newcastle United were held to a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park by defending champions PSG.
Tottenham Hotspur comfortably beat Frankfurt 2-0 in Germany.
Manchester City eased past Galatasaray 2-0.
Other notable results included Villarreal losing 3-0 to Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting CP defeating Athletic Club 3-2, Ajax falling 2-1 to Olympiakos, Club Brugge beating Marseille 3-0, Pafos overcoming Slavia Praha 4-1, Bayern Munich edging PSV 2-1, Union Saint-Gilloise recording a 1-0 win over Atalanta, and Inter Milan defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in Germany.
Teams that Qualified Directly for the Round of 16
Arsenal
Bayern Munich
Liverpool
Tottenham
Barcelona
Sporting CP
Manchester City
Teams that Qualifyied for the Round of 16 Play-offs
Real Madrid
Inter Milan
PSG
Newcastle United
Juventus
Atlético Madrid
Atalanta
Leverkusen
Dortmund
Olympiakos
Club Brugge
Galatasaray
Monaco
Qarabag FK
Bodø/Glimt
Benfica
Eliminated Teams
Marseille
Pafos
Union Saint-Gilloise
PSV
Athletic Bilbao
Napoli
Copenhagen
Ajax
Eintracht Frankfurt
Slavia Prague
Villarreal
Kairat Almaty
SB/EB
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Source:
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