The league phase of the Champions League is down to the final two games, so who’s heading for a knockout spot and which are teams are facing an early exit?
The Opta Supercomputer has predicted the final table with two games remaining – and some big clubs are set to face a play-off in order to reach the knockout stage.
Six matchdays have been played with Arsenal – who are the only team to hold a 100 per cent record – ahead of Bayern Munich in second and holders Paris Saint-Germain in third.
Opta predicts the top two will stay as it is, with Manchester City finishing above PSG, Atalanta in fifth and Liverpool in sixth.
Last year, in the first edition of this new format, you needed 16 points to make the top eight and 11 (with a handy goal difference) to make the top 24. Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid are currently predicted to take seventh and eighth with predicted points totals of 15.8 and 15.5.
This would mean Tottenham, Chelsea and Newcastle would finish in 11th, 13th and 14th respectively.
See the full predicted table below…
Who qualifies for the knockouts?
The top eight sides at the end of the league phase qualify automatically for the last 16.
The next 16 sides – ranked ninth to 24th – go into a two-legged play-off against each other to make the knockout rounds.
The bottom 12 teams will be eliminated, with no access to the Europa League.
So could the English teams that finish from ninth to 24th face each other?
The teams that finish from ninth to 16th will be seeded, with those finishing 17th to 24th unseeded.
Seeded teams cannot face one another, and the same goes for unseeded teams.
Currently, all three English teams sit in seeded positions, and they are predicted to finish there, so would avoid one another.
Who do the English sides have left to play?
Tuesday January 20
- Bodo/Glimt vs Man City, kick-off 5.45pm
- Inter Milan vs Arsenal, kick-off 8pm
- Tottenham vs Borussia Dortmund, kick-off 8pm
Wednesday January 21
- Chelsea vs Pafos, kick-off 8pm
- Marseille vs Liverpool, kick-off 8pm
- Newcastle vs PSV Eindhoven, kick-off 8pm
Wednesday January 28
- Arsenal vs Kairat Almaty, kick-off 8pm
- Eintracht Frankfurt vs Tottenham, kick-off 8pm
- Liverpool vs Qarabag, kick-off 8pm
- Man City vs Galatasaray, kick-off 8pm
- Napoli vs Chelsea, kick-off 8pm
- Paris Saint-Germain vs Newcastle, kick-off 8pm
When is the knockout phase play-off draw?
The Champions League knockout phase play-off draw takes place at 11am UK time on Friday January 30.
When is the round of 16 draw?
The draw for the round of 16 takes place on Friday February 27.
When are the 2025/26 Champions League knockout stages?
Play-off draw: January 30, 2026
Knockout play-offs: February 17-18 and 24-25, 2026
Round of 16: March 10-11 and 17-18, 2026
Quarter-finals: April 7-8 and 14-15, 2026
Semi-finals: April 28-29 and May 5-6, 2026
Final: Saturday, May 30, 2026
Where is the Champions League final being held in 2026?
The 2025/26 Champions League final will take place in Budapest at the Puskas Arena on Saturday May 30.
