UEFA Champions League League Phase Finale: Arsenal Finish Top, Real Madrid Stunned, Shocks Everywhere on Matchday 8
Published Date: 29th Jan, 2026
January 29, 2026
The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League league phase came to a spectacular and chaotic close on Wednesday night as all 18 matches kicked off simultaneously at 21:00 CET — producing one of the most unpredictable and dramatic final matchdays in the competition’s modern history.
Headline Results & Massive Surprises
Benfica 4–2 Real Madrid Jose Mourinho’s Benfica pulled off the result of the night, inflicting a shocking 4-2 defeat on the defending champions at the Estádio da Luz. Real Madrid’s collapse means they finish 9th and must now go through the two-legged playoff round — a huge blow for the record 15-time winners.
Chelsea 3–2 Napoli Chelsea secured direct qualification to the round of 16 with a thrilling late victory in Naples, eliminating Antonio Conte’s side from Europe entirely.
Arsenal 3–2 Kairat Almaty Unbeaten Arsenal completed a near-perfect league phase campaign, finishing 1st overall with a hard-fought win over the Kazakh side.
Liverpool 6–0 Qarabağ A ruthless demolition at Anfield saw Liverpool climb high into the top eight with one of the biggest scorelines of the night.
Barcelona 4–1 Copenhagen Barcelona produced a dominant performance to lock in a top-eight place and avoid the playoff round.
PSV Eindhoven 1–2 Bayern Munich Bayern kept their composure and secured a direct round-of-16 spot with a narrow win in Eindhoven.
Tottenham Hotspur 2–0 Eintracht Frankfurt Tottenham confirmed their place in the top eight with a clean-sheet victory at home.
Sporting CP 3–2 Athletic Club A late winner gave Sporting a dramatic victory and a direct ticket to the last 16.
Atlético Madrid 1–2 Bodø/Glimt The Norwegian underdogs caused one of the biggest upsets of the round, knocking Atlético into the playoff places.
Final League Phase Top 8
(Direct qualification to Round of 16)
- Arsenal
- Liverpool
- Bayern Munich
- Tottenham Hotspur
- Barcelona
- Chelsea
- Sporting CP
- Manchester City
Notable Teams Heading to the Playoff Round (9th–24th)
- Real Madrid (9th)
- Inter Milan
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Newcastle United
- Juventus
- Atlético Madrid
- Atalanta
- Bayer Leverkusen
- Borussia Dortmund
- Benfica
- Olympiacos
- Galatasaray
- Monaco
- Bodø/Glimt
- …and others
What Happens Next
- Playoff round draw: January 30, 2026
- Two-legged ties in February
- Winners advance to join the top 8 in the Round of 16 (March)
The simultaneous kick-off format created constant tension across Europe, with league table positions changing multiple times in the final 15 minutes. Real Madrid’s fall from automatic qualification, Arsenal’s dominant run, and several underdog heroics have set up an extremely open knockout stage.
One of the most unpredictable Champions League seasons in recent memory now heads into its decisive knockout phase — and the drama is only just beginning.
Date: 29th Jan, 2026
