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The new format of the Champions League produced some thrilling matches last season, with plenty of shocks during the league phase. Will the 2025/26 Champions League be just as exciting?
This season will be the 71st edition of the top-tier European club competition, and the 34th season since it was rebranded as the Champions League. A total of 82 teams from 53 UEFA member nations will participate in the tournament, with the 28 teams who won the league championships in the lowest ranked associations taking part in the first qualifying round.
24 different teams have won the European Cup/Champions League since the first final in 1956. Real Madrid won the first five tournaments, and five of the last nine tournaments. Overall, Los Blancos have won the trophy fifteen times, more than twice the amount of the next most successful side, Milan, who have seven titles to their name.
Inter have three Champions league titles to their name, having won the trophy in 1964, 1965 and 2010. The Italian side were runners-up in 1967, 1972 and 2023.
Paris Saint-Germain finally broke their Champions League hoodoo in 2025, when they defeated Inter 5-0 in the final.
Matchday 1 predictions and tips
The league phase of this season’s Champions League has arrived!
Here are our picks for this week’s matches:
⚽ Tuesday, 16th September
Athletic Bilbao vs Arsenal
These sides met as recently as last month, in the pre-season Emirates Cup, when Arsenal defeated their Spanish rivals 3-0. However, Bilbao are a different proposition on their home pitch. In last season’s Europa League, they won their first six home matches and only conceded two goals in that sequence. However, that run came to an abrupt end in the semi-finals, when Athletic lost 3-0 to Manchester United at the Estadio San Mamés, after seeing centre-back Dani Vivian dismissed in the 35th minute.
Arsenal reached the semi-finals in this competition last season and will be expected to put up another prominent showing this year. The Gunners defeated Real Madrid home and away in the quarter-finals, before losing both legs to PSG in the semi-finals.
Athletic Bilbao won their first three matches in LaLiga before losing 1-0 at home to Alavés on Saturday. Meanwhile, Arsenal have also won three of their opening four EPL matches, including a convincing 3-0 home victory over Nottingham Forest at the weekend.
Best bet: Arsenal to Win by One Goal @3.55
⚽ Wednesday, 17th September
Bayern Munich vs Chelsea
Bayern were convincing winners in this match-up when these teams last met in the 2019/20 Champions League. Because of the Covid-19 restrictions, there was an eight-month gap between the two legs on that occasion. Bayern won the first leg 3-0 in London and won just as comfortably at the Allianz Arena with a 4-1 scoreline.
The German champions have started strongly in this season’s Bundesliga, having won their opening three matches and having scored 14 goals across those victories. Chelsea have started their EPL challenge with two wins and two draws, although they come into this match bearing the disappointment of conceding an injury time equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Brentford on Saturday night.
Both of these sides contested the Club World Cup this summer, with Chelsea winning the trophy and Bayern being eliminated in the quarter-finals. This should be a fascinating match between two in-form sides, and it should not be short of goalmouth action.
Best bet: Both Teams to Score in the Second Half @2.76
Liverpool vs Atlético Madrid
After decisively winning the EPL title last season, Liverpool will expect to progress further in the Champions League than their round-of-16 exit last year. With Alexander Isak added to the Reds’ strikeforce for a major fee this summer, the Swede will be expected to play a prominent part in their UCL campaign and could make his debut for the Reds in this match. Liverpool have won their opening four EPL matches this season, although on each occasion they have scored within the last 10 minutes of the match to secure their victory.
Atlético started the LaLiga season poorly, failing to win any of their opening three matches before getting three points on the board in a 2-0 home victory over Villarreal on Saturday. The Madrid side also had a disappointing Club World Cup, in which they failed to qualify from the group stage.
The Spanish side also lost to Liverpool on both occasions when they last met, which was in the group stage of the 2021/22 Champions League. Liverpool won the home match 2-0 and will be hopeful of securing another victory here.
Best bet: Liverpool to Win with Handicap (-1) @1.97
⚽ Thursday, 18th September
Manchester City vs Napoli
Both these sides have had a disappointing time in this competition lately. Manchester City struggled through the league phase last season, finishing in 22nd place out of the 36 teams, whilst Napoli are yet to progress beyond the quarter-final stage. However, the Italian side won their second Serie A title in the last three years last season, whilst Manchester City could only finish third in the EPL, which was the first time in seven years they have finished outside the top two places.
These sides last met in the group stage of the 2017/18 Champions League. On that occasion, City won both matches—2-1 at home and 4-2 away.
The Cityzens will have the winning goalkeeper from last season’s UCL final, Gianluigi Donnarumma, on their side after signing the shot stopper from Paris Saint-Germain. Pep Guardiola’s side will also be boosted by a 3-0 win in the Manchester Derby at the weekend. Meanwhile, Napoli also enjoyed a 3-1 away win at Fiorentina on Saturday, thus maintaining their 100% start in Serie A.
Best bet: Under 2.5 Match Goals @2.11
Newcastle vs Barcelona
Losing talismanic striker Alexander Isak to Liverpool on the last day of the summer transfer window was not the ideal preparation for Newcastle ahead of only their second Champions League appearance in the last 20 years. To make matters worse, one of the Magpies’ big-money replacements, Yoane Wissa, picked up an injury on international duty and is likely to be out for a few weeks. However, record signing Nick Woltemade made his debut at the weekend and scored the winner in a 1-0 victory over Wolves.
Barcelona will feel a UCL title is overdue, as the Catalan side last won this competition in 2015, and have had to endure watching their Spanish rivals, Real Madrid, lift the Champions League trophy five times since then. Barcelona warmed up nicely for this match with a 6-0 home win over Valencia in LaLiga on Sunday.
These sides have met just four times previously, with all of those meetings coming in the Champions League over 20 years ago. Newcastle won their first encounter in 1997, and Barça have won the three games since then.
Best bet: Barcelona to Win @2.14
All prices are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change thereafter.
Who will win the 2025/26 Champions League?
As a result of the coefficients for the top leagues, the top five teams from the previous domestic seasons in England and Spain have qualified. Italy, Germany and France will each have four representatives. England will have a sixth representative, with Tottenham Hotspur taking part courtesy of their Europa League victory despite only finishing 17th in the EPL table.
After the draw for the league stage, Liverpool and Barcelona shared favouritism. They are closely followed in the betting by Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Real Madrid. Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Chelsea are the next shortest in the outright odds, then there is a slight gap in the betting before reaching Inter, Napoli and Tottenham Hotspur.
Will the winner come from one of these teams, or can one of the longer priced teams, such as Atlético Madrid, Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen, cause an upset
Champions League 2025/26 outright winner odds
These are the latest odds on teams to win the 2025/26 Champions League.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| 🏴 Liverpool | 7.10 |
| 🇪🇸 Barcelona | 7.10 |
| 🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain | 7.60 |
| 🏴 Arsenal | 7.60 |
| 🇪🇸 Real Madrid | 9.10 |
| 🏴 Manchester City | 10.25 |
| 🇩🇪 Bayern Munich | 12.00 |
| 🏴 Chelsea | 13.00 |
| 🏴 Tottenham Hotspur | 23.00 |
| 🇮🇹 Inter | 26.00 |
| 🇮🇹 Napoli | 26.00 |
| 🇪🇸 Atlético Madrid | 34.00 |
| 🇮🇹 Juventus | 41.00 |
| 🏴 Newcastle United | 41.00 |
| 🇮🇹 Atalanta | 51.00 |
| 🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund | 69.00 |
| 🇩🇪 Bayer Leverkusen | 69.00 |
| 🇫🇷 Monaco | 83.00 |
| 🇪🇸 Athletic Bilbao | 106.00 |
| 🇩🇪 Eintracht Frankfurt | 106.00 |
| 🇫🇷 Marseille | 106.00 |
| 🇪🇸 Villarreal | 106.00 |
| 🇹🇷 Galatasaray | 165.00 |
| 🇵🇹 Sporting Lisboa | 165.00 |
| 🇳🇱 PSV Eindhoven | 215.00 |
| 🇵🇹 Benfica | 215.00 |
| 🇳🇱 Ajax | 215.00 |
| 🇧🇪 Club Brugge | 265.00 |
| 🇩🇰 FC København | 265.00 |
| 🇬🇷 Olympiacos | 265.00 |
| 🇧🇪 Union Saint-Gilloise | 265.00 |
| 🇳🇴 Bodø/Glimt | 525.00 |
| 🇨🇾 Pafos | 525.00 |
| 🇦🇿 Qarabağ | 525.00 |
| 🇨🇿 Slavia Prague | 1151.00 |
| 🇰🇿 Kairat | 2251.00 |
What is the format for the 2025/26 Champions League?
The format for the Champions League changed from the 2024/25 season onwards, with a 36-team league stage replacing the group stage. Each team will play matches against eight different teams, four at home and four away. The eight opponents will be drawn from among the competing teams, after they are sorted into four seeding pots, with each team playing two opponents from each of these pots.
The idea is that clubs will play a wider range of opponents, and that this format will provide fewer dead rubbers. In the first season using the new format, Paris Saint-Germain, who were subsequently crowned Champions League winners, only managed to finish 15th in the league table. Meanwhile, two of the early favourites for last season’s competition, Real Madrid and Manchester City, met each other in the knockout phase playoffs, after they both failed to finish in the top eight and missed out on a bye into the round of 16.
How do teams qualify from the league phase of the Champions League?
- The top eight sides in the league phase will qualify for the knockout phase and move directly into the round of 16.
- The sides finishing in 9th to 24th place will compete in a two-legged playoff round to determine the other eight teams to reach the round of 16.
- Those sides finishing in 25th or lower will be eliminated. There is no access to a place in the Europa League for teams that do not progress from the league phase.
Champions League schedule (2025/26)
First qualifying round
First leg: 8th–9th July, Second leg: 15th–16th July ✅
Second qualifying round
First leg: 22nd–23rd July, Second leg: 29th–30th July ✅
Third qualifying round
First leg: 5th–6th August, Second leg: 12th–13th August ✅
Playoff round
Draw date: 4th August ✅
First leg: 19th–20th August, Second leg: 26th–27th August ✅
League phase
Draw date: 28th August ✅
Matchday 1: 16th–18th September
Matchday 2: 30th–1st October
Matchday 3: 21st–22nd October
Matchday 4: 4th–5th November
Matchday 5: 25th–26th November
Matchday 6: 9th–10th December
Matchday 7: 20th–21st January
Matchday 8: 28th January
Knockout phase
Draw date: 30th January
Knockout rounds playoffs: First leg: 17th–18th February, Second Leg 24th–25th February
Draw date for round of 16 onwards: 27th February
Round of 16: First leg: 10th–11th March, Second Leg 17th–18th March
Quarter-finals: First leg: 7th–8th April, Second Leg 14th–15th April
Semi-finals: First leg: 28th–29th April, Second Leg 5th–6th May
Final: 30th May
Where is the Champions League final 2025/26 being held?
The final will be held on the 30th of May 2026 at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary. This will be the first time that the final of Europe’s top club competition has been held in Hungary.
The stadium was constructed between 2017 and 2019. The first competitive match at the new stadium was between Hungary and Uruguay on 15th November 2019, which drew a record attendance of 65,114 for the stadium. The capacity is just a couple of thousand more than that number.
The 2023 Europa League final between Sevilla and Roma was held at the Puskás Aréna. That match ended in a 1-1 draw, with Sevilla winning the trophy after a penalty shootout.
The stadium has also hosted other notable matches, including the 2020 UEFA Super Cup, as well as several matches in the Champions League and Europa League during the COVID-19 pandemic, when several other countries were unable to host games.
Additionally, every Hungarian Cup final since 2020 has been played in this stadium.
Which teams will compete in the league phase of the 2025/26 Champions League?
Here is a brief summary for each of the teams that have qualified for the league phase:
Real Madrid (Spain)
The most dominant side in the history of the top-tier European competition. Real have reached the final 18 times, with a stupendous strike-rate of 15 titles and three finishes as runners-up. They have won five of the last ten competitions, including the 2023/24 Champions League, when they beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the final at Wembley. They have reached the semi-finals in each season bar three since 2010/11, although Los Blancos did suffer a quarter-final exit at the hands of Arsenal last season. Real will also need to recover from a resounding 4-0 loss to PSG in the 2025 Club World Cup semi-finals.
Barcelona (Spain)
Real’s main Spanish rivals have had far less success in this competition, although Barcelona still have five titles to their name. Their last trophy was in 2015, when a forward line comprising of Messi, Neymar and Suárez helped them beat Juventus 3-1 in the final. Since then, the Catalan side have reached the semi-final stage twice, including last season when they lost 7-6 on aggregate to Inter. If they manage to reach the final, Barcelona will be lifted by their last four final appearances, as they were victors on each occasion.
Atlético Madrid (Spain)
Atlético Madrid have been regular participants in the Champions League and have reached the final three times previously, but are yet to claim the trophy. Their two most recent finals were in 2014 and 2016, and on both occasions they were beaten by Real Madrid, once after extra-time and once on penalties. Last season they reached the round of 16 before losing out to Real Madrid again, this time also on penalties. Atlético have since had a disappointing Club World Cup tournament, as they failed to progress from the group stage, during which they suffered a 4-0 loss to PSG.
Athletic Bilbao (Spain)
Last season’s Europa League was the first time that Bilbao have qualified for a European competition since the 2017/18 season. However, even with the added incentive of the final being played at their home stadium, the Basque side were comprehensively defeated 7-1 on aggregate by Manchester United in the semi-finals. In their two previous Champions League appearances, in 1998/99 and 2014/15, Bilbao failed to progress beyond the group stage on either occasion.
Villarreal (Spain)
Villarreal claimed a European trophy as recently as the 2020/21 season when they triumphed in the Europa League. After defeating Arsenal in the semi-finals, they faced another English side, Manchester United, in the final. After a 1-1 draw, the Spanish side won 11-10 in a penalty shootout. The following season marked their first Champions League campaign for nearly 10 years, barring one early playoff-round exit. Villarreal put up a good fight, defeating Juventus and Bayern Munich in the knockout rounds, before losing to Liverpool in the semi-finals. Since then, round-of-16 defeats in the Conference League and Europa League have followed.
Manchester City (England)
Manchester City have reached the Champions League Final twice in the previous five seasons, having lost to Chelsea in 2021 and defeated Inter in 2023. In each of the other three seasons during that period, City were eliminated by Real Madrid. Despite their dominance in the EPL in recent seasons, they have struggled to transfer that form into the Champions League. Since returning to the Champions League in 2011 (the first time since 1968), City had reached the semi-final just once before their loss to Chelsea in that 2021 final. In the league phase last season, the Cityzens only qualified for the knockout rounds after finishing 22nd in the 36-team table.
Arsenal (England)
Arsenal qualified for the Champions League in every season between 2001 and 2017, but managed just one appearance in the final during that period. That was in 2006, when they lost 2-1 to Barcelona. After spending the next five seasons contesting the Europa League, they qualified for the Champions League again in 2023, where they were eliminated by Bayern Munich at the quarter-final stage. Last season they went one better but were defeated in both legs of their semi-final match against Paris Saint-Germain. They are yet to win Europe’s elite club competition. The Gunners’ only major European trophy was the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994.
Liverpool (England)
With six titles, Liverpool currently have the fourth best record in this competition. Four of those successes came between 1977 and 1984, with their most recent title coming in 2019, when they overcame Tottenham 2-0 in an all-English final. In two of the previous three seasons, Liverpool have exited the Champions League at the round-of-16 stage. Real Madrid were their conquerors in 2022/23, whilst Paris Saint-Germain eliminated the Reds last season. After winning the 2024/25 EPL title by 10 points, the Reds will be hopeful of progressing deeper into this season’s Champions League.
Chelsea (England)
Chelsea have won the previous five European finals they have reached. In the Champions League, they defeated Bayern Munich (2011/12) and Manchester City (2020/21), whilst in the Europa League they beat Benfica (2012/13) and Arsenal (2018/19), as well winning last season’s Conference League with a 4-1 victory over Real Betis. It got even better for the Blues since then, with a victory in the revamped Club World Cup, where they produced a magnificent display in the final to defeat PSG 3-0. Chelsea’s previous two Champions League campaigns, in 2022 and 2023, were both ended by Real Madrid at the quarter-final stage.
Newcastle United (England)
After qualifying for their first Champions League in 20 years, the 2023/24 tournament saw Newcastle drawn in the ‘group of death’. Despite defeating Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 at St James’ Park, the Geordies lost both matches against Borussia Dortmund and took just a single point off Milan, before eventually finishing bottom of that group. Newcastle’s only other European campaign in the last 18 years came in the 2012/13 Europa League, in which they reached the quarter-finals before being defeated by Benfica.
Tottenham Hotspur (England)
Tottenham were the first British club to win a major European trophy when they won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1963. They also claimed the UEFA Cup twice, in 1972 and 1984. There was then a 40-year wait for another trophy, until eventually they were successful in last season’s Europa League. A 1-0 victory in the final over Manchester United earned Spurs a place in this season’s Champions League. However, despite that European success, manager Ange Postecoglou lost his job after a dreadful EPL season saw Tottenham finish in 17th position, just one place above the relegated teams.
Atalanta (Italy)
Fresh from winning the 2023/24 Europa League, Atalanta were unable to take their momentum into last season’s Champions League. After a ninth-place finish in the league stage, Atalanta lost both legs against Club Brugge in the knockout-phase playoffs and were eliminated 5-2 on aggregate. The Italian side had qualified for the Champions League three times prior to last season, in successive tournaments from 2019/20 onwards, but are yet to progress beyond the quarter-final stage.
Inter (Italy)
Although Inter have won this competition three times, two of those occasions were over 60 years ago. Their most recent success came in 2010, when they defeated Bayern Munich 2-0 in the final. Inter reached the final again in 2023, only to lose to Manchester City by a single goal. Last season, the Nerazzurri again made it to the final after eliminating both Bayern Munich and Barcelona in the knockout rounds, only to be soundly beaten by PSG by a scoreline of 5-0 at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
Napoli (Italy)
After claiming their second Serie A title in the last three seasons, Napoli will be hoping to finally make an impression in the Champions League. Having played in the top-tier European competition 11 times previously, the Italian side has never progressed beyond the quarter-final stage. The only time they have reached the last eight in the UCL was in 2022/23, when they lost 2-1 to fellow Italian side Milan. However, Napoli do have one European trophy in their cabinet, having won the UEFA Cup in 1989.
Juventus (Italy)
Despite their historic dominance in Serie A with 36 league titles, Juventus have failed to match that level in the main European competition. They have two Champions League titles to their name, with the last one coming in 1996, and have finished runners-up on seven occasions. However, in their five most recent appearances, Juve have exited at the round-of-16 stage three times, failed to qualify for the knockout round in 2022/23, and lost in the knockout-phase playoffs last season.
Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
After their record-breaking 2023/24 season, Bayer Leverkusen could not match that level of success last season. They finished 13 points behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga table and were also eliminated by their German rivals in the Champions League round of 16, during which Bayern won both legs without conceding a goal. Leverkusen did reach the Champions League final back in 2002, before losing 2-1 to Real Madrid. In three of their last five Champions League campaigns, Die Werkself have exited at the group stage.
Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany)
Frankfurt tasted European success as recently as 2022, when they won the Europa League trophy as they defeated Rangers 5-4 in a penalty shootout after the final ended 1-1. They also played in that competition last season, before losing in the quarter-finals to Tottenham. This is only the third time Eintracht Frankfurt have played in the top-tier European competition. In the 1959/60 season, they reached the final of the European Cup, but were defeated 7-3 by Real Madrid in the big match. It was over 60 years later that their second appearance followed. On that occasion, they qualified from the group stage before losing to Napoli in the round of 16.
Bayern Munich (Germany)
Bayern Munich have six titles to their name in the top European competition, with the latest coming in 2020, when they defeated PSG 1-0. However, in the five seasons since that success, Bayern have been eliminated four times at the quarter-final stage. On the other occasion, in the 2023/24 semi-finals, Vincent Kompany’s side conceded twice in the 88th and 91st minutes to be eliminated by Real Madrid. In last season’s tournament, Bayern were involved in the second-highest scoring match in UCL history, when they defeated Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 on the first matchday of the league phase.
Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Dortmund have one Champions League trophy to their name, which they won by beating Juventus 3-1 in 1997. They have reached three European finals since then (two Champions League and one UEFA Cup) without success. The most recent of those defeats was a 2-0 loss to Real Madrid in the 2024 final. Last season, a 4-0 loss in the away leg of their quarter-final tie against Barcelona put paid to any chance of progressing further, although a 3-1 home victory gave Dortmund some respectability in terms of the aggregate score.
Paris Saint-Germain (France)
Despite their recent dominance in Ligue 1, PSG had failed to make an impact in European football prior to last season. It was looking like a similar story for Luis Enrique’s men, as his side lost three of their first five matches in the league phase and, when they were 2-0 down to Manchester City on Matchday 7, PSG were facing an early exit. However, they recovered to win that match 4-2 and ensure they qualified for the knockout rounds, before defeating another three English teams on their way to the final (Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal). In the final, Inter proved no match for the French champions, who were convincing 5-0 winners and thus claimed their first Champions League title. It was looking likely PSG would follow that win with success in the Club World Cup final, before Chelsea found a way to stop the Paris-based side.
Monaco (France)
Monaco reached the 2004 Champions League final, only to lose 3-0 to Porto. However, since then their record has generally been poor. They failed to qualify for Europe at all in the 2023/24 season and, in the previous two seasons, were eliminated from the Champions League in the qualifying rounds prior to the group stage. Last season they finished 17th in the league phase, having lost three of their last four matches, and were defeated by Benfica in the knockout-phase playoff round.
Marseille (France)
Marseille have a poor recent record in the Champions League, having failed to qualify from the group stage in three appearances before losing out in the third qualifying round to Panathinaikos in 2023/24. That loss to the Greek side did earn Marseille a place in the Europa League, where they performed well by reaching the semi-final before losing to Atalanta. Having defeated Milan 1-0 in the 1993 final, the French side do have a Champions League title to their name. That is the only time that Marseille were victorious in five finals in the major European competitions.
PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
PSV won this coveted trophy back in 1988 after defeating Benfica 6-5 on penalties following a goalless draw. However, it took another 17 years for the Dutch champions to progress as far as the semi-finals, and they have not done so again since 2005. In their last seven Champions League competitions, three round-of-16 finishes have been their best results. They reached that stage last season after eliminating Juventus in the knockout-phase playoffs, before a crushing 7-1 home defeat against Arsenal in the round of 16 ended any hopes of progressing to the latter stages.
Ajax (Netherlands)
Ajax have a rich European history, boasting six European titles to their name. They won three successive European Cups between 1971 and 1973, the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1987, the Europa League in 1992 and the Champions League in 1995. In more recent times, they reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2018/19, but have struggled in Europe’s elite competition since. In the four times they have qualified after 2019, they have been eliminated three times in the group stage and once in the round of 16.
Sporting Lisboa (Portugal)
Over the last 11 seasons, Sporting have had a mediocre record in European competitions. They have only qualified for the knockout stage once in the Champions League during that period, before a 5-0 home defeat to Manchester City ended any chance of further progression. Their sole European success was 60 years ago, when they won the Cup Winners’ Cup, and they have never reached the final of the Champions League. Last season they scraped through the league phase, finishing in 23rd place in the table before losing to Borussia Dortmund in the knockout round playoffs.
Benfica (Portugal)
Benfica are the most successful Portuguese side in the Champions League, having won it twice and finished runners-up five times. All of those results came during the period in which the tournament was known as the European Cup, with the victories coming in 1961 and 1962, over Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively. However, since then, they have reached eight European finals (five European Cup and three UEFA Cup/Europa League finals) and have lost on each occasion. Benfica reached the round of 16 in the UCL last season, before losing 4-1 on aggregate to Barcelona. However, their league-phase matches included wins over both Atlético Madrid and Juventus.
Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgium)
When Union Saint-Gilloise qualified for the 2022/23 Champions League qualifying round, that was the first time they had a secured a place in a European competition for 58 years. Despite losing to Rangers in that match, they moved into the Europa League, where they topped their group before ultimately losing in the quarter-final stage. The following season, although they only finished third in their Europa League group, they had the distinction of defeating Liverpool 2-1 in Belgium. Last season, they qualified from the league phase of the Europa League despite a lowly 21st-place finish, before losing to Ajax in the knockout-phase playoffs.
Club Brugge (Belgium)
Club Brugge equalled their best Champions League finish with a round-of-16 exit last season, after losing 6-1 to Aston Villa on aggregate. That defeat was inflicted despite the Belgian side beating Villa 1-0 during the league phase. They will come into this season’s league phase full of confidence after beating Rangers 9-1 across the two play-off legs, which followed home and away victories over Red Bull Salzburg in the third qualifying round. Back in the 1970’s, Brugge reached the final in both the European Cup and UEFA Cup but were beaten by Liverpool on both occasions.
Galatasaray (Turkey)
Galatasaray have tasted European success before, having beaten Arsenal onenalties in the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup final. They are regular participants in Europe, and although they failed to qualify from their Champions League group in 2023/24, they did achieve a 3-3 draw at home to Manchester Utd and a 3-2 victory at Old Trafford. They were unexpectedly eliminated in the qualifying playoff round of last season’s Champions League, losing both the home and away legs to the Swiss side Young Boys. That gained the Turkish side entry into the Europa League, where they were eliminated 6-3 on aggregate by AZ Alkmaar in the knockout-phase playoff round.
Slavia Prague (Czech Republic)
Slavia Prague have made little progress when competing in the Champions League of late, with their last group-stage appearance in 2019/20. Last season Slavia were eliminated in the Champions League play-off round by Lille, before competing in the league phase of the Europa League. However, after an opening 2-0 away win against Ludogorets Razgrad, the Czech side failed to win any of their subsequent seven matches and failed to reach the knockout rounds.
Olympiacos (Greece)
In defeating Fiorentina 1-0 in the 2024 Europa Conference League final, Olympiacos became the first Greek side to win a major European trophy. They have competed regularly in Europe over the years, but that was the first time they have progressed beyond the round of 16 for 25 years. Last season, they did make it as far as the round of 16 in the Europa League, before failing to master Bodø/Glimt’s artificial pitch in a 3-0 away loss, and they were unable to overturn the deficit in the home leg. The last two Champions League appearances for Olympiacos have ended in qualifying-round defeats on both occasions.
Bodø/Glimt (Norway)
This is Bodø/Glimt’s sixth successive European campaign after an absence of 15 years. Last season saw their best performance to date, as they reached the semi-finals of the Europa League before losing home and away to the eventual winners, Tottenham Hotspur. Bodø are heavily reliant on their home form, as their artificial pitch, combined with generally extremely cold weather, makes it difficult for the away teams. In their last six European campaigns, the Norwegian side have won 31 of their 38 home matches—a run which includes a 5-0 victory over Sturm Graz in this year’s play-off round.
FC København (Denmark)
Since their formation in 1992, FC København have appeared in a European competition every season except one. Last season, they played in the UEFA Conference League, but only finished in mid-table in the league phase following two wins, two draws and two defeats. They did eliminate Heidenheim in the play-off round, before finding Chelsea too hard a nut to crack in the round of 16 and losing 3-1 on aggregate. The Danish side have passed through three qualifying rounds to reach the UCL league phase this season, in a run which included good home wins over Malmö (5-0) and Basel (2-0).
Pafos (Cyprus)
Created in 2014 from a merger between AEP Paphos and AEK Kouklia, Pafos will play only their second season in European football this year. In last season’s Conference League, they progressed from the league phase in 12th position but were eventually eliminated by Djurgårdens in the round of 16. Their weak point was their away form, as they won just one of their nine away matches (W1, D2, L6). It’s a massive step up to the Champions League for the Cypriot side, who have reached this stage undefeated after eliminating Maccabi Tel Aviv, Dynamo Kyiv and Crvena zvezda.
Qarabağ (Azerbaijan)
After three successive seasons of moving into the Europa League after being eliminated from the Champions League knockout rounds, Azerbaijani side Qarabağ have finally qualified for the league phase of the Champions League. The decisive play-off round win was a tight 5-4 victory over Ferencváros. However, in the league phase of last season’s Europa League, Qarabağ lost seven of their eight matches and finished bottom of the 36 teams. It will be a big surprise if they can make any headway against the UCL sides this season.
Kairat (Kazakhstan)
Kairat qualified for their first ever European group stage in the 2021/22 Europa Conference League. However, the Kazakhstani side drew two and lost four of those group games and were eliminated. This season they competed in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League and exceeded all expectations by passing through four rounds to reach the league phase. That success was built around solid home performances, in which Kairat won three and drew one of their four matches, without conceding a goal in any of those games. However, their European form is poor away from home, with the side having won just one of their previous 14 ties on the road.
Champions League 2024/25 stats
A few statistics from the 2024/25 Champions League:
Top scorers: 13 – Raphinha (Barcelona), Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund)
Most assists: 8 – Raphinha (Barcelona), 6 – Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)
Most yellow cards: 34 – Real Madrid, 33 – Inter
Highest scoring match: Bayern Munich 9-2 Dinamo Zagreb
Successive wins: 7 – Liverpool
Successive losses: 8 – Young Boys, Slovan Bratislava
Most goals scored in league stage: 28 – Barcelona, 22 – Borussia Dortmund
Fewest goals scored in league stage: 3 – Young Boys, 4 – Bologna
Most goals conceded in league stage: 27 – Slovan Bratisalva, Red Bull Salzburg
Fewest goals conceded in league stage: 1 – Inter, 3 – Arsenal
Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-0 victory over Inter was the biggest ever winning margin in a Champions League/European Cup final.
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