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2025/26 Champions League The league has now reached the halfway stage, with each of the 36 clubs involved having played four of their eight matches ahead of the knockout rounds starting in February.
The competition has already seen some blockbuster matches as some of the continent’s top teams face off Bayern Munich beat holders PSG this week Whereas liverpool beat real madrid – and the race for the automatic qualification pieces is starting to heat up.
The teams finishing in the top eight in the table will automatically qualify for the knockout round, the teams ranked ninth to 24th will face off in play-off fixtures to qualify for the knockout round, and the competition for the places is already close, with only four points separating fourth place. Manchester City and Bayer Leverkusen in 21st place.
Perhaps not surprisingly, it is Premier League Clubs that are beginning to dominate, with armoryCity, liverpool And newcastle united While all are currently ranked in the top eight Tottenham Hotspur And chelsea are only one and two points away respectively.
But with four matches left and each club facing vastly different schedules, can every Premier League team finish in the top eight automatic qualification places?
armory
armory Bayern Munich have arguably been the best team in the competition so far, with Mikel Arteta’s side boasting a 100 per cent record and conceding zero goals after four matches. While the Gunners will face tougher tests from the likes of Bilbao, Olympiacos and Slavia Praha in the coming months, the dominant nature of their performances will see them become one of the favorites to win the competition.
It would take an unprecedented drop in form for Arsenal to fall out of the top eight – especially considering who their remaining two matches are against club bruges and kazakh minnow fc carat – but the opposite matches inter Milan And Bayern Munich Would provide the best yardstick ever for evaluating the Gunners.
liverpool
Despite a rocky patch in recent weeks, liverpool Arne Slott’s side have managed to save their best form for Europe, with Arne Slott’s side having beaten both Atlético and Real Madrid so far in 2025/26. The win over Frankfurt was expected and while the defeat to Galatasaray was a surprise, it is not a result that will define the European campaign as long as the Reds continue to perform.
liverpool still have to play inter Milan As they look to seal a top eight finish, however, based on current form they could go into that match as favourites, and psv And marseille to arrive before the final match against KarabaghArne Slott may already be making secret preparations for the knockout rounds.
Manchester City
of manchester city The move away to AS Monaco is the only blow to an otherwise perfect record in Europe this term, with Pep Guardiola leading his side to easy wins over Napoli, Villarreal and Borussia Dortmund so far.
City is fourth in the table with 10 points bayer leverkusen, Galatasaray And they will/shine Going forward, their top 24 finish is almost certain, and they can be confident of securing a spot in the automatic qualification spots as well. However, the Citizens will have to keep their wits about them as they look to secure results in those three matches, with the trip to Real Madrid on December 10 meaning the other sides may have a chance to gain the upper hand.
chelsea
After four matches have been played, Chelsea are 12th in the league stage table, just two points behind eighth-placed Liverpool. Positive results against Ajax and Benfica were sandwiched between a disappointing defeat to Bayern Munich and a poor draw away to Qarabag last time out, and while the Blues should finish safely in the top 24 to guarantee a knockout round play-off tie, they could struggle to make the top eight on current form.
visit to barcelona November 25 has the potential to define the Blues’ league stage campaign, with both sides level on points ahead of the fifth gameweek. matches against atlanta And courage Move ahead before a potentially tricky encounter napoli To end the campaign, and it is safe to say that Enzo Maresca’s team needs results in those matches against Italian teams and Paphos to automatically qualify.
tottenham
tottenham Hotspur’s The campaign began with a narrow win over Villarreal, followed by draws with Bodø/Glimt and Monaco, although it came to life with a 4–0 win over a possibly poor Copenhagen side.
That result leaves Thomas Frank’s side 10th in the table, just one point below Liverpool, and while they are in a good position to make the top eight, their recent form means they will have to be at their best if they are to do so.
Spurs travel to Paris to face the defending champions psg Next time, before a winnable home match slavia praha And more difficult matches against the German giants borussia dortmundThey end with an away tie eintracht frankfurtAnd while each of these two games should yield three points, defeats to PSG and Dortmund could make life difficult for the Lilywhites, even though they are currently very likely to make the top 24.
newcastle
Despite a mixed form which has seen them struggle at times domestically, newcastle Flying high in Europe, losing only one match – at home to Barcelona – before winning three matches on the bounce to reach sixth place in the league stage table.
Solid wins over Union Saint-Gillois, Benfica and Athletic Bilbao provide a reminder that the Magpies are one of the toughest sides on the continent to play against on their day, and though they potentially have tough fixtures against them. marseille, leverkusen And psv Placed next, they have the potential to win all three as they look to move towards automatic qualification.
Still, Eddie Howe’s side will need to be careful not to slip from the form that has left them 13th in the league, as these teams could punish the mistakes Newcastle are making in the Premier League, with a match away on the final day. psg With that still to come, Magpies fans won’t want it to get to the final matchday.