Champions League Matchday 8: Key stats and what to look out for in every game

Fifteen teams have already sealed progress, with Arsenal and Bayern München the only sides guaranteed a place in the round of 16 ahead of the final round of league phase games. With four teams eliminated, that leaves 17 clubs scrambling for the final places in the knockout phase on Matchday 8.

We take a look at the key facts and stats from every fixture as the league phase draws to a dramatic conclusion.

All matches kick off at 21:00 CET on Wednesday 28 January.

Ajax vs Olympiacos

• Ajax and Olympiacos have met six times in UEFA competition, sharing two wins each and two draws. Their last encounters came in the 1998/99 Champions League group stage, when Olympiacos won 1-0 at home before Ajax replied with a 2-0 victory in Amsterdam.
• Ajax have lost just one of their last 15 UEFA competition meetings with Greek opposition (W9 D5), that sole defeat coming in their most recent encounter – a 1-0 home loss to Panathinaikos in the second leg of a 2024/25 UEFA Europa League third qualifying round tie.
• The Dutch outfit have conceded the first goal in all seven of their matches in the league phase this season.
• Olympiacos have lost only one of their last six UEFA competition games against Dutch teams (W2 D3).
• The Greek side are aiming to win back-to-back away matches in the Champions League proper for only the second time, having previously achieved the feat in the 2015/16 group stage with victories over Arsenal and GNK Dinamo.
• Olympiacos have also won successive games in the same edition of this competition for the first time since 2015/16, when they won three in a row.

Arsenal vs Kairat Almaty

• Arsenal are the only team to win their first seven league phase matches in the 2025/26 Champions League. No team has won all eight games since the league phase was introduced last season.
• The Gunners have won seven consecutive games for the first time in UEFA competition history.
• Since their 1-0 defeat at Inter on Matchday 4 of the 2024/25 edition, Arsenal have now gone on to win 11 consecutive league phase matches and have conceded only four goals in that run.
• Arsenal have opened the scoring in all their seven league phase matches this season and have scored three or more goals in their last five games in the competition.
• Gabriel Martinelli has found the net in Arsenal's previous three home games in this season's Champions League.
• Kairat Almaty are without a win in their last ten UEFA competition matches (D3 L7).

Monaco vs Juventus

• Monaco and Juventus have met six times in UEFA competition, all in the Champions League knockout rounds: the 1997/98 semi-finals, the 2014/15 quarter-finals and the 2016/17 semi-finals. The Italian side prevailed in each of the three two-legged ties and won four of the six matches, with Monaco winning just once.
• The French side have lost only one of their last seven Champions League group stage/league phase home matches (W4 D2), and have not conceded in their last two at home in this competition.
• Monaco midfielder Paul Pogba had two spells at Juventus earlier in his career, scoring 34 goals in 190 games, while Denis Zakaria made 15 appearances for the Bianconeri across two seasons before a transfer to Monaco in summer 2023.
• Juventus have lost only three of their last 15 UEFA competition matches against French teams (W8 D4).
• The Bianconeri have recorded three successive Champions League victories for the first time since they strung together five consecutive wins across the 2020/21 and 2021/22 editions.
• Weston McKennie has scored in Juventus' last three Champions League games. He could become the first United States player to score in four successive matches in the competition proper.

Athletic Club vs Sporting CP

• The head-to-head record between the sides is level, with two wins each. Both teams won their respective home legs in their meetings in the 1985/86 UEFA Cup third round and the 2011/12 Europa League semi-finals.
• Athletic Club have lost only two of their last ten UEFA competition home matches (W7 D1).
• Gorka Guruzeta has scored four goals in his last five Champions League appearances for Athletic Club.
• Sporting CP have failed to win any of their 14 previous UEFA competition away matches against Spanish opposition (D4 L10).
• The Portuguese side are also without a win in their last six Champions League away games (D2 L4).
• Luis Suárez has scored four goals in Sporting CP's last six Champions League matches.

Atlético de Madrid vs Bodø/Glimt

• Atleti have won all their previous six UEFA competition matches against Norwegian teams.
• Diego Simeone's men have lost only one of their last 18 Champions League matches at home (W13 D4) and have won 12 of the last 13.
• The Spanish outfit have not kept a clean sheet in their last ten league phase games in the Champions League.
• Atleti striker Alexander Sørloth had a loan spell at Bodø/Glimt in 2015, scoring 14 goals in 29 appearances for the club.
• Atleti have scored in the first half in six of their previous seven Champions League matches this season.
• Bodø/Glimt have only failed to score in two of their last 23 UEFA competition games and have struck at least two goals in five of their seven matches in this league phase.

Leverkusen vs Villarreal

• Villarreal are unbeaten in the four previous UEFA competition meetings between these teams (W3 D1), but Leverkusen have lost just one of their last eight home UEFA competition matches against Spanish opposition (W5 D2) and they come into this fixture on a run of three straight wins.
• The German side have won five and drawn one of their last six Champions League group stage/league phase matches against Spanish teams.
• Leverkusen have lost just two of their last 17 home UEFA competition games (W10 D5), but they come into this game without a win in their last four (D2 L2).
• Villarreal are winless in their last ten matches in the Champions League proper (D2 L8).
• The Yellow Submarine have lost their last four UEFA competition matches away from home without scoring a goal.

Borussia Dortmund vs Inter

• Dortmund and Inter are meeting in UEFA competition for the first time since the 2019/20 Champions League group stage, when Inter won 2-0 at home on Matchday 3 before Dortmund responded with a 3-2 home victory on Matchday 4.
• BVB have lost only one of their last 21 Champions League matches at home (W13 D7).
• A victory for Dortmund would be their 100th in European Cup/Champions League history.
• Inter have lost five of their last six Champions League group stage/league phase games away from home against German teams (W1).
• The Nerazzurri have lost three successive matches in a single edition of the Champions League proper for the first time, and defeat here would see them lose four successive UEFA competition matches for the first time.
• Inter defender Manuel Akanji played for Dortmund from 2018–22, scoring four times in 158 games for BVB. Nerazzurri midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is also a former Dortmund player – he scored 41 goals in 140 matches for the German club.

Club Brugge vs Marseille

• The only previous UEFA competition meetings between the sides came in the 1992/93 Champions League group stage, when Marseille won both matches – 3-0 in France and 1-0 in Belgium.
• Club Brugge are targeting a second win over French opposition in this season's Champions League, having opened their league phase campaign with a 4-1 home victory against Monaco.
• Club Brugge have lost only two of their last eight UEFA competition games at home against French teams (W3 D3).
• Marseille are unbeaten in their previous seven UEFA competition games against Belgian opposition (W4 D3), most recently earning a 3-2 away victory over Union SG on Matchday 6.
• OM are aiming to win successive away matches in the Champions League proper for the first time since the 2010/11 season.

Frankfurt vs Tottenham Hotspur

• Tottenham have won three of the six previous UEFA competition meetings between the sides (D2 L1). Their most recent encounters came in last season's Europa League quarter-finals, where the English team followed a 1-1 home draw with a 1-0 win in Frankfurt to advance 2-1 on aggregate.
• Frankfurt have managed just one win in their last nine UEFA competition fixtures (D2 L6) and are winless in their most recent six (D1 L5). They had never previously gone six successive UEFA matches without a victory.
• Tottenham are unbeaten in their last six UEFA competition games against German opposition (W4 D2) and are aiming to record consecutive victories after their 2-0 home win over Dortmund on Matchday 7.
• Spurs have opened the scoring in their last four Champions League games.
• The north London side have kept four clean sheets in their last five Champions League matches.
• Tottenham striker Randal Kolo Muani scored 26 goals in 50 games for Frankfurt between 2022 and 2023.

Barcelona vs Copenhagen

• Barcelona are unbeaten in their previous eight UEFA competition matches against Danish teams (W6 D2), conceding only two goals across that run. That includes the only previous UEFA competition meetings between the sides, Barcelona winning 2-0 at home and drawing 1-1 away in the 2010/11 Champions League group stage.
• The Spanish team have found the net in 26 of their last 27 Champions League matches, while none of their last 42 UEFA competition games have ended goalless.
• Barcelona signed Roony Bardghji in summer 2025 from Copenhagen, where he scored 15 goals in 84 games across his four seasons at the club.
• Fermín López has struck five times in the Champions League proper this season, making him both Barcelona's leading scorer and the highest-scoring Spanish player in the competition after seven matchdays.
• Copenhagen have won only one of their previous 16 UEFA competition matches against Spanish opposition (D6 L9), but that sole victory came in their most recent encounter – a 3-2 win away to Villarreal on Matchday 6.
• Copenhagen are unbeaten in their last three Champions League games (W2 D1), equalling their longest run without defeat in the competition proper. They could become the first Danish club to reach 50 wins in European Cup/Champions League history.
• While his father Henrik Larsson played for Barcelona from 2004 to 2006, Copenhagen's Jordan Larsson played in the Catalan club's La Masia academy.

Liverpool vs Qarabağ

• Liverpool had won 16 straight UEFA competition group stage/league phase matches at Anfield before their Matchday 5 loss to PSV in their most recent Champions League home fixture.
• The Reds have won 17 of their last 20 Champions League league phase/group stage games (L3).
• Dominik Szoboszlai has found the net in four of Liverpool's last five Champions League matches, including the most recent three.
• Qarabağ are winless in their previous eight UEFA competition meetings with English opposition (D1 L7), and have been beaten in all four of their visits to England.
• The Azerbaijani outfit have scored two or more goals in eight of their last ten UEFA competition games.
• Camilo Durán has scored three goals in Qarabağ's last two Champions League matches.

Paris Saint-Germain vs Newcastle United

• The only previous UEFA competition meetings between the sides came in the 2023/24 Champions League group stage, where Newcastle won 4-1 at home on Matchday 2 before a 1-1 draw in Paris on Matchday 5.
• Paris have won five of their last seven UEFA competition matches against English opposition (D1 L1) and are unbeaten in their last four (W3 D1).
• The French side have lost only two of their last 18 Champions League group stage/league phase games at home (W13 D3).
• Paris have scored four or more goals in three of their last four Champions League home league phase matches.
• Newcastle have won only one of their nine UEFA competition games away from home against French teams (D3 L5).
• Anthony Gordon has scored six goals in seven Champions League appearances this season, making him Newcastle's joint-top scorer in Champions League history with six, level with Alan Shearer and one ahead of Harvey Barnes.

Manchester City vs Galatasaray

• Manchester City's only previous UEFA competition meetings with a Turkish club came against Fenerbahçe in the first round of the 1968/69 European Cup, the Istanbul side winning 2-1 on aggregate, while Galatasaray are unbeaten in their last four UEFA competition matches against English teams (W3 D1).
• A Manchester City defeat would mark their first run of back-to-back home losses in the Champions League since a three-match streak spanning the 2017/18 and 2018/19 campaigns.
• Manchester City's defeat against Leverkusen on Matchday 5 ended a 23-game unbeaten run in Champions League group stage/league phase matches at home (W20 D3).
• The Turkish side have won only one of their last 12 UEFA competition games away from home (D3 L8).
• Galatasaray need two goals to become the first Turkish team to reach 250 in European Cup/Champions League history.
• Galatasaray midfielder İlkay Gündoğan scored 65 goals in 358 games for Manchester City and was captain for the club's sole Champions League triumph in 2022/23. Midfielder Leroy Sané also played under Pep Guardiola at City, scoring 39 times in 135 matches.

Pafos vs Slavia Praha

• This is the first time clubs from Cyprus and Czechia have faced each other in the Champions League proper.
• Pafos have lost only one of their last ten UEFA competition home matches (W6 D3).
• Pafos have won only one of their last eight UEFA competition games (D4 L3).
• Slavia Praha's only previous UEFA competition meeting with Cypriot opposition came in the 2017/18 Champions League qualifying play-off round, when they lost 2-0 on aggregate to APOEL.
• The Czech team are without a win in their last 14 UEFA competition matches (D5 L9).
• Slavia Praha are without a win in their last 18 games in the Champions League proper (D7 L11), since a 2-1 home victory against Steaua on Matchday 1 of their debut campaign in September 2007.

PSV Eindhoven vs Bayern München

• Bayern have won six of the eight previous UEFA competition meetings between the sides (D1 L1). Their most recent encounters came in the 2016/17 Champions League group stage, where Bayern won 4-1 in Munich and 2-1 in Eindhoven.
• PSV are winless in their last five UEFA competition matches against German clubs (D2 L3) and have won only two of their last nine Champions League games (D3 L4) overall.
• PSV midfielder Ivan Perišić spent the 2019/20 season on loan at Bayern from Inter, scoring eight goals in 35 games and winning the Champions League alongside a domestic double, while Paul Wanner joined PSV from Bayern in summer 2025.
• Bayern have lost only three of their last 19 UEFA competition matches against Dutch teams (W10 D6), though one of those defeats came in their most recent meeting – a 3-0 loss at Feyenoord on Matchday 7 of last season's Champions League.
• The German side have won ten of their last 12 games in the league phase of the Champions League (L2).
• Harry Kane has now scored 26 goals in 32 appearances for Bayern in the Champions League proper. He scored 21 goals in 32 outings for Tottenham in the competition.

Union Saint-Gilloise vs Atalanta

• Union SG's sole previous UEFA competition games against Italian opposition are a 1-1 home draw with Roma on Matchday 4 of last season's Europa League and a 4-0 home loss to Inter on Matchday 3 of this season's Champions League.
• Union SG have lost five of their last six Champions League matches (W1).
• Atalanta are aiming for successive UEFA competition wins against Belgian opposition after their 2-1 home victory over Club Brugge on Matchday 2, having lost all four of their previous games against Belgian teams.
• The Italian side have lost only two of their last 14 Champions League group stage/league phase matches away from home (W9 D3) and have won the two most recent without conceding a goal.
• Gianluca Scamacca has scored in successive Champions League appearances for Atalanta.

Benfica vs Real Madrid

• These teams have met only three times in UEFA competition: Benfica won 5-3 in the 1962 European Cup final and 6-3 on aggregate in the 1964/65 quarter-finals of the same competition, winning 5-1 in Lisbon before a 2-1 loss in Madrid.
• Benfica have won only three of their last 25 UEFA competition matches against Spanish teams (D8 L14).
• An appearance by Nicolás Otamendi would take him to 100 games in the Champions League proper, a milestone previously reached by only two Argentinian players – Lionel Messi (163) and Ángel Di María (116).
• Benfica coach José Mourinho was at the Madrid helm from May 2010 to June 2013, winning the Copa del Rey in 2010/11 and La Liga the following season.
• Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last ten UEFA competition games against Portuguese teams (W8 D2), including four consecutive away wins.
• Kylian Mbappé's 11 goals in the 2025/26 competition have equalled Cristiano Ronaldo's record for the most goals scored in a Champions League group stage/league phase campaign, a mark the Portuguese forward set in 2015/16.
• Real Madrid defender Álvaro Carreras signed for the club last summer from Benfica, where he made 68 appearances, scoring five goals, between 2024 and 2025.

Napoli vs Chelsea

• The only previous UEFA competition meetings between the sides came in the 2011/12 Champions League round of 16, when Chelsea overturned a 3-1 first leg defeat in Naples with a 4-1 extra time win at Stamford Bridge to reach the quarter-finals – a campaign they ultimately went on to win.
• Napoli have won eight of their previous 11 UEFA competition matches at home against English teams (D1 L2), and have lost only one of their last 20 matches at home (W12 D7) in this competition overall.
• Napoli coach Antonio Conte held the reins at Chelsea between 2016 and 2018, winning the 2016/17 Premier League title and the 2017/18 FA Cup in his two seasons at the helm.
• Chelsea have won only two of their 13 UEFA competition away games against Italian opposition (D3 L8), losing six of the last seven (W1).
• The English side have lost only two of their last 12 Champions League group stage/league phase matches (W8 D2), and have won 16 of their last 20 UEFA competition matches (D1 L3).
• None of Chelsea's last 55 UEFA competition matches have finished goalless.

Further ahead

• The draw for the knockout phase play-offs takes place on Friday 30 January and will feature the teams that finish ninth to 24th in the league phase.
• The knockout phase play-offs will be played over two legs on 17/18 and 24/25 February.
• The top eight from the league phase will face the eight winners of the knockout phase play-offs, with the draws for the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals taking place on 27 February.

Where is the 2026 UEFA Champions League final being played?

UEFA via Getty Images

The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League final will take place at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on Saturday 30 May 2026.