The UEFA Champions League league phase is back, as 36 teams will play eight matches — four home and four away — in bids to reach the knockout rounds.There are two paths to the Round of 16: Eight teams will qualify directly via the league phase table, while eight more will emerge from playoff ties pitting teams 9-24 in home-and-away legs.MORE — UEFA Champions League 2025-26 hub — Fixtures, dates, scoresAnd there's no set path for greatness, something we learned from the first edition of the tournament's new structure.Runners-up Inter Milan earned a bye as the fourth-seed last league phase, but champions Paris Saint-Germain finished 15th and did not have their playoff status secured until Matchday 7.UEFA Champions League 2025-26 league phase table — StandingsTeams 1-8 qualify for knockout roundsTeams 9-24 qualify for playoff round — two-legged tiesTeams 25-36 eliminated from EuropeEintracht Frankfurt — 1-0-0, +4 GD, 3 pointsParis Saint-Germain — 1-0-0, +4 GD, 3 pointsSporting CP — 1-0-0, +3 GD, 3 pointsClub Brugge — 1-0-0, +3 GD, 3 pointsUnion Saint-Gilloise — 1-0-0, +2 GD, 3 pointsBayern Munich — 1-0-0, +2 GD, 3 pointsInter Milan — 1-0-0, +2 GD, 3 pointsArsenal — 1-0-0, +2 GD, 3 pointsManchester City — 1-0-0, +2 GD, 3 pointsQarabag — 1-0-0, +1 GD, 3 pointsLiverpool — 1-0-0, +1 GD, 3 pointsBarcelona — 0-0-1, +1 GD, 3 pointsReal Madrid — 1-0-0, +1 GD, 3 pointsTottenham Hotspur — 1-0-0, +1 GD, 3 pointsBorussia Dortmund — 0-1-0, 0 GD, 1 pointJuventus — 0-1-0, 0 GD, 1 pointBayer Leverkusen — 0-1-0, 0 GD, 1 pointBodo/Glimt 0-1-0, 0 GD, 1 pointSlavia Prague — 0-1-0, 0 GD, 1 pointCopenhagen — 0-1-0, 0 GD, 1 pointOlympiacos — 0-1-0, 0 GD, 1 pointPafos — 0-1-0, 0 GD, 1 pointAtletico Madrid — 0-0-1, -1 GD, 0 pointsBenfica — 0-0-1, -1 GD, 0 pointsMarseille — 0-0-1, -1 GD, 0 pointsNewcastle United — 0-0-1, -1 GD, 0 pointsVillarreal — 0-0-1, -1 GD, 0 pointsChelsea — 0-0-1, -2 GD, 0 pointsPSV Eindhoven — 0-0-1, -2 GD, 0 pointsAjax — 0-0-1, -2 GD, 0 pointsAthletic Bilbao — 0-0-1, -2 GD, 0 pointsNapoli — 0-0-1, -2 GD, 0 pointsAS Monaco — 0-0-1, -3 GD, 0 pointsKairat Almaty — 0-0-1, -3 GD, 0 pointsGalatasaray — 0-0-1, -4 GD, 0 pointsAtalanta — 0-0-1, -4 GD, 0 points

St. James’ Park will host Barcelona for the first time in 22 years on Thursday night and that number alone carries weight in a city where European nights are measured in folklore.

Joan Garcia, who joined Barcelona from RCD Espanyol in the summer, is a guaranteed starter for Hansi Flick and will play his first-ever Champions League match – making it his biggest test so far at th...

The 2025-26 Champions League season has just started and we can already come to some early overreactions on the players and teams that are playing the current edition of the European tournament.

Liverpool were 2-0 ahead before he even got his first touch in the famous red shirt.

Paris Saint-Germain coped easily without its star forwards and could even afford to miss a penalty as it began its Champions League title defense with a 4-0 victory over Atalanta on Wednesday. The exceptional teamwork in coach Luis Enrique's side was a hallmark of their Champions League title run last season.

Ligue 1 leader Paris Saint-Germain faces its biggest rival Marseille at Parc des Princes on Sunday.