Time to wrap up what was a very eventful blog. Thanks for your company and emails – goodnight!
Playoff round
The teams ranked 9th-24th will contest the playoff round, with Friday's draw determining which team from each pair below will go into which path. There are no national exclusions so, for example, Monaco will be drawn against either PSG or Newcastle, with Qarabag playing the other team.
Silver path:
(21) Monaco or Qarabag (22) v (11) PSG or Newcastle (12)
(19) Club Brugge or Galatasaray (20) v (13) Juventus or Atlético (14)
(23) Bodø/Glimt or Benfica (24) v (9) Real Madrid or Inter (10)
(17) Dortmund or Olympiakos (18) v (15) Atalanta or Leverkusen (16)
Blue path:
(22) Qarabag or Monaco (21) v (12) Newcastle or PSG (11)
(20) Galatasaray or Club Brugge (19) v (14) Atlético or Juventus (13)
(24) Benfica or Bodø/Glimt (23) v (10) Inter or Real Madrid (9)
(18) Olympiakos or Dortmund (17) v (16) Leverkusen or Atalanta (15)
Potential last 16 ties
After the playoffs are completed on 24-25 Feb, the last 16 draw will take place on 27 Feb. It will work in a similar way, with each playoff winner paired with a team who qualified automatically by finishing in the top eight. The path to the final in Budapest on 30 May will then be set.
Silver path:
Monaco/Qarabag/PSG/Newcastle v (5) Barcelona or Chelsea (6)
Brugge/Gala/Juve/Atlético v (3) Liverpool or Tottenham (4)
Bodø/Benfica/Madrid/Inter v (7) Sporting or Manchester City (8)
Dortmund/Olympiakos/Atalanta/Leverkusen v (1) Arsenal or Bayern (2)
Blue path:
Qarabag/Monaco/Newcastle/PSG v (6) Chelsea or Barcelona (5)
Gala/Brugge/Juve/Atlético v (4) Tottenham or Liverpool (3)
Benfica/Bodø/Madrid/Inter v (8) Manchester City or Sporting (7)
Olympiakos/Dortmund/Leverkusen/Atalanta v (2) Bayern or Arsenal (1)
Updated
Champions League round-up
Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored a 98th-minute header as Benfica defeated Real Madrid 4-2 to secure a Champions League knockout place on Wednesday and deny their opponents an automatic spot in the last 16.
Benfica were heading out despite leading 3-2 with seconds of stoppage time remaining before Trubin met a free-kick to score the goal they needed to get into the playoff round on goal difference.
Madrid had hoped to finish in the top eight and go straight into the last 16, but their 15 points from eight games was not enough and they finished the match with nine men as Raúl Asencio and Rodrygo were sent off.
Andreas Schjelderup scored two goals for Benfica and Vangelis Pavlidis netted from the penalty spot, while Kylian Mbappé netted twice for Real in a hugely entertaining, end-to-end contest.
Match report: Napoli 2-3 Chelsea
The onus was on Chelsea to silence the jibes about their lack of experience. Behind to a goal from Rasmus Højlund at half-time, they were facing the inconvenience of a two-legged playoff to reach the last 16 of the Champions League. Another lead had been thrown away and the momentum was with Napoli after they cancelled out a penalty from Enzo Fernández at a bouncing Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Yet the night ended with a humiliating early exit for Napoli and another failure for Antonio Conte in Europe. The former Chelsea manager watched in despair as Cole Palmer came on to undo his depleted side with a devastating cameo. Palmer set up João Pedro for two outstanding goals as Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea finished in the top eight thanks to their first away win at this level in over three years.
Match report: Man City 2-0 Galatasaray
Pep Guardiola often bemoans the schedule so for Manchester City to enter the last 16 directly and miss the home-and-away knockout play-off round will please.
The manager, though, was clearly unhappy with the team performance that set up the victory and progression due to a troubling sluggishness and doing what annoys him most: failing to play the high-octane way that he drills into his players.
Erling Haaland’s opener - only a second in the striker’s last eight matches - and Rayan Cherki’s second, each before the interval, were slickly taken but they derived from slack Galatasaray defensive work.
Match report: Liverpool 6-0 Qarabag
Liverpool are having to stomach “a very bad cocktail” of cheap goals against and wasted chances in the Premier League, according to Arne Slot. To extend the mixologist’s analogy, his team are enjoying life with a few margaritas in the Champions League.
Slot’s team cruised into the last 16 for the second successive season with a demolition of Qarabag at Anfield. Mohamed Salah was among the goalscorers for the first time since accusing Liverpool of throwing him under the bus in December, while Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz, the influential Hugo Ekitiké and Federico Chiesa were also on the scoresheet.
Match report: PSG 1-1 Newcastle
On a chilly, fun, boisterous night in Paris, with the Champions League mega-table scrolling away in the background throughout a breathless 90 minutes, Newcastle produced a fine away performance at the home of the European champions.
A 1-1 draw means Eddie Howe’s team will now enter the knockout phase in February, as had always seemed likely. Paris Saint-Germain will now join them there after some late score-ticker malarkey sent the reigning champions into the playoffs.
Howe will take huge heart from this performance, as a weakened team recovered from a start that suggested the ceiling might be about to fall in. As for PSG, the rest of Europe will look at this team with a little less fear of the furious full-court press that marked last season’s post-Christmas run. Newcastle were compact, powerful in the challenge, and really could have won this game in the second half.
Match report: Arsenal 3-2 Kairat
Arsenal’s challenge for the Premier League title may be showing some signs of wobbling but there are no such problems in the Champions League. An eighth successive victory means Mikel Arteta’s side have become the first team to end the league phase with a 100% record since it was introduced last season.
Whether that can translate into silverware in a competition that Arsenal have infamously never won and in which they only reached one final – way back in 2006 under Arsène Wenger – remains to be seen. But even with a second-string side that once again showed the strength in depth at Arteta’s disposal, completing the job against the bottom side was never in doubt even when Kairat equalised after an early goal from Viktor Gyökeres.
Updated
Match report: Eintracht Frankfurt 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Randal Kolo Muani was lucky to be on the field. The Tottenham striker had suffered a moment of indescribable panic when the front right tyre on his Ferrari blew out on the motorway on Tuesday as he drove to Stansted airport for the team flight to Frankfurt.
The car was a write-off but Kolo Muani walked away from it. He had to take a later flight to make this Champions League game and he was plainly determined to make his mark on it.
Kolo Muani was once a hero to the Eintracht fans, scoring prolifically for them in the 2022-23 season. They were not happy to see him back and booed his every touch. The best one was that with which he broke the deadlock just after half-time to set Spur
Updated
The moment of the night, with nary a scintilla of doubt, was the Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin’s 98th-minute header against Real Madrid. Jose Mourinho Benfica were already 3-2 up, but they needed a fourth to qualify for the playoffs – where they will play either Real Madrid or another of Jose’s old clubs, Internazionale.
Updated
The draw for the rest of the tournament takes place on Friday. This, if I’ve read the brackets correctly, is what could happen to the English sides
Arsenal will face one of Atalanta, Leverkusen, Olympiacos and Dortmund in the last 16.
Liverpool will face one of Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge or Galatasaray in the last 16.
Tottenham Hotspur will also face one of Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge or Galatasaray in the last 16.
Chelsea will face one of Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle, Monaco or Qarabag in the last 16.
Manchester City will face one of Real Madrid, Internazionale, Bodo/Glimt or Benfica in the last 16.
Newcastle will face Monaco or Qarabag in the playoff round, then Chelsea or Barcelona in the last 16 if they get through.
The final Champions League table
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 8 | 19 | 24 |
| 2 | Bayern Munich | 8 | 14 | 21 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 8 | 12 | 18 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 8 | 10 | 17 |
| 5 | Barcelona | 8 | 8 | 16 |
| 6 | Chelsea | 8 | 7 | 16 |
| 7 | Sporting | 8 | 6 | 16 |
| 8 | Man City | 8 | 6 | 16 |
| 9 | Real Madrid | 8 | 9 | 15 |
| 10 | Inter Milan | 8 | 8 | 15 |
| 11 | PSG | 8 | 10 | 14 |
| 12 | Newcastle | 8 | 10 | 14 |
| 13 | Juventus | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| 14 | Atletico Madrid | 8 | 2 | 13 |
| 15 | Atalanta | 8 | 0 | 13 |
| 16 | Bayer Leverkusen | 8 | -1 | 12 |
| 17 | Borussia Dortmund | 8 | 2 | 11 |
| 18 | Olympiacos | 8 | -4 | 11 |
| 19 | Club Brugge | 8 | -2 | 10 |
| 20 | Galatasaray | 8 | -2 | 10 |
| 21 | Monaco | 8 | -6 | 10 |
| 22 | Qarabag FK | 8 | -8 | 10 |
| 23 | Bodo/Glimt | 8 | -1 | 9 |
| 24 | Benfica | 8 | -2 | 9 |
| 25 | Marseille | 8 | -3 | 9 |
| 26 | AE Pafos | 8 | -3 | 9 |
| 27 | Union Saint Gilloise | 8 | -9 | 9 |
| 28 | PSV | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 29 | Athletic Bilbao | 8 | -5 | 8 |
| 30 | Napoli | 8 | -6 | 8 |
| 31 | Copenhagen | 8 | -9 | 8 |
| 32 | Ajax | 8 | -13 | 6 |
| 33 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 8 | -11 | 4 |
| 34 | Slavia Prague | 8 | -14 | 3 |
| 35 | Villarreal | 8 | -13 | 1 |
| 36 | FC Kairat | 8 | -15 | 1 |
Full-time scores
Ajax 1-2 Olympiacos
Arsenal 3-2 Kairat Almaty
Athletic Club 2-3 Sporting CP
Atletico Madrid 1-2 Bodo/Glimt
Barcelona 4-1 Copenhagen
Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 Villarreal
Benfica 4-2 Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund 0-2 Inter
Club Brugge 3-0 Marseille
Eintracht Frankfurt 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool 6-0 Qarabag
Man City 2-0 Galatasaray
Monaco 0-0 Juventus
Napoli 2-3 Chelsea
Pafos 4-1 Slavia Prague
Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Newcastle
PSV Eindhoven 1-2 Bayern Munich
Union SG 1-0 Atalanta
Full time: Benfica 4-2 Real Madrid
Benfica are through at Marseille’s expense – and they could meet Real in the playoffs! It was a fabulous downward header from Trubin, and Jose Mourinho was off down the touchline to celebrate with a ballboy. That is wonderful.
Updated
GOAL! Benfica 4-2 Real Madrid (Trubin 90+8)
Real are down to nine men after Rodrygo is sent off. And now Benfica have scored! The goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin has put them into the playoffs with a fantastic header!
Updated
90+4 min: Benfica 3-2 Real Madrid Benfica need another goal to make the playoffs; Real need a goal to finish in the top eight.
Full time: Man City 2-0 Galatasaray
City have avoided the playoffs by virtue of a comfortable win at home to Galatasaray.
Full time: Athletic Club 2-3 Sporting
Sporting have gatecrashed the top eight! It’s not a done deal – a Real Madrid equaliser would knock them down to ninth, but that looks less likely given Raul Asencio has just been sent off.
Full time: Napoli 2-3 Chelsea
A fine win for Chelsea, who qualify automatically as one of the top eight. Joao Pedro scored two goals, the first a screamer, to inspire a fightback from 2-1 down. Napoli go out.
Full time: PSG 1-1 Newcastle
PSG and Newcastle have knocked each other out of the top eight. They are currently 11th and 12th, which would mean a tie against Qarabag or Monaco.
Updated
GOAL! Athletic Bilbao 2-3 Sporting (Santos 90+4)
The Sporting bench are all on the pitch! Alisson Santos’s goal has put Sporting into the top eight – and Real Madrid are currently in the playoffs as a result.
Updated
GOAL! Borussia Dortmund 0-2 Inter (Diouf 90+4)
Andy Diouf’s late goal doesn’t change anything for Inter, who are currently in ninth place.
Updated
That Copenhagen goal has been ruled out by VAR. Liverpool and Spurs have both won their games, 6-0 and 2-0 against Qarabag and Eintracht Frankfurt respectively, and go straight into the knockout rounds.
GOALS!
Liverpool 6-0 Qarabag (Chiesa 90)
Barcelona 4-2 Copenhagen (Meling 87)
87 min: PSG 1-1 Newcastle Harvey Barnes has just missed a glorious chance for Newcastle, hitting the side netting from six yards after great work from Gordon. That would have lifted them into the top eight at the expense of Real Madrid.
Updated
Pafos are now 4-1 up against Slavia Prague. That goal lifts them into the playoff places ahead of Athletic Club.
GOAL! Barcelona 4-1 Copenhagen (Rashford 85)
A free-kick from Marcus Rashford confirms Barcelona’s victory – and probably a place in the top eight.
Updated
As things stand, PSG will face either Real Madrid or Manchester CIty in the last 16 if they get through the playoff round.
GOALS! PSV 1-2 Bayern (Kane 84); Pafos 3-1 Slavia Prague (Anderson Silva 84)
Harold Kane Esq., who started the night on the bench, has finished majestically to put Bayern back in front.
Updated
GOAL! Napoli 2-3 Chelsea (Joao Pedro 82)
Chelsea are back in the top eight! Joao Pedro has scored his second of the night to put them back in front in Naples.
Updated
MORE GOALS!
Ajax 1-2 Olympiacos (Hezze 79)
Club Brugge 3-0 Marseille (Stankovic 79)
Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Inter (Dimarco 81)
That last goal, a cracking free-kick from Federico Dimarco, is a biggie – it moves Inter into the top eight at PSG’s expense.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 8 | 20 | 24 |
| 2 | Bayern Munich | 8 | 13 | 19 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 8 | 11 | 18 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 8 | 10 | 17 |
| 5 | Barcelona | 8 | 7 | 16 |
| 6 | Man City | 8 | 6 | 16 |
| 7 | Real Madrid | 8 | 10 | 15 |
| 8 | Inter Milan | 8 | 7 | 15 |
| 9 | PSG | 8 | 10 | 14 |
| 10 | Newcastle | 8 | 10 | 14 |
| 11 | Chelsea | 8 | 6 | 14 |
| 12 | Sporting | 8 | 5 | 14 |
| 13 | Juventus | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| 14 | Atletico Madrid | 8 | 2 | 13 |
| 15 | Atalanta | 8 | 0 | 13 |
| 16 | Bayer Leverkusen | 8 | -1 | 12 |
| 17 | Borussia Dortmund | 8 | 3 | 11 |
| 18 | Olympiacos | 8 | -4 | 11 |
| 19 | Club Brugge | 8 | -2 | 10 |
| 20 | Galatasaray | 8 | -2 | 10 |
| 21 | Monaco | 8 | -6 | 10 |
| 22 | Qarabag FK | 8 | -7 | 10 |
| 23 | PSV | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| 24 | Bodo/Glimt | 8 | -1 | 9 |
| 25 | Marseille | 8 | -3 | 9 |
| 26 | Benfica | 8 | -3 | 9 |
| 27 | Athletic Bilbao | 8 | -4 | 9 |
| 28 | Napoli | 8 | -5 | 9 |
| 29 | AE Pafos | 8 | -5 | 9 |
| 30 | Union Saint Gilloise | 8 | -9 | 9 |
| 31 | Copenhagen | 8 | -8 | 8 |
| 32 | Ajax | 8 | -13 | 6 |
| 33 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 8 | -11 | 4 |
| 34 | Slavia Prague | 8 | -12 | 3 |
| 35 | Villarreal | 8 | -13 | 1 |
| 36 | FC Kairat | 8 | -16 | 1 |
GOAL! PSV 1-1 Bayern (Saibari 78)
Ismael Saibari equalises for PSV with a stunning goal! And it matters, because it moves PSV into the playoff places.
The top eight as things stand
Arsenal, Bayern, Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Man City, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain.
GOAL! Frankfurt 0-2 Tottenham (Solanke 77)
Lads, it’s Tottenham, and they’re really good at European football. Dominic Solanke has surely secured a place in the top eight with his second goal in as many Champions League games.
Updated
“I was a huge Fonzie fan in the 70s,” writes Phil Sawyer. “You’ve now awakened memories of me going to a fancy dress party as a kid dressed up in my mum’s idea of the Fonz, which was my usual jacket with the collar turned up. I can still hear the mocking laughter of my peers at the time.”
67 min: Benfica 3-2 Real Madrid Apparently Jose Mourinho took a comedy tumble on the touchline a moment ago. There are no accidents, not with Jose.
GOALS! Union SG 1-0 Atalanta (Khalaili 70); Ajax 1-1 Olympiacos (Dolberg 70 pen)
That probably jiggers Atalanta’s chances of finishing in the top eight.
GOAL! Barcelona 3-1 Copenhagen (Raphinha 69 pen)
Barcelona have surely got the job done against Copenhagen. They’re still at the mercy of other results but as things stand they are going through automatically.
Updated
“Just to clarify,” says Ian Copestake, “when you said ‘This is almost entirely pointless’, did you just jump the shark?”
Sunday Monday happy days
Tuesday Wednesday happy days
Thursday Friday happy days
Saturday what a day
Rockin’ all week for you
The as-it-stands table, which will be out of date in about 47 seconds when somebody does a goal
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 8 | 20 | 24 |
| 2 | Bayern Munich | 8 | 14 | 21 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 8 | 11 | 18 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 8 | 9 | 17 |
| 5 | Barcelona | 8 | 6 | 16 |
| 6 | Man City | 8 | 6 | 16 |
| 7 | Real Madrid | 8 | 10 | 15 |
| 8 | PSG | 8 | 10 | 14 |
| 9 | Newcastle | 8 | 10 | 14 |
| 10 | Chelsea | 8 | 6 | 14 |
| 11 | Sporting | 8 | 5 | 14 |
| 12 | Atalanta | 8 | 1 | 14 |
| 13 | Inter Milan | 8 | 6 | 13 |
| 14 | Juventus | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| 15 | Atletico Madrid | 8 | 2 | 13 |
| 16 | Borussia Dortmund | 8 | 4 | 12 |
| 17 | Bayer Leverkusen | 8 | -1 | 12 |
| 18 | Olympiacos | 8 | -4 | 11 |
| 19 | Galatasaray | 8 | -2 | 10 |
| 20 | Club Brugge | 8 | -3 | 10 |
| 21 | Monaco | 8 | -6 | 10 |
| 22 | Qarabag FK | 8 | -7 | 10 |
| 23 | Bodo/Glimt | 8 | -1 | 9 |
| 24 | Marseille | 8 | -2 | 9 |
| 25 | Benfica | 8 | -3 | 9 |
| 26 | Athletic Bilbao | 8 | -4 | 9 |
| 27 | Napoli | 8 | -5 | 9 |
| 28 | AE Pafos | 8 | -5 | 9 |
| 29 | PSV | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 30 | Copenhagen | 8 | -7 | 8 |
| 31 | Union Saint Gilloise | 8 | -10 | 7 |
| 32 | Ajax | 8 | -13 | 6 |
| 33 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 8 | -10 | 4 |
| 34 | Slavia Prague | 8 | -12 | 3 |
| 35 | Villarreal | 8 | -13 | 1 |
| 36 | FC Kairat | 8 | -16 | 1 |
GOAL! Benfica 3-2 Real Madrid (Mbappe 58)
Kylian Mbappe sweeps in his second of the night to give Real Madrid a sniff. Bayer Leverkusen have also scored a third agianst Villarreal.
GOAL! Liverpool 5-0 Qarabag (Mac Allister 61)
Alexis Mac Allister gets his second of the night at Anfield. Meanwhile it’s Athletic Club 2-2 Sporting in Bilbao.
Updated
GOAL! Barcelona 2-1 Copenheagen (Yamal 60)
A deflected shot from Lamine Yamal loops into the far corner to give Barcelona lead. That goal moves them into the top eight at the expense of Newcastle.
Updated
GOAL! Napoli 2-2 Chelsea (Joao Pedro 61)
Joao Pedro equalises with a rare old sizzler!
GOAL! Benfica 3-1 Real Madrid (Schjelderup)
Andreas Schjelderup scores his second goal, beating Thibaut Courtois at the near post to give Benfica a two-goal lead against Real Madrid!
Madrid are still in the top eight but it’s getting hairy, and not in a good way.
Updated
GOAL! Atletico Madrid 1-2 Bodo/Glimt
Atletico are making a right mess of this.
Updated
GOAL! PSV 0-1 Bayern (Musiala 58)
Jamal Musiala, just back from long-term injury, has scored for Bayern, who are already through to the last 16. PSV drop out of the playoff places as a result.
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 4-0 Qarabag (Ekitike 57)
A swaggering solo goal from Hugo Ekitike makes it 4-0 to Liverpool.
Updated
The latest scores
Ajax 0-1 Olympiacos
Arsenal 3-1 Kairat Almaty
Athletic Club 2-1 Sporting CP
Atletico Madrid 1-1 Bodo/Glimt
Barcelona 0-1 Copenhagen
Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Villarreal
Benfica 2-1 Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund 0-0 Inter
Club Brugge 2-0 Marseille
Eintracht Frankfurt 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool 3-0 Qarabag
Man City 2-0 Galatasaray
Monaco 0-0 Juventus
Napoli 2-1 Chelsea
Pafos 2-1 Slavia Prague
Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Newcastle
PSV Eindhoven 0-0 Bayern Munich
Union SG 0-0 Atalanta
As things stand Chelsea are the only English team outside the top eight, though Newcastle are eighth and vulnerable.
“Evening Rob,” writes Brian Withington. “Struggling to keep up following you and the Goals Show Extra - it’s like the old school Grandstand updates on the third round of the FA Cup on steroids. May need a cold flannel and a lie down soon so don’t know how you cope?”
Half past five!
GOALS! Ajax 0-1 Olympiacos (Martins 52); Pafos 2-1 Slavia Prague (Bruno 53)
This is almost entirely pointless, as the positions will change in the next 40 minutes, but as things stand Chelsea would face either Napoli or Galatasaray in the playoff round – with the winners facing either Liverpool or Spurs in the last 16.
GOAL! Liverpool 3-0 Qarabag (Salah 50)
Mo Salah flashes a superb free-kick into the net to seal automatic qualification for Liverpool. It’s his first goal for Liverpool since early November.
Updated
GOAL! Barcelona 1-1 Copenhagen (Lewandowski 49)
Robert Lewandowski equalises for Barcelona with a simple finish. They’re still outside the top eight, ninth to be precise, but another goal would change that.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 8 | 20 | 24 |
| 2 | Bayern Munich | 8 | 13 | 19 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 8 | 8 | 18 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 8 | 9 | 17 |
| 5 | Man City | 8 | 6 | 16 |
| 6 | Real Madrid | 8 | 10 | 15 |
| 7 | PSG | 8 | 10 | 14 |
| 8 | Newcastle | 8 | 10 | 14 |
| 9 | Barcelona | 8 | 5 | 14 |
| 10 | Atletico Madrid | 8 | 3 | 14 |
| 11 | Atalanta | 8 | 1 | 14 |
| 12 | Inter Milan | 8 | 6 | 13 |
| 13 | Chelsea | 8 | 5 | 13 |
| 14 | Sporting | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| 15 | Juventus | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| 16 | Borussia Dortmund | 8 | 4 | 12 |
| 17 | Bayer Leverkusen | 8 | -2 | 12 |
| 18 | Athletic Bilbao | 8 | -3 | 11 |
| 19 | Napoli | 8 | -4 | 11 |
| 20 | Galatasaray | 8 | -2 | 10 |
| 21 | Club Brugge | 8 | -3 | 10 |
| 22 | Qarabag FK | 8 | -4 | 10 |
| 23 | Monaco | 8 | -6 | 10 |
| 24 | PSV | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| 25 | Marseille | 8 | -2 | 9 |
| 26 | Benfica | 8 | -3 | 9 |
| 27 | Olympiacos | 8 | -5 | 9 |
| 28 | Copenhagen | 8 | -6 | 9 |
| 29 | Bodo/Glimt | 8 | -2 | 7 |
| 30 | AE Pafos | 8 | -6 | 7 |
| 31 | Union Saint Gilloise | 8 | -10 | 7 |
| 32 | Ajax | 8 | -12 | 7 |
| 33 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 8 | -10 | 4 |
| 34 | Slavia Prague | 8 | -11 | 4 |
| 35 | Villarreal | 8 | -12 | 1 |
| 36 | FC Kairat | 8 | -16 | 1 |
GOAL! Frankfurt 0-1 Tottenham (Kolo Muani 47)
That’s a big goal for Spurs, flicked in from close range by Randal Kolo Muani after a well-worked free-kick. Spurs are up to fourth and currently have a three-point cushion.
Updated
The as-it-stands table
It’s all so tight that a goal for Juventus would lift them from 15th to 7th.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 8 | 20 | 24 |
| 2 | Bayern Munich | 8 | 13 | 19 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 8 | 8 | 18 |
| 4 | Man City | 8 | 6 | 16 |
| 5 | Real Madrid | 8 | 10 | 15 |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur | 8 | 8 | 15 |
| 7 | PSG | 8 | 10 | 14 |
| 8 | Newcastle | 8 | 10 | 14 |
| 9 | Atletico Madrid | 8 | 3 | 14 |
| 10 | Atalanta | 8 | 1 | 14 |
| 11 | Inter Milan | 8 | 6 | 13 |
| 12 | Chelsea | 8 | 5 | 13 |
| 13 | Barcelona | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| 14 | Sporting | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| 15 | Juventus | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| 16 | Borussia Dortmund | 8 | 4 | 12 |
| 17 | Bayer Leverkusen | 8 | -2 | 12 |
| 18 | Athletic Bilbao | 8 | -3 | 11 |
| 19 | Napoli | 8 | -4 | 11 |
| 20 | Copenhagen | 8 | -5 | 11 |
| 21 | Galatasaray | 8 | -2 | 10 |
| 22 | Club Brugge | 8 | -3 | 10 |
| 23 | Qarabag FK | 8 | -4 | 10 |
| 24 | Monaco | 8 | -6 | 10 |
| 25 | PSV | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| 26 | Marseille | 8 | -2 | 9 |
| 27 | Benfica | 8 | -3 | 9 |
| 28 | Olympiacos | 8 | -5 | 9 |
| 29 | Bodo/Glimt | 8 | -2 | 7 |
| 30 | AE Pafos | 8 | -6 | 7 |
| 31 | Union Saint Gilloise | 8 | -10 | 7 |
| 32 | Ajax | 8 | -12 | 7 |
| 33 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 8 | -9 | 5 |
| 34 | Slavia Prague | 8 | -11 | 4 |
| 35 | Villarreal | 8 | -12 | 1 |
| 36 | FC Kairat | 8 | -16 | 1 |
Half-time scores
Peep peep!
Ajax 0-0 Olympiacos
Arsenal 3-1 Kairat Almaty
Athletic Club 2-1 Sporting CP
Atletico Madrid 1-1 Bodo/Glimt
Barcelona 0-1 Copenhagen
Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Villarreal
Benfica 2-1 Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund 0-0 Inter
Club Brugge 2-0 Marseille
Eintracht Frankfurt 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool 2-0 Qarabag
Man City 2-0 Galatasaray
Monaco 0-0 Juventus
Napoli 2-1 Chelsea
Pafos 1-1 Slavia Prague
Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Newcastle
PSV Eindhoven 0-0 Bayern Munich
Union SG 0-0 Atalanta
GOAL! Benfica 2-1 Real Madrid (Pavlidis 45+5 pen)
Jose Mourinho’s Benfica™ have come from behind to lead against his old club. Vangelis Pavlidis clipped a penalty straight down the middle after Aurelien Tchouameni was penalised for pulling Nicolas Otamendi’s shirt.
Updated
GOAL! Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Newcastle (Willock 45+2)
Joe Willock pilfers an equaliser for Newcastle on the stroke of half-time! He made an excellent late run to meet Dan Burn’s header across goal and guide a header into the net. That lifts Newcastle up to eighth in the table.
Updated
GOAL! Pafos 1-1 Slavia Prague (Chaloupek 44) Slavia Prague, who are already out, have equalised away to Pafos. Pafos need to win to have any chance of making the playoffs.
GOAL! Napoli 2-1 Chelsea (Hojlund 43)
A clinical finish from Rasmus Hojlund is very good news for Napoli and very bad news from Chelsea. John Brewin is following that one.
Updated
“Good evening Rob,” writes Kimberley Thonger. “I was in a black cab about an hour ago, driven by an Arsenal supporter with Italian parents in Palermo. He made it quite clear early in the journey that he KNEW that all the British clubs would win tonight EXCEPT Spurs. He may turn out to be right. He also met his wife of 30 years in Costco. I cannot see how that is relevant but he seemed to think it was.”
What do you want from me?
The latest scores
Ajax 0-0 Olympiacos
Arsenal 3-1 Kairat Almaty
Athletic Club 2-1 Sporting CP
Atletico Madrid 1-1 Bodo/Glimt
Barcelona 0-1 Copenhagen
Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Villarreal
Benfica 1-1 Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund 0-0 Inter
Club Brugge 2-0 Marseille
Eintracht Frankfurt 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool 2-0 Qarabag
Man City 2-0 Galatasaray
Monaco 0-0 Juventus
Napoli 1-1 Chelsea
Pafos 1-0 Slavia Prague
Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 Newcastle
PSV Eindhoven 0-0 Bayern Munich
Union SG 0-0 Atalanta
GOAL! Arsenal 3-1 Kairat (Martinelli 38)
Arsenal are heading for their eighth win out of eight. That’s a helluvan achievement – especially as they are also on course to win all eight games by at least two goals.
Updated
GOAL! Benfica 1-1 Real Madrid (Schjelderup 36)
Andreas Schjelderup heads Jose Mourinho’s Benfica level after a terrific cross by Pavlidis. Interesting. Madrid are still in the top eight and should be okay with a draw.
Malik Tillmann’s second goal has made it Leverkusen 2-0 Villarreal.
GOAL! Atletico Madrid 1-1 Bodo/Glimt (Sjovold 34)
Bodo/Glimt have equalised in Madrid. That means Atletico drop to ninth and Chelsea move back up to eighth.
My head hurts. PERMUTATIONS ARE A HEALTH CRIME.
Updated
NO GOAL! Ajax 0-0 Olympiacos Scratch that, VAR.
GOAL! Napoli 1-1 Chelsea (Vergara 33)
Antonio Vergara turns like Diego Maradona to beat Wesley Fofana before poking a shot into the far corner. Not great defending but a lovely moment for Vergara – his first goal for Napoli.
Chelsea drop out of the top eight as a result.
GOAL! Ajax 1-0 Olympiacos (Dolberg 32) Ajax, who are still sniffing a playoff place, have taken the lead through Kasper Dolberg.
GOAL! Benfica 0-1 Real Madrid (Mbappe 30)
Kylian Mbappe gives Real Madrid the lead with a strong far-post header, his 12th goal in this season’s competition. Madrid will qualify automatically for the knockout round if they win tonight.
Updated
GOAL! Athletic Club 2-1 Sporting (Guruzeta 29)
Sporting’s hopes of a top-eight place have taken a hit in Bilbao.
GOAL! Man City 2-0 Galatasaray (Cherki 29)
Rayan Cherki has doubled City’s lead at the Etihad with a pretty simple finish from Jeremy Doku’s pass. Goal difference could decide who finishes in the top eight so this isn’t a dead game.
Updated
27 min: Liverpool 2-0 Qarabag “I grew up playing centre back and right back,” says Matt Dony, “so can someone let Arne Slot know that I’m available for Saturday? Shirt size is XL, long sleeves ideally, and I’ll pick up some new, comedy-small shin pads on the way. Cheers.”
25 min: Benfica 0-0 Real Madrid Thibaut Courtois has just maded a sensational save in Lisbon, tipping Gianluca Prestianni’s shot onto the crossbar. Madrid are fifth in the table as things stand.
23 min: PSG 1-0 Newcastle Kvaratskhelia is unable to put any weight on his right foot as he is helped form the field. Desire Doue replaces him.
24 min: Pafos 1-0 Slavia Prague It’s worth looking up Vlad Dragomir’s goal, a heatseeker from distance with his left foot.
21 min: PSG 1-0 Newcastle Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is in a lot of pain after a tangle of legs with Anthony Elanga. It looks like he’ll need to be replaced.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Qarabag (Wirtz 21)
Liverpool are heading straight through to the last 16. Florian Wirtz’s first Champions League goal for the club, a precise drive from the edge of the area, has put them 2--0 up.
The latest scores
Ajax 0-0 Olympiacos
Arsenal 2-1 Kairat Almaty
Athletic Club 1-1 Sporting CP
Atletico Madrid 1-0 Bodo/Glimt
Barcelona 0-1 Copenhagen
Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Villarreal
Benfica 0-0 Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund 0-0 Inter
Club Brugge 2-0 Marseille
Eintracht Frankfurt 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool 1-0 Qarabag
Man City 1-0 Galatasaray
Monaco 0-0 Juventus
Napoli 0-1 Chelsea
Pafos 1-0 Slavia Prague
Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 Newcastle
PSV Eindhoven 0-0 Bayern Munich
Union SG 0-0 Atalanta
GOAL! Napoli 0-1 Chelsea (Enzo Fernandez 18 pen)
Enzo Fernandez drives Chelsea in front from the penalty spot. John Brewin has all the details.
Pafos and Atletico Madrid have taken the lead against Slavia Prague and Bobo/Glimt respectively. Atleti’s goal, an excellent header from Alexander Sorloth, moves them up to seventh.
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Qarabag (Mac Allister 15)
Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner pinballs around the six-yard box before being headed in from close by range by Alexis Mac Allister. Liverpool are on course for a top-eight finish.
Updated
GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Kairat Almaty (Havertz 16)
Kai Havertz restores Arsenal’s lead with his first goal of an injury-hit season. Meanwhile, at Anfield…
Updated
The latest scores
Arsenal 1-1 Kairat Almaty
Athletic Club 1-1 Sporting CP
Atletico Madrid 0-0 Bodo/Glimt
Ajax 0-0 Olympiacos
Barcelona 0-1 Copenhagen
Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Villarreal
Benfica 0-0 Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund 0-0 Inter
Club Brugge 2-0 Marseille
Eintracht Frankfurt 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool 0-0 Qarabag
Man City 1-0 Galatasaray
Monaco 0-0 Juventus
Napoli 0-0 Chelsea
Pafos 0-0 Slavia Prague
Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 Newcastle
PSV Eindhoven 0-0 Bayern Munich
Union SG 0-0 Atalanta
10 min: Liverpool 0-0 Qarabag Another injury in defence for Liverpool: Jeremie Frimpong has gone off with a hamstring problem. Wataru Endo came on for him.
More goals! Club Brugge are 2-0 up against Marseille and Leverkusen have taken the lead at home to Villarreal. Oh, and Sporting have equalised away to Athletic Club.
Updated
GOAL! Man City 1-0 Galatasaray (Haaland 10)
The beast is back – and Manchester City are up to sixth as things stand. It was a simple goal for Haaland, who strolled through on goal and chipped the ball over the outrushing keeper.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 8 | 18 | 22 |
| 2 | Bayern Munich | 8 | 13 | 19 |
| 3 | PSG | 8 | 11 | 16 |
| 4 | Real Madrid | 8 | 11 | 16 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 8 | 6 | 16 |
| 6 | Man City | 8 | 5 | 16 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 8 | 8 | 15 |
| 8 | Chelsea | 8 | 6 | 14 |
| 9 | Atletico Madrid | 8 | 3 | 14 |
| 10 | Atalanta | 8 | 1 | 14 |
| 11 | Newcastle | 8 | 9 | 13 |
| 12 | Inter Milan | 8 | 6 | 13 |
| 13 | Barcelona | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| 14 | Sporting | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| 15 | Juventus | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| 16 | Borussia Dortmund | 8 | 4 | 12 |
| 17 | Qarabag FK | 8 | -2 | 11 |
| 18 | Athletic Bilbao | 8 | -3 | 11 |
| 19 | Copenhagen | 8 | -5 | 11 |
| 20 | Galatasaray | 8 | -1 | 10 |
| 21 | Club Brugge | 8 | -4 | 10 |
| 22 | Bayer Leverkusen | 8 | -4 | 10 |
| 23 | Monaco | 8 | -6 | 10 |
| 24 | PSV | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| 25 | Marseille | 8 | -1 | 9 |
| 26 | Olympiacos | 8 | -5 | 9 |
| 27 | Napoli | 8 | -5 | 9 |
| 28 | Bodo/Glimt | 8 | -2 | 7 |
| 29 | Benfica | 8 | -4 | 7 |
| 30 | AE Pafos | 8 | -6 | 7 |
| 31 | Union Saint Gilloise | 8 | -10 | 7 |
| 32 | Ajax | 8 | -12 | 7 |
| 33 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 8 | -9 | 5 |
| 34 | Slavia Prague | 8 | -11 | 4 |
| 35 | Villarreal | 8 | -10 | 2 |
| 36 | FC Kairat | 8 | -14 | 2 |
GOAL! PSG 1-0 Newcastle (Vitinha 8)
PSG are in front. It was a lovely goal from Vitinha, who dummied Lewis Hall and passed the ball lazily into the net from the edge of the area.
Updated
GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Kairat Almaty (Jorginho 7 pen)
A man called Jorginho has scored from the spot at the Emirates.
Updated
GOALS! Athletic Club 1-0 Sporting (Sancet 2); Barcelona 0-1 FC Copenhagen (Dadason 4) The Icelandic teenager Viktor Dadason has given Copenhagen a shock lead at Barcelona.
Updated
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Kairat Almaty (Gyokeres 2)
Viktor Gyokeres has hammered Arsenal in front from the edge of the area.
Updated
Pope saves Dembele's penalty!
4 min: PSG 0-0 Newcastle A fabulous save from Nick Pope! Dembele swept the penalty towards the bottom right corner but Pope guessed right and maded a superb save at full stretch.
3 min: Frankfurt 0-0 Tottenham Xavi Simons thought he’d put Spurs ahead but the goal has been disallowed. Not sure why. Meanwhile, PSG have a penalty against Newcastle.
3 min: PSG 0-0 Newcastle The referee is going to the monitor. Meanwhile…
1 min: PSG 0-0 Newcastle PSG appeal for a penalty inside the first minute when the ball hits the outstretched arm of Lewis Miley. The ball took a ricochet but this might be given. Newcastle have bad memories of Paris and penalties.
Peep peep (x18)! The night o’ chaos is under way.
“What have you done to deserve this 18-match live blog from The Man?” writes Krishnamoothy V. “It feels like those simultaneous chess games that grandmasters play. My head would be scrambled and fried by half-time if I were to do this.”
They told me it was a birthday present.
GOAL!!! No, not really; it’s not even 8pm. I’m just getting ready for the orgy of goals that is about to begin.
PSG v Newcastle
“G’day Rob, hope you’re well!” writes the never-less-than-chipper Chris Paraskevas. “Newcastle’s rather awkward lineup doesn’t fill me with confidence at all. A front three of Willock, Woltemade and Elanga probably doesn’t strike fear into PSG, but their front three makes me feel very uncertain and awkward - like that time I turned up to my girlfriend’s high school prom with a Socceroos scarf and realised I was woefully out of my depth/underprepared on the big stage... Still hoping this will be a cracking match.”
I was surprised to see Gordon on the bench but I can understand Elanga’s selection given the likelihood that Newcastle will be forced to play on the break. Bruno not being fit enough to start is a huge blow.
Real Madrid, Liverpool and Spurs are guaranteed a top-eight place if they win tonight. For the rest, including Newcastle, Chelsea and Manchester City, it’s a bit more complicated.
Athletic Club v Sporting team news
Athletic Club Simon, Gorosabel, Paredes, Yuri, Boiro, Ruiz de Galarreta, Rego, Gomez, Sancet, Guruzeta, Navarro.
Subs: Padilla, Vesga, Berenguer, Areso, Lekue, Serrano, Hierro, de Luis, Ibon Sanchez, Selton Sanchez, Gift.
Sporting Rui Silva, Fresneda, Diomande, Inacio, Araujo, Hjulmand, Simoes, Catamo, Braganca, Trincao, Suarez.
Subs: Virginia, Francisco Silva, Matheus Reis, Morita, Pedro Goncalves, Vagiannidis, Kochorashvili, Alisson Santos, Flavio Goncalves, Quaresma, Nel, Ricardo Mangas.
Referee Felix Zwayer (Germany)
Thirteen minutes to kick off. A reminder that we have a separate live blog for Napoli v Chelsea, with John Brewin doing the honours.
“After defeat, get right back on the horse, isn’t it?” writes Charles Antaki. “Ideally a rough-riding war horse to test your mettle and give you back pride and confidence. Arsenal, though, have something a little less daunting in front of them; perhaps one of those small friendly ponies you see at petting zoos. No disrespect to Kairat FC of course, but they are bottom of the league. So maybe just a gentle canter round the ring for Arteta and his men? Of course, if they fall off this time, even though it won’t mean much in Champions League terms, there will be Unhappiness among the faithful.”
Union SG v Atalanta team news
Union SG Scherpen, Mac Allister, Burgess, Sykes, Patris, Van De Perre, Zorgane, Khalaili, Smith, Ait El Hadj, Florucz.
Subs: Chambaere, Fuseini, Schoofs, Niang, Keita, Berradi, Huygevelde, Hamoutahar, Leysen.
Atalanta Sportiello, Kossounou, Hien, Ahanor, Zappacosta, Musah, Ederson Silva, Bernasconi, Samardzic, Lookman, Krstovic.
Subs: Zalewski, Scalvini, Kolasinac, Djimsiti, De Ketelaere, de Roon, Scamacca, Pasalic, Sulemana, Carnesecchi, Rossi.
Referee Michael Oliver (England)
Barcelona v FC Copenhagen team news
Barcelona Joan Garcia, Kounde, Cubarsi, Gerard, Balde, Eric Garcia, Lopez, Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha, Lewandowski.
Subs: Szczesny, Kochen, Araujo, Torres, Rashford, Bernal, Torrents, Bardghji, Marques, Casado.
FC Copenhagen Kotarski, Meling, Hatzidiakos, Gabriel Pereira, Suzuki, Lopez, Larsson, Clem, Achouri, Elyounoussi, Dadason.
Subs: Runarsson, Gadeberg-Burr, Garananga, Claesson, Moukoko, Robert, Madsen, Moalem, Hojer, Ankamafio, West.
Referee Benoit Bastien (France)
Borussia Dortmund v Inter Milan team news
Borussia Dortmund Kobel, Can, Mane, Schlotterbeck, Ryerson, Bellingham, Nmecha, Bensebaini, Beier, Silva, Guirassy.
Subs: Ostrzinski, Meyer, Yan Couto, Brandt, Chukwuemeka, Adeyemi.
Inter Milan Sommer, Akanji, Acerbi, Bisseck, Luis Henrique, Sucic, Zielinski, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco, Bonny, Thuram.
Subs: Di Gennaro, Josep Martinez, de Vrij, Lautaro Martinez, Frattesi, Diouf, Carlos Augusto, Darmian, Cocchi, Bovo, Esposito, Bastoni.
Referee Istvan Kovacs (Romania)
Benfica v Real Madrid team news
Benfica Trubin, Dedic, Tomas Araujo, Otamendi, Dahl, Barreiro, Aursnes, Prestianni, Sudakov, Schjelderup, Pavlidis.
Subs: Ferreira, Antonio Silva, Barrenechea, Bruma, Ivanovic, Manu, Banjaqui, Neto, Oliveira, Anisio Cabral, Rego, Prioste.
Real Madrid Courtois, Valverde, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras, Guler, Tchouameni, Bellingham, Mastantuono, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior.
Subs: Lunin, Gonzalez, Carvajal, Alaba, Camavinga, Rodrygo, Gonzalo Garcia, Ceballos, Francisco Garcia, Diaz, Aguado, Cestero.
Referee Davide Massa (Italy)
Liverpool v Qarabag
Remember the summer of 2008? That was when Pep Guardiola was appointed as first-team coach at Barcelona, Jürgen Klopp arrived at Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea gambled on a certain Luiz Felipe Scolari. Since then the west London club have had 12 different permanent managers. Qarabag, who Liverpool play in the Champions League on Wednesday, have had one: Gurban Gurbanov, also known as the Azerbaijani Sir Alex Ferguson.
Gurbanov has become one of the longest serving elite coaches in the world and he has built a remarkable empire, turning the club into a force to be reckoned with in European competitions.
This season is destined to be their best. As Qarabag visit Anfield on the last matchday of the league phase of the Champions League, they have a very good chance of qualifying for the next phase. They are 18th on 10 points, one ahead of European powerhouses such as Marseille, Bayer Leverkusen and PSV Eindhoven. Even a defeat may be enough to stay in the playoff places.
Liverpool v Qarabag team news
Ryan Gravenberch starts in defence for Liverpool, with Andy Robertson returning at left-back.
Liverpool Alisson, Frimpong, Gravenberch, Van Dijk, Robertson, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo, Ekitike.
Subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Endo, Kerkez, Chiesa, Nyoni, Nallo, Morrison, Ngumoha.
Qarabag FK Kochalski, Matheus Silva, Mustafazade, Medina, Cafarquliyev, Pedro Bicalho, Jankovic, Andrade, Montiel, Zoubir, Duran.
Subs: Ramazanov, Buntic, Mmaee, Kouakou, Akhundzade, Addai, Daniel, Kashchuk, Qurbanly, Bayramov, Abbas Huseynov, Badavi Huseynov.
Referee Ivan Kruzliak (Slovakia)
Paris Saint-Germain v Newcastle team news
A blow for Newcastle, whose captain Bruno Guimaraes is only fit enough for the bench.
Paris Saint-Germain Safonov, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Zaire Emery, Vitinha, Neves, Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Barcola.
Subs: Chevalier, James, Lucas Beraldo, Zabarnyi, Goncalo Ramos, Doue, Hernandez, Mayulu, Mbaye.
Newcastle Pope, Thiaw, Botman, Burn, Hall, Miley, Ramsey, Tonali, Elanga, Willock, Woltemade.
Subs: Ramsdale, Trippier, Wissa, Gordon, Barnes, Osula, Jacob Murphy, Alex Murphy, Guimaraes, Shahar, Harris.
Referee Slavko Vincic (Slovenia)
Updated
Napoli v Chelsea
This is the first meeting between the sides since a classic tie in 2011-12. Chelsea came back from a 3-1 defeat in Naples to progress on a wild night at Stamford Bridge, and one of our own was there.
Napoli v Chelsea team news
Napoli Meret, Di Lorenzo, Juan Jesus, Buongiorno, Spinazzola, Lobotka, McTominay, Olivera, Vergara, Elmas, Hojlund.
Subs: Contini, Spinelli, Gutierrez, Lukaku, Beukema, De Chiara, Garofalo.
Chelsea: Sanchez, Gusto, James, Fofana, Cucurella, Santos, Caicedo, Estevao, Fernandez, Pedro Neto, Joao Pedro.
Subs: Jorgensen, Merrick, Badiashile, Delap, Palmer, Bynoe-Gittens, Hato, Chalobah, George, Acheampong, Guiu, Garnacho.
Referee Clement Turpin (France)
PSV v Bayern Munich team news
PSV Kovar, Dest, Schouten, Obispo, Junior, Til, Veerman, Man, Wanner, Perisic, Saibari.
Subs: Schiks, Smolenaars, Saleh-Eddine, Flamingo, Driouech, Bajraktarevic, Sildialli, Fernandez, Nagalo, Verkooijen.
Bayern Munich Urbig, Bischof, Upamecano, Tah, Ito, Kimmich, Pavlovic, Karl, Musiala, Diaz, Jackson.
Subs: Neuer, Ulreich, Gnabry, Goretzka, Kane, Olise, Davies, Boey, Kiala, Mike, Chavez.
Referee Joao Pedro Pinheiro (Portugal)
Arsenal v FC Kairat team news
With Arsenal already sure of a place int he last 16, Mikel Arteta has picked a (very, very strong) reserve team.
Arsenal Arrizabalaga, White, Mosquera, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly, Eze, Norgaard, Havertz, Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli.
Subs: Setford, Gabriel, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Odegaard, Saka, Trossard, Gabriel Jesus, Salmon, Porter, Ibrahim, Bailey-Joseph.
FC Kairat Anarbekov, Shirobokov, Martynovich, Sorokin, Tapalov, Glazer, Sadybekov, Mata, Mrynskiy, Edmilson, Jorginho.
Subs: Buch, Kalmurza, Kasabulat, Kurgin, Stanojev, Gromyko, Bagdat, Ricardinho.
Referee Urs Schnyder (Switzerland)
Updated
Man City v Galatasaray team news
Erling Haaland returns to the City side after being rested against Wolves at the weekend.
Man City Donnarumma, Matheus Luiz, Khusanov, Ake, Ait Nouri, O’Reilly, Cherki, Silva, Marmoush, Doku, Haaland.
Subs: Trafford, Bettinelli, Reijnders, Gonzalez, Foden, Gray, Mukasa, Alleyne, Lewis, Mfuni.
Galatasaray Cakir, Sallai, Sanchez, Bardakci, Jakobs, Gundogan, Lemina, Sane, Gabriel Sara, Baris Yilmaz, Osimhen.
Subs: Sen, Guvenc, Icardi, Yunus Akgun, Elmali, Kutucu, Ayhan, Torreira, Kahraman, Karasu, Kocak, Singo.
Referee Alejandro Hernandez (Spain)
Updated
Eintracht Frankfurt v Tottenham Hotspur team news
Randal Kolo Muani and Wilson Odobert, who were involved in a car accident yesterday, both start for Spurs.
Eintracht Frankfurt Santos, Amenda, Koch, Theate, Buta, Hojlund, Larsson, Brown, Skhiri, Gotze, Knauff.
Subs: Zetterer, Grahl, Chaibi, Dahoud, Kristensen, Bahoya, Doan, Chandler, Collins, Doumbia, Dills, Staff.
Tottenham Hotspur Vicario, Spence, Romero, Danso, Udogie, Gray, Joao Palhinha, Odobert, Sarr, Simons, Muani.
Subs: Kinsky, Austin, Solanke, Scarlett, Kyerematen, Hardy, Byfield, Rowswell, Olusesi, Hall.
Referee Jesus Gil Manzano (Spain)
Updated
Eintracht Frankfurt v Tottenham Hotspur
Thomas Frank’s preparations for the Champions League game at Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday night have been rocked by injuries to Pedro Porro and Micky van de Ven – and a car crash affecting Randal Kolo Muani and Wilson Odobert.
The Tottenham manager reported that Kolo Muani and Odobert were OK after pictures emerged on social media of them standing by a black Ferrari with significant damage to its front end.
It is understood that the car belongs to Kolo Muani and had a tyre blowout on the motorway. Odobert was following behind in a separate vehicle and stopped to check on him. The players were making their way from the Spurs training ground to Stansted airport for the team flight to Frankfurt. Frank said neither had boarded it and they had to take a different flight to Frankfurt later on Tuesday night.
Has there been a great game in the Champions League group stage this season? Probably not. Even if there had been, it almost certainly didn’t mean all that much. But that’s the way of the modern game: an extremely protracted clearing of the throat before the real business begins.
Uefa will proudly tell the world that only six teams have nothing to play for in the final round of games on Wednesday, but whether it was worth 126 games to get to the mild peril of Napoli or Club Brugge possibly going out, or the questionable thrill of finding out whether Tottenham or Atalanta will have to endure the playoff round, is debatable.
The permutations
Look, it’s really complicated. But Billy Munday and Michael Butler have put together this very useful guide to what the 36 teams (well, 32, as four of them are out) need to do tonight.
The Champions League table (as it stands)
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 7 | 18 | 21 |
| 2 | Bayern Munich | 7 | 13 | 18 |
| 3 | Real Madrid | 7 | 11 | 15 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 7 | 6 | 15 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 7 | 8 | 14 |
| 6 | PSG | 7 | 10 | 13 |
| 7 | Newcastle | 7 | 10 | 13 |
| 8 | Chelsea | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| 9 | Barcelona | 7 | 5 | 13 |
| 10 | Sporting | 7 | 5 | 13 |
| 11 | Man City | 7 | 4 | 13 |
| 12 | Atletico Madrid | 7 | 3 | 13 |
| 13 | Atalanta | 7 | 1 | 13 |
| 14 | Inter Milan | 7 | 6 | 12 |
| 15 | Juventus | 7 | 4 | 12 |
| 16 | Borussia Dortmund | 7 | 4 | 11 |
| 17 | Galatasaray | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| 18 | Qarabag FK | 7 | -2 | 10 |
| 19 | Marseille | 7 | 0 | 9 |
| 20 | Bayer Leverkusen | 7 | -4 | 9 |
| 21 | Monaco | 7 | -6 | 9 |
| 22 | PSV | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| 23 | Athletic Bilbao | 7 | -4 | 8 |
| 24 | Olympiacos | 7 | -5 | 8 |
| 25 | Napoli | 7 | -5 | 8 |
| 26 | Copenhagen | 7 | -6 | 8 |
| 27 | Club Brugge | 7 | -5 | 7 |
| 28 | Bodo/Glimt | 7 | -2 | 6 |
| 29 | Benfica | 7 | -4 | 6 |
| 30 | AE Pafos | 7 | -6 | 6 |
| 31 | Union Saint Gilloise | 7 | -10 | 6 |
| 32 | Ajax | 7 | -12 | 6 |
| 33 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 7 | -9 | 4 |
| 34 | Slavia Prague | 7 | -11 | 3 |
| 35 | Villarreal | 7 | -10 | 1 |
| 36 | FC Kairat | 7 | -14 | 1 |
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live, goal-by-goal coverage of matchday eight in the Champions League. It’s the last night of the league phase, which means all 36 teams are playing simultaneously and every football fan on planet earth has the phrase “as it stands” on their lips.
This is the sophomore season of the Champions League’s Swiss model, so we’re still getting used to the unique chaos of this final round of fixtures. For those unfamiliar with the new format, let’s get down to brass tacks.
The top eight teams go straight through to the round of 16.
The teams finishing between ninth and 24th go into the playoff round, the draw for which takes place on Friday. Each team goes into a particular bracket based on their position: for example, with the current positions, Manchester City (11th) and Atletico Madrid (12th) would play either Monaco (21st) or PSV Eindhoven (22nd). The winners of those ties would then play Spurs (5th) or Paris Saint-Germain (6th) in the last 16.
The teams who finish between 25th and 36th get nada. Zilch. Bugger all. Not even a Conference League parachute.
City are the only English team outside the top eight going into tonight’s games, but the table is Spandex-tight: there are only two points separating Real Madrid in third and Atalanta in 13th. Arsenal and Bayern Munich have qualified for the last 16; the rest all have work to do.
We’ll attempt to keep across all 18 matches but neurological and physical restrictions may preclude this, so our main focus will be the six English teams. Here’s the full fixture list, all 8pm kick-offs.
Arsenal v Kairat Almaty
Athletic Club v Sporting CP
Atletico Madrid v Bodo/Glimt
Ajax v Olympiacos
Barcelona v Copenhagen
Bayer Leverkusen v Villarreal
Benfica v Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund v Inter
Club Brugge v Marseille
Eintracht Frankfurt v Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool v Qarabag
Man City v Galatasaray
Monaco v Juventus
Napoli v Chelsea
Pafos v Slavia Prague
Paris Saint-Germain v Newcastle
PSV Eindhoven v Bayern Munich
Union SG v Atalanta
