It is matchday 4 of the league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League, the halfway point that features 18 matches this week.
There is plenty to look forward to, starting Tuesday night, which sees former champions go head-to-head in Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Paris-Saint-Germain. Form book favorites Arsenal are also in action on Tuesday, and Italy giants Juventus, as will be Tottenham, Monaco, Napoli, Olympiacos, and FC Copenhagen, among others.
In this article, I use bullet point notes to dissect each of the fixtures, with key facts and the numbers that you need to know ahead of kick-off.
Giants’ double-header
All eyes will be on the sumptuous battles, which will see Liverpool host Real Madrid at Anfield and Bayern Munich make the trip to Paris-Saint-Germain.
These contests will not just be historical but will also be shaped by how new faces will seek to impose themselves on the Champions League folklore. I will start with the thriller at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s Reds welcome Real on the back of a poor domestic run but will be bolstered by the formidable home form when it comes to European action – a remarkable 15-match winning streak at Anfield. Their confidence is boosted by last season’s performance, where they ended an eight-game winless run against Los Blancos with a commanding 2-0 victory, and they will be hoping to repeat that feat last term.
For Real Madrid, they are buoyed by their stellar domestic run with the recent 2-1 victory of Barcelona in the El Clásico and a five-point lead atop the La Liga table.
Among the major subplots for this is that Egyptian Mohamed Salah, who is just two goals to becoming the first African player to score 50 in the Champions League, will try to be on the scoresheet to get closer to that feat, while Trent Alexander-Arnold faces his former club for the first time since his summer move to Madrid. Alexander-Arnold made 354 appearances for Liverpool, playing six times against his new club without tasting victory.
For Madrid, recent form against English opposition has been mixed, with only two wins from nine matches.
Jude Bellingham will break Iker Casillas’s record as the youngest player to reach 50 Champions League appearances.
History, personal milestones, and top talent on display all make for perfect ingredients for a high drama showdown under the Anfield lights as the battle for supremacy takes center stage.
If form is an indicator of what to expect from this encounter then Liverpool stand no chance but the Reds have demonstrated time without number that they can be a different team when playing in Europe and that might just add on to the thrill of the game tonight.
Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern München
Defending champions, PSG, welcome Bayern München to the Parc des Princes on a Champions League night against the backdrop of a nearly unassailable home record, losing just two of their last 41 group stage or league phase matches, with an imposing record of 31 wins and eight draws. This formidable streak sets the tone for a high-stakes meeting with the German champions.
Young striker Ousmane Dembélé hopes to return from injury to continue his history of headline moments against Bayern. He famously assisted and scored in Dortmund’s 3-2 victory over Bayern in the 2016/17 German Cup semi-finals, but his recent meetings with the Bavarians have been less kind. Last season, Dembélé was sent off in PSG’s 1-0 defeat, and during his time at Barcelona, he twice lost in the group stage to Bayern, with his side failing to score in all three matches.
The fixture also marks a reunion for Paris defender Lucas Hernández, who joined from Bayern after four years and 107 appearances.
Bayern’s Harry Kane arrives in sensational form, having netted 11 times in his last ten Champions League games. Joshua Kimmich stands on the brink of his 100th Champions League appearance for Bayern, set to join an elite club of players to achieve the milestone for a single team.
With Bayern boasting 13 wins from their last 15 encounters against French opposition and PSG’s formidable home record, this match promises all the intrigues and drama of a top-drawer European elite fixture.
Slavia Praha vs Arsenal
This is a rematch from the 2020/21 Europa League quarterfinals when Arsenal advanced after a 1-1 draw in London and a commanding 4-0 victory in Prague. On that account, and the fact that historically, Slavia have struggled against English opposition in UEFA competitions, Mikel Arteta’s side go into this encounter as outright favorites to emerge victorious.
Football purists may wish to make a case for Slavia due to their notable attacking prowess at home, with goals scored in 26 of their last 27 European home matches, but that may just end up as a mere statistic on paper.
However, European football is not short of surprises and so, whereas the odds are stacked against the home side in this encounter, the Gunners must approach the game with the seriousness of a Champions League match to avoid any “ifs”.
Arsenal’s impressive record against Czech teams is an unbeaten run of 10 games – eight wins and two draws. The Gunners have won seven consecutive group or league phase victories, and Gabriel Martinelli is on the money to score, having netted in each of Arsenal’s three Champions League games this season.
Napoli vs Frankfurt
This is a pivotal game as both sides are eager to solidify their group stage ambitions. The two teams last met in the 2022/23 Champions League round of 16, where Napoli won 2-0 in Germany and 3-0 in Naples.
The Italian side boasts an impressive home record, suffering just one defeat in their last 18 Champions League matches at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona (11 wins, 6 draws). Napoli have also been strong against German teams, remaining unbeaten in their past five encounters (four wins, one draw).
Frankfurt, meanwhile, have struggled recently when facing Italian opposition, losing their last three matches without finding the net. Adding to the intrigue is the subplot that Frankfurt have a win and two losses in the league phase and conceded in 67 of their last 68 European games.
Atlético de Madrid vs Union Saint-Gilloise
This is the first-ever UEFA encounter between the two sides; the first time Union SG are facing Spanish opposition. Atlético have a solid home record, winning 10 of their last 11 Champions League matches and losing just once in their last sixteen.
All previous Atleti meetings with Belgian sides have been against Club Brugge.
If Antoine Griezmann plays, he will move to third among French players for all-time Champions League appearances. Union SG have shown resilience on the road, winning three of their last four European away games, while only two of their last 39 UEFA fixtures ended scoreless.
Bodø/Glimt vs Monaco
Bodø/Glimt’s only previous encounter against French opposition resulted in a 1-1 draw away to Nice last season. The Norwegian side boasts a formidable home record, losing just twice in their last 13 UEFA matches at home (10 wins, 1 draw), though recent form has been shaky with only one win in their last eight overall.
A notable storyline surrounds Magnus Riisnæs, who could celebrate his 21st birthday by becoming the youngest Norwegian to play in the competition on his birthday.
Monaco, meanwhile, have struggled for Champions League wins, drawing three and losing three in their last six outings. Their lone match against a Norwegian team ended in defeat against Viking in 2005/06.
There is an interesting African subplot to this game as youngster – George Ilenikhena, could make history by becoming the youngest African to reach 15 Champions League appearances, surpassing Nwankwo Kanu’s record.
Juventus vs Sporting CP
History favors the Italian giants in this encounter, Juventus remaining unbeaten in four meetings with Sporting, including a narrow 2-1 aggregate win in last season’s Europa League quarter-finals.
While aiming to become the first Serie A club to reach 500 European Cup goals, Juve will look to overcome recent struggles, having won just twice in their last 11 European outings.
Sporting, winless against Italian sides since 2011, have lost their last three Champions League away games but maintain attacking consistency, scoring in 19 consecutive league phase matches.
Olympiacos vs PSV Eindhoven
This is arguably a low-profile cracker of a match as the two sides renew their rivalry, having last met in the 2020/21 Europa League round of 32, where Olympiacos triumphed 5-4 on aggregate.
Olympiacos boast an impressive home record against Dutch sides, unbeaten in their last seven encounters (five wins, two draws), yet their Champions League form remains a concern, with just two victories in their past 23 opening stage matches.
PSV arrive with 10 wins from their last 15 games versus Greek opposition, needing two goals to reach 150 in the competition.
Tottenham vs Copenhagen
Spurs enter the fixture with confidence, having won their only previous meeting with a Danish side – a 3-2 victory over AaB in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup. Their home form is formidable, as they remain unbeaten in 21 consecutive UEFA competition matches at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (17 wins, 4 draws). Additionally, Tottenham have not lost in their last seven Champions League group stage or league phase games, keeping four clean sheets in their last six European outings.
Copenhagen, meanwhile, struggle historically against English opposition, winning just two of 19 encounters and never securing victory away from home (two draws, seven losses).
Their Champions League away record is similarly challenging, with only two wins in 21 matches and a modest two victories in their last 15 group stage games. The odds favor Tottenham, but Copenhagen will aim to defy expectations.
