There are two rounds of fixtures to play in 2025/26 UEFA Champions League group phase, but several teams have already sealed their place in the knockout stage. They include Arsenal, who have won all six games in the competition. Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich are among the teams who have fallen victim to the Gunners.
While Arsenal are sitting pretty at the top of the standings, the chasing pack have a lot more to worry about. Only three points separate second-placed Bayern from Liverpool in ninth. Here is the latest state of play as things stand.
Outright Betting
Arsenal are the bookmakers’ favourites to win the Champions League this season, and their early form suggests they could go all the way. The sportsbooks featured on comparison website BettingTop10.com rate the Gunners as 4.50 shots to win their first-ever Champions League title.
Savvy bettors will likely be leaning towards perennial contenders such as Bayern, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona, who are also expected to be in the mix. Reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain will be reluctant to relinquish the crown at the first time of asking, making them one to keep an eye on.
At the time of writing, here are the outright betting odds for the 2025/26 Champions League:
- Arsenal – 4.50
- Bayern Munich – 5.50
- Manchester City – 7.00
- Paris Saint-Germain – 8.00
- Barcelona – 10.00
- Real Madrid – 11.00
- Liverpool – 11.00
- Chelsea – 19.00
- Inter Milan – 29.00
- Tottenham Hotspur – 51.00
- Newcastle United – 51.00
- Napoli – 51.00
- Borussia Dortmund – 67.00
- Atalanta – 81.00
- Bayer Leverkusen – 101.00
- Olympique Marseille – 101.00
- Sporting CP – 101.00
- Juventus – 101.00
- AS Monaco – 101.00
- Galatasaray – 126.00
- PSV Eindhoven – 126.00
- Benfica – 251.00
- Eintracht Frankfurt – 251.00
- Athletic Bilbao – 251.00
- Club Brugge – 501.00
- FC Copenhagen – 501.00
- Olympiacos – 501.00
- Villarreal – 601.00
- Union Saint Gilloise – 1001.00
- FK Qarabag – 1001.00
- Ajax – 1001.00
- Slavia Prague – 1501.00
- Pafos FC – 1501.00
- Kairat Almaty – 4501.00
The Top Eight Battle
Arsenal are all but guaranteed to finish as league phase winners, but they cannot afford to take their foot off the gas in the remaining two games. The Gunners are set to host Kazakhstan champions Kairat Almaty at the Emirates Stadium before travelling to Italy to face Inter Milan at the iconic San Siro Stadium.
One win across those two games should be enough for Mikel Arteta’s troops to seal top spot, but things get a lot more competitive further down the table. At least seven teams outside the top eight in the standings have a decent chance of securing automatic qualification to the round of 16.
Only two points separate Liverpool in ninth place from Barcelona in 15th. The La Liga champions have taken just four points from the nine available across their last three games. However, they could still force their way into the top eight if they win their final two games against FC Copenhagen and Slavia Prague.
Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are among the teams hoping to creep back into the top eight, but other results will need to go their way for that to happen.
Play-Off Contenders
2025 Champions League winners: Paris Saint-Germain
2026 Champions League winners: ❓#UCL pic.twitter.com/EHJZcrZElx
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 1, 2026
While a few teams are still hoping to gatecrash the top eight, several others may have to settle for a place in the knockout round play-offs. The teams in the bottom half of the table have yet to hit double-figure point hauls, leaving them at the mercy of the play-offs.
There are only two points between 16th-placed Olympique Marseille and Copenhagen, who are currently occupying the final play-off qualification spot. However, there are also several teams outside the play-off places who will fancy their chances of clinching a spot in the top 24, including Napoli and Juventus.
Both teams are locked in a fierce five-way battle for the Serie A title, but they have struggled to carry their impressive domestic form into the Champions League. Juventus have only collected nine points from their six games and sit two points ahead of Napoli. Both teams are still in the mix, but they cannot afford any further slip-ups. Napoli are scheduled to face Chelsea (H) and Copenhagen (A) in their final two league phase games, while Juventus play Monaco (A) and Benfica (H).
