Lorraine Williamson
One night, 18 simultaneous kick-offs, and a table that moved like a stock ticker. The Champions League’s league phase ended on Wednesday, 28 January, with Spain and England landing in very different places — and with the next stage now set up to punish anyone who thought “top eight” was a formality.
For Spanish clubs, it’s a tale of two routes: Barcelona have taken the express lane into the last 16, while Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid are forced into February’s play-offs. Two other Spanish sides, Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal, are out.
For English clubs, it has been a statement. Arsenal finished top with a perfect eight wins, and four other English teams are already through to the round of 16 — with Newcastle still alive via the play-offs.
The format that’s changed the pressure points
This is now a 36-team league phase, not eight groups. The top eight go straight into the round of 16. Teams placed 9th to 24th must survive a two-legged play-off. Only then does the last-16 bracket get finalised.
That structure is why the final night felt so brutal. A handful of late goals didn’t just change positions — they changed February calendars.
Spain: Barcelona cruise, Madrid and Atleti take the hard road
Barcelona did what was required and then some. A 4–1 comeback win over Copenhagen at Camp Nou sealed a top-eight finish and direct qualification. It was not flawless — defensive doubts remain — but the outcome is exactly what Barça wanted.
Real Madrid, by contrast, fell into the trapdoor. They lost 4–2 at Benfica in a game that became instant folklore when Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored in the 98th minute. That goal locked the table, sent Benfica into the play-offs — and pushed Madrid out of the top eight. Madrid were furious about a late flashpoint, believing they had forced a stoppage-time equaliser before it was ruled out. Then the ending unravelled completely: Raúl Asencio and Rodrygo were both sent off, leaving Madrid down to nine before Trubin’s header finished the job.
Atlético Madrid had their own shock. They were beaten 2–1 at home by Bodø/Glimt, a result that guaranteed Atlético would not reach the top eight and instead would enter the seeded play-off spots. For Bodø/Glimt, it was a historic step into the knockouts.
Two other Spanish teams didn’t make it. Athletic Bilbao were eliminated after losing 3–2 to Sporting in a late, chaotic finish at San Mamés. Villarreal finished in the bottom two after a heavy 3–0 defeat at Leverkusen on the final matchday.
England: Arsenal flawless, four more through, Newcastle still breathing
Arsenal were the standard-setters. They finished first with eight wins from eight, closing the league phase with a 3–2 victory over Kairat. That’s a clean statement of intent — and, crucially, it buys them the best seeding path available.
Liverpool hit their stride at the right moment. A 6–0 demolition of Qarabağ pushed them into third place and straight into the last 16.
Tottenham’s domestic season may be uneven, but in Europe, they were composed. A 2–0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt secured fourth place and direct passage, built on a defensive platform that has travelled well.
Manchester City took care of business with a 2–0 win over Galatasaray to grab eighth — the final automatic qualification place — and avoid the play-off round entirely.
Newcastle drew 1–1 at Paris Saint-Germain, which left both clubs in the play-off bracket rather than the top eight.
Where the standings leave everyone now
Based on the final league-phase table:
Barcelona finish 5th (direct to last 16). Real Madrid 9th (seeded for the play-offs). Atlético Madrid 14th (seeded for the play-offs). Athletic Bilbao 29th (eliminated). Villarreal 35th (eliminated).
Arsenal finish 1st (direct to last 16). Liverpool 3rd, Tottenham 4th, Chelsea 6th, Manchester City 8th (all direct). Newcastle 12th (seeded for the play-offs).
The draw, the dates, and the match-ups to watch
The knockout phase play-off draw is on Friday, 30 January 2026 at 12 noon CET, in Nyon. It involves teams placed 9th–24th, with seeded vs unseeded pairings based on final positions.
For the Spanish and English clubs still in that draw, the headline is simple:
-
Real Madrid (seeded)
will be drawn against either Bodø/Glimt or Benfica. -
Atlético Madrid (seeded)
will face either Club Brugge or Galatasaray. -
Newcastle (seeded)
will be drawn against either Monaco or Qarabağ.
Those play-offs will be played over two legs on 17–18 February and 24–25 February. The round-of-16 draw follows on 27 February, with last-16 ties in March.
Why this matters for Spain and England
Spain still has genuine heavyweight potential in this tournament, but the margin for error is now visible. Barcelona earned breathing room. Real Madrid and Atlético did not — and February becomes a risk window, not a formality.
England, meanwhile, has numbers and momentum. Arsenal’s perfect league phase gives them the cleanest route. City, Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea have avoided the play-off minefield. Newcastle now need to prove they belong in the same conversation.
The complication — and the entertainment — is that country protection is gone in the knockouts. From here, Spanish and English clubs can be paired in ways the old format often avoided.
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