23:04 CET - Wow, the final match has wrapped up in incredible circumstances, and we can bring you the final standings…

Sporting’s late winner against Athletic Club really shook things up, and then Benfica completely stole the show.

Sporting's 3-2 win meant that even though Inter beat Dortmund, the Italians finished 10th while Real Madrid were dragged down to ninth. Real then lost 4-2 to the other Lisbon giants, Benfica, who quite incredibly finished 24th thanks to their last-gasp fourth goal scored by their goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin!

Marseille were thus squeezed out of the top 24 on goal difference. Napoli have also missed out on the playoffs entirely after losing 3-2 to Chelsea, who sealed a spot in the top eight.

Joining the Blues and Sporting in the round of 16 are Arsenal, who finished with a perfect record, Bayern, Liverpool, Barcelona, Manchester City and Tottenham, all of whom won this evening.

Competing in the playoffs along with Benfica, Real, and Inter will be both PSG and Newcastle, who drew 1-1 this evening. As well as Juventus, Atletico, Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Dortmund, Olympiacos, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Monaco, Qarabag, and Bodo/Glimt.

[lslink-league cms-href="https://www.flashscore.com/match/football/chelsea-4fGZN2oK/napoli-69Dxbc61/summary/lineups/?mid=nLbmBb4N" sport-id="1" tournament-template-id="xGrwqq16" tournament-id="bLJeeS2d" tournament-stage-id="UiRZST3U" season-id="187" target="standings"]Check out the full final Champions League standings in detail here.[/lslink-league]

22:53 CET - Hold that thought... Sporting are into the top eight! A last-gasp winner against Athletic Club from Alisson Santos has made it 3-2 to the visitors, and they have soared up the table. Huge for the Portuguese side. That sees them leapfrog Real Madrid and Inter, who are both outside the top eight now, incredibly.

22:52 CET - Inter have a second goal, they now lead Dortmund 2-0, but they are outside the top eight since Chelsea took their lead. Despite Real Madrid trailing Benfica, they are just inside the top eight.

22:49 CET - Arsenal have a third now, they lead Kairat 3-1. Not the most important thing across Europe, but Liverpool have made it six against Qarabag, with substitute Federico Chiesa continuing the barrage.

22:44 CET - PSV fans, look away now. Harry Kane has netted his eighth Champions League goal of the season to make it 2-1 to Bayern with time running out. He is now two away from 50 in the competition.

Elsewhere, Barcelona are thrashing FC Copenhagen 4-1, with Marcus Rashford now getting in on the act.

22:42 CET - With other matches swinging back and forth, as it currently stands, PSG and Newcastle are set to miss out on a top-eight spot. Both teams are surely desperate for a winner now.

22:41 CET - Joao Pedro breaks Napoli hearts! He has his second of the evening in Naples, putting Chelsea 3-2 up, giving the Italians a mountain to climb if they are to qualify.

22:38 CET - Inter have taken the lead against their hosts Dortmund, finally. It's 1-0 in Germany there, and that sees Inter squeak into the top eight by one point, with PSG being pushed out! Federico Dimarco got the goal for the Italian giants. That's big.

22:36 CET - Dominic Solanke has fired Spurs into a 2-0 lead over Eintracht, and that looks like them sealed in the top eight now.

And there's a lifeline for PSV! Ismael Saibari has an equaliser against Bayern, to give his side some hope of reaching the top 24. As it stands, they have climbed to 22nd, but another goal for the hosts will give them some breathing room. There is less than 15 minutes left around the grounds.

22:32 CET - PSG vs Newcastle remains on a knife edge, with the score still locked at 1-1. PSG currently occupy the final automatic qualification spot, while Newcastle sit in ninth, just one spot outside of that. A goal for either side could have a dramatic effect.

22:28 CET - Barcelona are now cruising along with Raphinha scoring from the spot to put them 3-1 up against Copenhagen. The Catalans now look pretty comfortable in fifth place and should hang on from here.

There has finally been a goal in Belgium, with Royale Union going 1-0 up against Atalanta. This result does little for the home side, but for the Italians, their hopes of a top-eight finish now look extremely unlikely.

22:23 CET - Ok, the goals are flying in now! Real Madrid have scored their second, and it's Kylian Mbappe again, to make it 3-2 against Benfica, they still have work to do thee but they are in the top eight.

Liverpool are taking no prisoners... They lead Qarabag 5-0 now, with Alexis Mac Allister getting his second of the night, whilst Sporting have made it 2-2 at Athletic Club, with Trincao's equaliser putting them safely into the playoff round, as it stands.

22:20 CET - All square in Naples, and it's a cracker from Joao Pedro! The Brazilian wraps his left foot around a shot from the edge of the box to fire Chelsea level in this thrilling encounter. As it stands, Napoli are heading out!

22:18 CET - Benfica have a third! Would you believe it? From 1-0 down, Mourinho's men have roared back to take a 3-1 lead with Andreas Schjelderup scoring his second of the night.

Over in Barcelona, Lamine Yamal has put the Catalans into a 2-1 lead over FC Copenhagen. That lead takes Barva into the top eight.

Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen are running away with it against Villarreal. Alejandro Grimaldo makes it 3-0, all but securing their spot in the top 24.

What's more, Bodo/Glimt have taken the lead at Atletico Madrid! From 1-0 down to 2-1 up, and as a result, Atletico have tumbled down the table to 15th. Meanwhile, the Norwegians now sit just outside the play-off spots and will need some results to go their way.

22:15 CET - Hugo Ekitike has come to the party for Liverpool, making 4-0 against Qarabag, whilst Bayern have sprung into life against PSV with Jamal Musiala scoring for the first time since his horrific leg break in the summer to make it 1-0 at PSV. That is terrible news for the Dutch side, who look like they need all three points to progress.

22:09 CET - Liverpool have cemented their spot in the top eight, as they go 3-0 up against Qarabag with Mo Salah amongst the goals for the first time since returning from AFCON.

22:07 CET - Barcelona have drawn level with their guests FC Copenhagen, thanks to veteran striker Robert Lewandowski. It's 1-1 in Catalonia, with Barca now pushing up to ninth and needing a win to break into that top eight.

22:04 CET - We have an early second-half goal in Frankfurt, where Spurs have taken the lead over Eintracht. It's 1-0 to Thomas Frank's side thanks to Randal Kolo Muani, and Spurs are now in fourth place. Sitting pretty.

22:03 CET - Gradually, the matches are getting back underway around the grounds. The final 45 minutes of the league phase, here we go!

21:57 CET - After a breathless half of football - and breathless writing - let's take a breath and see where we stand.

At the top of the Champions League league phase table, Arsenal are going to 'win' it as they are cruising against the bottom side Kairat.

Bayern will join them in the top two, despite being held by PSV so far.

The other six teams in the top eight, as it stands, are Manchester City, Real Madrid, Tottenham, PSG and Newcastle in that order.

Just outside, and still with a shot of making it into that rarified air, include Atletico, Atalanta and Inter, who all know a goal could get them there.

The teams currently looking at the other results with fear are Galatasaray and Qarabag. Both sides have 10 points and are 2-0 down on the night, so if goals go against them elsewhere, they could be out.

Meanwhile, currently winning, Napoli, Leverkusen, Club Brugge, and FC Copenhagen are all in the top 24.

But things can still change with 45 minutes left to play.

21:51 CET - Drama in Lisbon just on the stroke of half-time, Benfica were awarded a penalty, and it's been dispatched by Vangelis Pavlidis to put Jose Mourinho's side 2-1! They have to win tonight and hope results go their way elsewhere.

21:48 CET - What a moment at the Parc des Princes! On the cusp of half-time, Joe Willock has nodded home from a set piece to make it 1-1 against PSG. Newcastle move up into the top eight, while PSG just about remain in it too.

21:43 CET - Rasmus Hojlund! Napoli must beat Chelsea to gain qualification into the play-offs, and it's their big Dane who fires them into the lead with a close-range bullet.

21:41 CET - Benfica have levelled things against Real Madrid with Andreas Schjelderup scoring for the hosts in Lisbon. It's 1-1 there, and remember, Benfica have to win this one!

21:37 CET - Malik Tillman at the double. Bayer Leverkusen have some breathing room against Villarreal, and in terms of qualification, as the US midfielder netted his second of the night to make it 2-0 to the hosts.

Elsewhere, Bodo/Glimt have stunned Atletico Madrid with an equaliser, which means Atletico drop out of the top eight at the moment. Diego Simeone won't be happy, but they have plenty of time to find another goal.

21:33 CET - Boy, oh boy, did Napoli need that goal. A win for the Neopolitans against Chelsea, and they are into the next round. Antonio Vergara has lit the city on fire with a run of pure class, to go with his finish, to bring his side level in this crucial clash.

His first goal in the competition, what a time to get it!

We have a breakthrough in Lisbon, too, where Real Madrid now lead Jose Mourinho's Benfica 1-0 thanks to, you guessed it, Kylian Mbappe! The lethal Frenchman headed home expertly for his 12th goal in the Champions League this season. A dozen!

21:28 CET - One of the stories of tonight could be the fate of Pafos. They need a win and for things to go their way if they are to progress. So far, they are doing their job, with Vlad Dragomir opening the scoring against the already eliminated Slavia Prague. It's the Romanian's first goal of the competition.

Elsewhere, Athletic Club are back in front against Sporting through Gorka Guruzeta, who has made it 2-1 to the hosts.

Finally, for now, Manchester City in cruise control now. Jeremy Doku is causing all sorts of problems for the Galatasaray defence, and Rayan Cherki has now doubled their lead with an emphatic finish. They look on course for a top-eight finish.

21:23 CET - At the top of the standings, Arsenal are on course for eight wins from eight - they are 2-1 up against Kairat. Meanwhile, Bayern, the only team that can overtake them tonight, are currently goalless against PSV.

21:21 CET - Liverpool look set for the top eight! Florian Wirtz has his first of the night, to put the hosts 2-0 up in quick fashion against Qarabag, who look destined for the trapdoor.

21:19 CET - Alexander Sorloth has opened the scoring for Atletico Madrid against Bodo/Glimt, with the Spanish side moving up into the top eight at the moment.

Meanwhile, Chelsea lead against Napoli through an Enzo Fernandez penalty. The result would send Napoli out of the Champions League if it stays the same.

21:16 CET - First blood to Liverpool against Qarabag. They are up to third in the standings as it stands after Alexis Mac Allister has broken the deadlock at Anfield.

21:14 CET - 2-0 to Brugge against Marseille! The French side are in real trouble now, and their chances of securing a play-off place hangs in the balance.

21:12 CET - Back to Bilbao, where Sporting, who could finish tonight in the top eight with a win, have a leveller against Athletic Club through Ousmane Diomande.

Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen have lifted themselves into the top 24, as it stands, thanks to a goal from Malik Tillman against Villarreal.

21:11 CET - Manchester City have the goal they need! Erling Haaland has ended his goalscoring drought, dinking the keeper to take the lead against Galatasaray. They move into the top eight.

21:09 CET - Minutes after missing a penalty, PSG have taken the lead against Newcastle, courtesy of that man Vitinha! They cement their place in the top eight, while the away side slip out as a result.

21:07 CET - Big goal for Brugge, and big blow for Marseille! The hosts have taken the lead, moving up into the play-off spots as it stands. Meanwhile, Marseille currently sit outside the top 24.

21:06 CET - There's been a shock in Barcelona! 17-year-old Viktor Dadason has opened the scoring for FC Copenhagen nice and early. It's 1-0 to the Danes, and they NEED a win tonight to go through to the playoffs. For Barca, a loss here would see them certainly miss out on the top eight.

The Icelandic player has scored his third goal in the 2025/2026 UEFA Champions League, netting for the first time since 26th November 2025 against Kairat.

21:05 CET - Early chance missed for PSG to take a grip on a top-eight place in the Champions League! After being awarded a penalty, Ousmane Dembele has missed from the spot after a Nick Pope save for Newcastle!

21:04 CET - Athletic Club were one of the clubs looking over their shoulder tonight, but they have made a fast start against Sporting. Oihan Sancet has given them the lead inside five minutes.

21:00 CET - Here we go then, 18 games, one goal - make it into the knockout rounds of the Champions League. Let battle commence.

20:50 CET - We are 10 minutes away from the referees blowing their whistles across Europe. What storylines will we see tonight?

20:40 CET - Want some fun stats before we begin to really whet the appetite. From our resident statistician, David Parkes, he has brought us these gems.

Should Pafos prevail, they would become the first Cypriot team to successfully negotiate the UCL group phase since APOEL's fairytale run to the quarter-final back in 2011/12.

In the group phase era, Napoli have never failed to reach a knockout stage, whether that is in the same competition or dropping to a lower competition. The last time they didn't qualify for the knockouts of the UCL was in 2018/19 when they finished third in their group.

Benfica are one of a select few teams to have a winning record against Real Madrid (two wins to one in the Portuguese side's favour). Their most infamous success came in the 1961/62 European Cup showpiece, when they successfully defended the title at Real's expense. Of course, they are also the second club to have ever won this competition.

Will that last one be on Jose Mourinho's whiteboard? You'd think so, right?

20:30 CET - With 30 minutes to go before kick-off, and with so many games at once, it can be difficult to know who needs what on a night that, if last year was anything to go by, promises chaos.

Luckily, we have you covered - [lslink-news-article cms-href="https://www.flashscore.com/news/soccer-champions-league-champions-league-state-of-play-who-needs-what-to-progress-to-the-knockouts/8zZte8J5/" slug="soccer-champions-league-champions-league-state-of-play-who-needs-what-to-progress-to-the-knockouts" article-id="8zZte8J5"]here is everything you need to know about tonight's permutations[/lslink-news-article].

20:15 CET - All the team news is in from around the Champions League, so whatever game you are following tonight, you can follow the link above and check out the lineups.

One team looking to clinch a top-eight spot tonight is last year's finalist, Inter. They take on Borussia Dortmund, who themselves would love a win, in Germany, but it has been a season of struggles for the Italian club against Europe's best.

[lslink-news-article cms-href="https://www.flashscore.com/news/soccer-champions-league-why-are-internazionale-finding-it-hard-to-compete-with-europe-s-best/UZQVoMVQ/" slug="soccer-champions-league-why-are-internazionale-finding-it-hard-to-compete-with-europe-s-best" article-id="UZQVoMVQ"]Here[/lslink-news-article], our resident analyst, Jason Pettigrove, asks why they haven't been able to beat those top sides.

20:05 CET - PSG take on Newcastle in a massive clash as both sides look to secure a spot in the Champions League top eight. For the hosts, Achraf Hakimi returns from AFCON duty to take his place in the starting XI, while Newcastle make a number of surprising changes.

Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon are both dropped to the bench, and Bruno Guimaraes is not fit enough to start. As a result, Joe Willock, Lewis Miley and Anthony Elanga all take their place in the team.

20:00 CET - Chelsea head south to Italy tonight to face their former manager Antonio Conte and his Napoli side, who are in desperate need of a win. They sit 25th heading into the contest, outside the playoff spots on goal difference.

With this in mind, Conte has named his strongest side, with Scott McTominay starting, as does Rasmus Hojlund. Meanwhile, Liam Rosenior makes two changes from his side's 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace at the weekend, with Wesley Fofana and Malo Gusto coming in for Trevoh Chalobah and Benoit Badiashile.

19:55 CET - Team news is flooding in from across Europe for this night of nights in the Champions League. First of all from Portugal where Benfica host Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho has named an unchanged side from the team that lost in Turin last week, as he hopes that the same players fare better in tonight's must-win game.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid boss Alvaro Arbeloa hands another start to teenage sensation Franco Mastantuono after the 18-year-old scored in Real's impressive 6-1 victory last week against AS Monaco.

19:25 CET - There are also important matches at the top end of the table tonight, and one standout fixture sees 7th-placed Newcastle United host 6th-placed PSG in a huge match for Eddie Howe's side against the holders.

[video alt="Champions League: PSG - Newcastle Utd (video preview)" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="fd5bb3cf-7ab9-4b32-977a-035ed0742679" id="b0f6eb57-a991-4f65-8c84-c2bd078bc047" /]

With 6th down to 13th level on points heading into this league phase finale, defeat for either side would surely mean missing out on a top-eight finish.

Therefore, taking three points and guaranteeing a top-eight finish will be the order of the day for both sides, and that sets up a potential thriller.

19:15 CET - If Conte needs a lot of luck and things to go his side's way this evening, then Benfica manager Jose Mourinho is seeking a miracle. With just six points on the board and two points behind 24th-placed Olympiacos, Benfica host Real Madrid, needing victory and a lot of luck.

[video alt="Champions League: Benfica - Real Madrid (video preview)" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="14a19aab-6255-452d-9f5c-3edf40ebbd62" id="710c2380-d9c3-4e88-951e-c96fcc56a7d3" /]

The first part of that challenge is hard enough; we are talking about the most successful club in the competition's history, one that just happens to have some of the best players in the world in their team. A tall order indeed.

19:10 CET - One thing is for sure: this is a big night for former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte as his Napoli side return to Stamford Bridge needing at least a point but most likely three points to stay in the competition.

[video alt="Champions League: Napoli - Chelsea (video preview)" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="c04b334b-d18d-49ab-97d9-7ab05f29333a" id="44b4302d-0216-437d-9231-a91543922fc2" /]

18:45 CET - If you are wondering what has been said by the likes of Pep Guardiola, Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho ahead of tonight's league phase finale, then look no further:

[h2][lslink-news-article cms-href="https://www.flashscore.com/news/soccer-champions-league-guardiola-tells-man-city-players-to-step-things-up-to-help-haaland-end-goal-drought/GxdMSU5T/" slug="soccer-champions-league-guardiola-tells-man-city-players-to-step-things-up-to-help-haaland-end-goal-drought" article-id="GxdMSU5T"]Read what Guardiola had to say here[/lslink-news-article][/h2][h2][lslink-news-article cms-href="https://www.flashscore.com/news/soccer-champions-league-struggling-napoli-face-key-champions-league-clash-with-chelsea-to-avoid-elimination/M1FazUGl/" slug="soccer-champions-league-struggling-napoli-face-key-champions-league-clash-with-chelsea-to-avoid-elimination" article-id="M1FazUGl"]Take a look at what Conte said here[/lslink-news-article][/h2][h2][lslink-news-article cms-href="https://www.flashscore.com/news/soccer-champions-league-benfica-s-mourinho-set-for-real-madrid-arbeloa-reunion-in-champions-league-clash/nND6TB5F/" slug="soccer-champions-league-benfica-s-mourinho-set-for-real-madrid-arbeloa-reunion-in-champions-league-clash" article-id="nND6TB5F"]Check out what Mourinho said here[/lslink-news-article][/h2]

18:30 CET - It is just over an hour until team news rolls in for a big night of Champions League action. Who is ready?

18:00 CET - Welcome back to the Football Tracker this evening on what is set to be a chaotic night of action, with 18 games to be played and 36 teams looking to secure wins on the final Matchday of the Champions League league phase.

There are so many permutations and possibilities, and you can check out the most important ones [lslink-news-article cms-href="https://www.flashscore.com/news/soccer-champions-league-champions-league-state-of-play-who-needs-what-to-progress-to-the-knockouts/8zZte8J5/" slug="soccer-champions-league-champions-league-state-of-play-who-needs-what-to-progress-to-the-knockouts" article-id="8zZte8J5"]right here[/lslink-news-article]!

The standout games include Napoli vs Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain vs Newcastle, and Benfica vs Real Madrid.

[h2][lslink-news-article cms-href="https://www.flashscore.com/news/soccer-champions-league-everything-to-play-for-as-napoli-host-chelsea-in-winner-takes-all-champions-league-tie/jaCUCOsB/" slug="soccer-champions-league-everything-to-play-for-as-napoli-host-chelsea-in-winner-takes-all-champions-league-tie" article-id="jaCUCOsB"]Napoli vs Chelsea preview[/lslink-news-article][/h2][h2][lslink-news-article cms-href="https://www.flashscore.com/news/a-closer-look-at-a-decisive-champions-league-tie-between-psg-and-newcastle/t4uGZP57/" slug="a-closer-look-at-a-decisive-champions-league-tie-between-psg-and-newcastle" article-id="t4uGZP57"]Paris Saint-Germain vs Newcastle preview[/lslink-news-article][/h2][h2][lslink-news-article cms-href="https://www.flashscore.com/news/soccer-champions-league-european-highlights-real-madrid-chelsea-in-high-stakes-reunions-winner-takes-all-in-paris/GhfLIung/" slug="soccer-champions-league-european-highlights-real-madrid-chelsea-in-high-stakes-reunions-winner-takes-all-in-paris" article-id="GhfLIung"]European Highlights[/lslink-news-article][/h2]