All matches start simultaneously in Champions League eighth round

The Champions League group stage concludes today with all eighth-round matches kicking off at the same time. Italian champion Napoli risks elimination from the playoffs.

Feb 24, 2026

The round«s key match takes place in Naples.
Source:
UEFA press service

Today, the group stage of the Champions League concludes — all matches of the eighth round will start simultaneously. Teams will compete for a spot in the playoffs and direct qualification to the round of 16.

The round«s key match will take place in Naples, where the reigning Italian champion Napoli plays against London»s Chelsea.

Tournament format

Thirty-six teams participate in the Champions League group stage. There are no traditional groups now, only a single league table. This format is being used for the second time.

Each team plays eight matches: four at home and four away. All opponents are different.

The top eight teams in the table advance directly to the round of 16. Clubs from 9th to 24th place will participate in a playoff round (round of 32). Teams from 25th to 36th place will see their European season end.

Eighth round schedule: all matches start at 23:00 Moscow time

Four teams have already lost their chance to reach the playoffs: Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Villarreal, and Kairat. Arsenal and Bayern Munich have secured a place in the round of 16 — they cannot drop below eighth place.

Liverpool — Qarabag;

Barcelona — Copenhagen;

PSG — Newcastle.

These teams are on adjacent lines in the table — sixth and seventh. The winner guarantees themselves a place in the round of 16, while the loser goes to the playoff round. A draw would satisfy neither team.

Borussia Dortmund — Inter;

Napoli — Chelsea.

The Italian champion Napoli risks not advancing to the Champions League playoffs — for the team, this would be a real failure. In the match against Chelsea, the Italian side preferably needs to win. A draw could save Napoli, but only under fantastic circumstances.

For head coach Antonio Conte, this will be a doubly important match: he faces his former team, with which he once won the English championship, but left under a scandal.

Benfica — Real Madrid;

PSV — Bayern Munich;

Ajax — Olympiacos.

It will be hot in Amsterdam. Olympiacos is currently scrambling to catch the last train to the playoffs, but could fall off if they don«t defeat Ajax. Ajax is only running towards the departing train; to keep their chances alive, they need only three points.

Paphos — Slavia Prague;

Athletic Bilbao — Sporting CP;

Atlético Madrid — Bodø/Glimt;

Club Brugge — Marseille;

Monaco — Juventus;

Arsenal — Kairat;

Eintracht Frankfurt — Tottenham;

Bayer Leverkusen — Villarreal;

Union Berlin — Atalanta;

Manchester City — Galatasaray.

Manchester City unexpectedly lost in Norway in the previous round. Now, Josep Guardiola«s team risks playing two extra matches if they don»t make it to the round of 16. Turkish Galatasaray, with one of the tournament«s top scorers Victor Osimhen, won»t be making up the numbers either.

Top scorers race

First place with a big lead is held by French forward of Real Madrid Kylian Mbappé — he has 11 goals. English forward of Bayern Munich Harry Kane has scored four goals less.