Champions League Matchday 8 Roundup

Last Updated on January 29, 2026 10:57 am by Erwin Noguera

The final matchday of the Champions League group stage was played and delivered plenty of surprises, great matches, dramatic eliminations, and clear dominance from the Premier League.

Of the eight teams that qualified directly, five were English: Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, and Manchester City. Newcastle were the only English side who failed to qualify directly, finishing 12th and heading to the playoffs, while the ‘Gunners’ topped the table by winning all their matches, scoring 23 goals and conceding just four, making them the best attack and the best defense.

One of the biggest surprises was Benfica’s 4–2 victory over Real Madrid, capped by a last-gasp header from goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin to secure the final playoff spot, knocking Marseille out by a single goal. The Spanish giants, meanwhile, finished ninth, narrowly missing out on direct qualification.

Barcelona did manage to break into the top eight and will join the English sides, Bayern, and surprise package Sporting Lisbon, who also won with a last-minute goal, defeating Athletic Bilbao 2–3 and eliminating them from the tournament.

One of the most shocking eliminations was Napoli, who lost 2–3 at home to Chelsea, leaving the Italian champions out of any contention. They were joined by other historic clubs such as Ajax and PSV, as well as notable sides like Frankfurt and Villarreal.

Among the teams heading to the playoffs is the surprising Bodo/Glimt, who defeated Manchester City 3–1 last week and then followed it up with a 1–2 win away to Atlético Madrid in Spain.

At Gambyl Exchange, you can explore all the predictions for the UEFA Champions League, the final bets for this matchday, and the odds for each match.

Champions League Matchday 8 Games

Champions League Matchday 8: Barcelona vs. Kobenhavn

Barcelona got off on the wrong foot, but a strong second half allowed them to turn the match around and defeat Kobenhavn 4–1, securing direct qualification to the next round.

They were forced to chase the game early on, as a lost ball in midfield led to a well-placed through pass for Viktor Bjarki Dadason, who finished calmly past the onrushing Joan García to make it 0–1 in the 4th minute.

From that moment on, everything belonged to the hosts, who pushed from every angle but were unable to break down the defense until the second half. Robert Lewandowski was the one to do it in the 48th minute, simply tapping the ball in after a cut-back from Lamine Yamal.

Twelve minutes later, the young Spaniard added his own name to the scoresheet with a shot from the edge of the box that took a deflection off a defender and looped in with an impossible trajectory for the goalkeeper.

In the 69th minute, Raphinha extended the lead from the penalty spot after a foul on Lewandowski, while Marcus Rashford put the finishing touch in the 85th minute with a superb free-kick goal.

With this victory, Barcelona reached 16 points and finished in fifth place, while Kobenhavn were eliminated from all competitions, ending up in 31st place with eight points.

Result: Barcelona 4-1 Kobenhavn

Champions League Matchday 8: Manchester City vs. Galatasaray

Erling Haaland found the back of the net again and helped Manchester City defeat Galatasaray 2–0 to claim the final direct spot to the next round of the Champions League.

A perfectly weighted through ball from Jérémy Doku sent the Norwegian striker clear, and he calmly chipped the ball over goalkeeper Ugurcan Çakır to make it 1–0 in the 10th minute, ending a five-match goal drought.

The player in charge of extending the lead was Rayan Cherki, who in the 29th minute received a pass from Doku inside the box and finished to make it 2–0.

The ‘Citizens’ created the majority of the chances but were unable to extend their advantage any further.Still, the result was enough for them to finish in eighth place with 16 points, while Galatasaray ended on 10 points, sitting 20th and qualifying for the playoffs.

Result: Manchester City 2-0 Galatasaray

Champions League Matchday 8: Napoli vs. Chelsea

In a thrilling match, Italian champions Napoli lost 2–3 at home to Chelsea and were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League.

It was a sad day in southern Italy, one that started in the worst possible way with a penalty goal by Enzo Fernández in the 19th minute.

However, Antonio Conte’s men managed to turn the game around, first with a stunning goal by Antonio Vergara after a brilliant individual move in the 33rd minute, and ten minutes later with a first-time finish by Rasmus Højlund following a low cross from Mathías Olivera.

Cole Palmer came on in the second half for the English side and changed the dynamic of the match, but the standout performer was João Pedro, who scored both goals. The first came in the 61st minute with a superb left-footed curling strike from outside the box, and the second arrived in the 82nd minute after a powerful run and a low, right-footed cross-shot.

Napoli pushed forward, but it was already too late, and with just eight points, they finished 30th, eliminated even from the playoffs. Chelsea, meanwhile, climbed to sixth place with 16 points, securing a direct spot in the next round.

Result:Napoli 2-3 Chelsea

Champions League Matchday 8: PSG vs. Newcastle

In a result that benefited neither side, PSG and Newcastle drew 1–1 in Paris, leaving both teams outside the top eight.

The French side had a chance to take the lead very early, as Nick Pope saved a penalty from Ousmane Dembélé in just the 4th minute. PSG did not dwell on it, and four minutes later, they made it 1–0 with a strike from Vitinha from the edge of the box.

Just before halftime, in stoppage time, the English side found the equalizer through Joe Willock. It came from a long free kick, with giant Dan Burn heading the ball into the center of the area, where the English midfielder also rose to head home the equalizer.

In the second half, both teams created chances, but the scoreline did not change. Both finished with 14 points and a +10 goal difference, in 11th and 12th place respectively, and will now have to play in the playoffs. Had either side won, they would have qualified in fifth place.

Results: PSG 1-1 Newcastle