UEFA Champions League 2025/26: Matchday 6 Preview and Predictions
UEFA Champions League football returns with Matchday 6 this midweek, bringing a host of exciting fixtures. Bayern Munich will be up against Sporting, Atalanta are hosting Chelsea, Inter Milan will host Liverpool, while Manchester City travel to the Santiago Bernabéu.
Here, we present our preview and predictions for all matches of Matchday 6 of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League.
Kairat vs Olympiacos
Kairat have failed to compete with the top European clubs and are currently languishing in the bottom two of the league phase table with a win and four losses. Their most recent UCL loss came against Danish club Copenhagen in Matchday 5. In their last five games, Kairat only have one win with two losses and two draws.
Olympiacos, on the other hand, are in a far better situation. Even though they lost at home to a superior Real Madrid side in the last Matchday, they didn’t give up without a fight. They have won their last three games since that fixture, having scored nine goals.
From an injury perspective, Kairat will miss João Paulo and Élder Santana, while Olympiacos will miss keeper Alexandros Paschalakis for this game.
Based on form and squad quality, Olympiacos are the clear favourites for this one despite Kairat having the home advantage. It could be a high-scoring encounter, though, with Olympiacos to come away with the three points.
Score prediction: Kairat 2–4 Olympiacos
Bayern Munich vs Sporting
The German Bundesliga champions are in a healthy position in both their domestic and the UCL league tables. Placed second in the Champions League, Bayern only have one loss from their last five fixtures, having won the other four. In their weekend fixture, they decimated Stuttgart away from home.
As for their opponents, Sporting have been unbeaten in their last five games, winning four and drawing one. The Leões drew with fellow Liga Portugal contenders Benfica at the weekend.
Injury-wise, Bayern have long-term absentees in Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala, with Sacha Boey missing through illness. Additionally, Luis Díaz will be a huge miss, as he is suspended. As for Sporting, Daniel Bragança and Nuno Santos are long-term absentees, with Zeno Debast also missing for this encounter.
Bayern have a great unbeaten record at home this season. They’ve quite simply blown away all visiting teams at the Allianz, and even though Sporting are a competent outfit, this could be a lost cause for them. Bayern may concede a goal or two, but they have enough firepower up front to win this comfortably.
Score prediction: Bayern München 3–1 Sporting
Atalanta vs Chelsea
From qualifying for the Champions League last season to languishing outside the top ten in Serie A this time round, it has been a surprising fall from grace so far for Atalanta. One reason could be the departure of long-time manager Gian Piero Gasperini. That said, Atalanta have performed considerably well in Europe with three wins, a draw, and a loss, their most recent outing being a 3–0 away win against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Chelsea have also fared well in the Champions League so far, with three wins, a draw, and a loss as well. Their most recent continental encounter was an impressive 3–0 win against Barcelona, but they have dropped off a bit since then domestically, following with a loss and two draws. The Blues have problems in defence due to under-performing and error-prone defenders.
For this game, Atalanta will miss the services of Kamaldeen Sulemana and Mitchel Bakker, while Chelsea have long-term absentees in Levi Colwill, Roméo Lavia, and Dário Essugo, with Liam Delap out injured again.
With the likes of Charles De Ketelaere, Ademola Lookman, and Gianluca Scamacca, the Bergamaschi have enough quality in the front line to hurt the Chelsea defence. Enzo Maresca’s team too have attacking prowess in the form of Cole Palmer, Estêvão, and Pedro Neto and can cause issues for the Atalanta defence. Difficult to call, but since Atalanta are playing at home, where they have a good record, Chelsea may find it difficult to break them down, and hence this could result in a close Atalanta win.
Score prediction: Atalanta 2–1 Chelsea
Monaco vs Galatasaray
Monaco’s Champions League campaign hasn’t seen a dream outing so far. The Monégasque club are lying in 23rd place with one win, three draws, and a loss. In contrast, Galatasaray have surprised many with three wins and two losses in the Champions League, currently placed 14th in the table.
Monaco’s previous Champions League game was against Pafos, which they ended up drawing 2–2, while in Ligue 1 they also suffered a loss against Brest at the weekend. Galatasaray, meanwhile, lost narrowly to Union SG at home in Europe last time out but won their weekend Süper Lig fixture 3–2 against Samsunspor with a thrilling stoppage-time winner.
From an injury perspective, Monaco will miss the services of Christian Mawissa, Eric Dier, Ansu Fati, and George Ilenikhena, while Galatasaray have Ismail Jakobs, Arda Ünyay, and Wilfried Singo unavailable for this game.
With both teams showing inconsistent form, this is also a difficult one to call. Galatasaray set up a defensive low block, which could cause the Monaco forward line difficulties, making a draw very likely.
Score prediction: Monaco 1–1 Galatasaray
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Olympique de Marseille
Union have lost only one game in their last five outings; things have taken an upward turn for the Belgian outfit. Marseille, meanwhile, come into this fixture on the back of an away loss to Lille, though they were unbeaten in their last four before this loss. OM also won their previous Champions League fixture against a tough Newcastle United side.
Union SG will have a full squad to choose from barring Mohammed Fuseini, who is yet to recover from an ankle injury, while Marseille may be without Facundo Medina, Hamed Traorè, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, and Amine Gouiri.
Looking at the quality of the two squads and their respective managers, Marseille definitely have the edge here. Even though they lost at the weekend, this is a different fixture against a relatively weaker opposition on paper. With forward Mason Greenwood in top form, Marseille should be able to grab all three points from this game.
Score prediction: Union SG 0–2 OM
PSV vs Atlético Madrid
PSV are unbeaten in their last five fixtures, having won all five, with a whopping 15 goals scored and only three conceded. More importantly, they handed a crushing 4–1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in their previous Champions League encounter. They’re currently 15th place in the table with two wins, two draws, and one defeat.
In contrast, Atlético Madrid have lost their last two fixtures, and even though they defeated Inter Milan last time out in Europe, they’ve been inconsistent away from home, winning only one away game in their last five.
Both teams have their fair share of injuries, with PSV set to miss Ivan Perišic, Alassane Pléa, and Ruben van Bommel, while the Colchoneros have José María Giménez, Marcos Llorente, and Álex Baena out injured, with Johnny Cardoso also doubtful for this game.
There is no doubt that PSV are going through a purple patch, and playing at home is an added advantage for them in this game. If we further take into account Atleti’s struggles on the road, it’s clear PSV hold the edge here. They’re firing on all cylinders, and even though Atleti have a few players who could affect proceedings, Peter Bosz and Co should be able to grab all three points here.
Score prediction: PSV 2–1 Atleti
Barcelona vs Eintracht Frankfurt
Currently sitting in 18th place with two wins, a draw, and two losses, Barça have shown defensive weaknesses and dropped points from winning positions. Their most recent Champions League encounter was an embarrassing 3–0 defeat to Chelsea. However, the Blaugrana have recovered from that setback and won three LaLiga games on the trot, even defeating Atlético Madrid.
Barça continue to leak goals, but not as much as their opposition for this game, who are the second-worst defensive side in the Champions League after bottom-of-the-table Ajax. Frankfurt also conceded six goals to Leipzig at the weekend.
Barcelona will have a few players out for this game, with Gavi, Marc-André ter Stegen, Ronald Araújo, and Dani Olmo all injured. Frankfurt, meanwhile, will miss long-term absentees Jonathan Burkardt and Michy Batshuayi.
Barça are back leading the table in LaLiga, and with most of their crucial players back in the line-up, they are the overwhelming favourites to win this game. Their attacking line of Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal can prove too much for even the best defensive units, let alone one that is already suffering, making the pitch fertile for another humiliating score line for the German side.
Score prediction: Barça 5–0 Frankfurt
Inter Milan vs Liverpool
Inter Milan are sitting pretty in fourth place in the Champions League table with four wins and a loss, while Liverpool are currently sitting outside of the direct qualification spots with three wins and two losses. Though Inter lost their previous continental game against Atlético Madrid, they have since won three games on the trot and annihilated an in-form Como side 4–0 at the weekend in Serie A.
The Reds have been all over the place and were handed a crushing home defeat by PSV in their previous European fixture, followed by two draws against newly promoted sides in the Premier League. The English champions are looking massively out of form, with the new players still trying to gel with the existing ones and the manager looking quite clueless.
Inter will have a few key players missing this game with injury issues. Denzel Dumfries, Matteo Darmian, and Raffaele Di Gennaro will be missing from the Nerazzurri squad, while for Liverpool, Giovanni Leoni and Stefan Bajcetic are out with long-term issues, while Jeremie Frimpong is yet to return to the fold.
Considering recent form, confidence, and tactical issues, Inter are the overwhelming favourites for this one. Their solid defence has conceded only three goals in the last five games, while the leaky Liverpool defence has conceded 11 in that time, with only one clean sheet from those five fixtures. Though the Reds have no dearth of attacking options, their defence could let them down yet again.
Score prediction: Inter Milan 3–1 Liverpool
Tottenham Hotspur vs Slavia Prague
The Lilywhites have been inconsistent as usual, but after three straight defeats they are now unbeaten in their last two games and won comfortably against Brentford at the weekend. Last time out in the Champions League, Spurs played an eight-goal thriller against the defending champions, PSG. They did concede five goals, but they also scored three.
Their opponents, Slavia Praha, have been unbeaten in their last five with four wins and a draw, the latter arriving against Athletic Club in their previous Champions League fixture in what was a goalless affair.
Both teams have a host of players out with injuries. Spurs are still without Dejan Kulusevski, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Kota Takai, Radu Dragusin, Yves Bissouma, and Dominic Solanke, while Slavia are missing Dominik Javorcek, Filip Horsky, Lukáš Vorlický, Oscar Dorley, and Petr Ševcík.
Though Slavia have shown better form of late, playing against last year’s Europa League winners won’t be an easy task. Despite their injury issues, Spurs have several superb players in their line-up, each of them a match-winner in his own right. The likes of Randal Kolo Muani, Lucas Bergvall, and Richarlison could definitely make a difference in this game, making a Slavia win very unlikely.
Score prediction: Spurs 3–1 Slavia Praha
Qarabag vs Ajax
In only their second-ever appearance in the Champions League first stage, Qarabag could finish the league phase in the play-off spots. Given their recent form, the hosts will surely back themselves for another positive home result against Ajax, despite their 3–0 loss to the Dutch side in the Europa League last season.
Much has changed since then, particularly in Amsterdam, where Francesco Farioli has departed and Johnny Heitinga’s return was brief. Heitinga was dismissed after Ajax’s 3–0 home defeat by Galatasaray in Matchday 5, while Fred Grim’s interim spell began with three more defeats before Ajax won their last two games in the Eredivisie, albeit not deservingly.
Kady Borges is Qarabag’s sole expected injury absentee. For Ajax, Wout Weghorst could join Steven Berghuis and Branco van den Boomen on the injured list.
Taking into account both these sides’ forms, it is very difficult to back Ajax in Baku. We expect the hosts to end their winless streak against Dutch teams and prolong Ajax’s disappointing European campaign.
Score prediction: Qarabag 2–1 Ajax
Villarreal vs Copenhagen
It is absolutely baffling how Villarreal, who are absolutely flying in LaLiga this season with 35 points after 15 games, are yet to register their first win in Europe. The Yellow Submarine are down in 34th spot in the overall table, only picking up one point from their five matches.
Jacob Neestrup-led Copenhagen, on the other hand, have lost to Spurs and Dortmund in the competition this term, while they suffered a defeat to Qarabag at the start of October. Four points from five games sees them in 29th place.
In terms of injuries, Villarreal are set to miss Juan Foyth, Logan Costa, Willy Kambwala, and Pau Cabanes, while Thomas Partey, Gerard Moreno, and Santiago Mouriño will be assessed on matchday. For the Danish outfit, Rodrigo Huescas, Magnus Mattsson, and Oliver Højer will miss the match through injury.
Looking at the fixture, Villarreal have to get it right sooner rather than later in the Champions League, especially on the back of their excellent LaLiga form this season. We back them to pick up a huge win against Copenhagen on Wednesday night.
Score prediction: Villarreal 2–1 Copenhagen
Real Madrid vs Manchester City
Four points behind Barcelona in LaLiga and boasting just two wins from their last seven games in all tournaments, having also suffered their first home loss of the season on Sunday, Real Madrid have arguably entered crisis territory, keeping in mind their lofty standards.
In the other camp, after overseeing Man City’s first Champions League loss of the season, Pep Guardiola, who made a staggering ten changes for that fixture, conceded that he might have gone too far with his alterations. City are now outside the top eight, though they have gained back form with three back-to-back wins in the Premier League.
In terms of injuries, Xabi Alonso’s crisis in defence worsened when Éder Militão suffered a first-half hamstring injury at the weekend, joining Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Ferland Mendy in the treatment room, while Dean Huijsen and David Alaba both face a race against time to recover from muscle strains. As far as City are concerned, John Stones’ availability will remain uncertain before kick-off, though the visitors will definitely be missing midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Rodri.
Looking at this fixture, even though Man City have been a dominant outfit in the final third, their backline does not inspire confidence, so Kylian Mbappé and Co may be well placed to take advantage. However, Real Madrid’s rearguard injury crisis and stuttering recent form are also hard to ignore; we may be in for a Champions League classic, which we expect City to edge.
Score prediction: Real Madrid 3–4 Man City
Club Brugge vs Arsenal
Sixteen points were enough for a guaranteed last-16 ticket last season, and while there are many complicated permutations to work through, a victory for Arsenal on Wednesday will surely see them bypass the play-offs for a second year running.
On the other end of the spectrum, hosts Club Brugge have experienced a dramatic fall from continental grace since opening their 2025/26 tournament with an astonishing 4–1 battering of Monaco. Since then, they have taken just one point from the last 12 on offer, with Atalanta, Bayern Munich, and Sporting all proving superior to the Belgian outfit.
Arsenal’s squad is once again being decimated by injuries in December. Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are both out for a number of weeks, William Saliba remains a doubt, and Riccardo Calafiori was seen limping towards the tunnel at Villa Park. Meanwhile, both Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus continue their long rehabilitation process.
As for Club Brugge, Ivan Leko risks being without his two first-choice goalkeepers, as both ex-Liverpool veteran Simon Mignolet and Nordin Jackers missed the weekend’s loss to Sint-Truiden. Zaid Romero, Lynnt Audoor, Ludovit Reis, and Romeo Vermant complete the hosts’ long injury list.
Arsenal were the better side at the weekend despite their loss to Aston Villa. They created four big chances but often lacked the ruthlessness to finish them off; that should not be the case on Wednesday.
Score prediction: Club Brugge 0–2 Arsenal
Athletic Club vs Paris Saint-Germain
The reigning European champions are second in the overall table, boasting 12 points from their first five matches, while Athletic are down in 27th with four points from five games. That said, the Basque outfit are only two points off 24th-placed Pafos in the battle for the play-offs.
PSG have been far from perfect in the Champions League this season, having conceded eight times in their five matches. While they are also the leading goal-scorers in the Champions League this term, having netted 19 times, Luis Enrique will still look to iron out the defensive issues over the coming weeks, as more of those may very well cost his team dearly in the latter stages of the tournament.
Looking at both squads, Athletic will be without the services of Aitor Paredes through suspension. Yeray Álvarez is serving a long-term suspension for a doping violation, while Robert Navarro, Beñat Prados, Unai Egiluz, Maroan Sannadi, Aymeric Laporte, and Iñaki Williams are sidelined through injury.
As for PSG, Lucas Hernández will miss the match through suspension following his red card against Spurs on Matchday 5. Désiré Doué and Achraf Hakimi will definitely miss this game through injury, while Nuno Mendes, Lucas Beraldo, and Lucas Chevalier will need to be assessed ahead of kick-off.
Athletic’s defensive issues are a real concern heading into this match. It’s incredibly difficult to back the hosts to pick up a positive result against this slick PSG outfit.
Score prediction: Athletic Club 1–3 PSG
Juventus vs Pafos
Locked together on six points, both Juventus and Pafos are fighting to avoid elimination. Both Italian giants and the Cypriot outsiders were left clinging onto a play-off place after the fifth matchday, so neither can afford to fail in Turin.
Finally getting off the mark after five matches, Juve beat Bodø/Glimt in a thrilling climax in their last Champions League outing, essentially keeping alive their dreams of reaching the knockouts. Previously, they played out two dramatic draws: a 4–4 against Borussia Dortmund and a 2–2 versus Villarreal. They lost to Real Madrid, before sharing the spoils with Sporting.
Pafos, on the other hand, crowned Cypriot First Division champions for the first time last season — just a decade after their foundation — came through qualifying in style, and a 5–1 drubbing by mighty Bayern Munich remains their only defeat.
In terms of team news, Luciano Spalletti will be without top scorer Dušan Vlahovic, while centre-backs Federico Gatti, Daniele Rugani, and Gleison Bremer will also miss this game. Meanwhile, Pafos may miss Ken Sema, who is currently sidelined by injury, while Domingos Quina is also a doubt.
The Italian giants have experienced some humbling moments in Europe of late. Moreover, not only are Pafos in fine form, they’ve also proven themselves to be tough to beat, having conceded no goals on the road so far. Thus, it will not be a shock if the visitors come away with something from Turin.
Score prediction: Juventus 1–1 Pafos
Benfica vs Napoli
José Mourinho’s men are still seeking their first home win of the campaign at the Estadio da Luz, but familiar foe Antonio Conte’s Serie A champions stand in his way.
After overseeing three straight defeats without scoring, Mourinho finally claimed his first Champions League win with Benfica last month, beating Ajax in Amsterdam. By contrast, the omens are much better for Napoli, who come into this clash four points ahead of Benfica, sitting just inside the play-off places.
In terms of team news, Benfica will still be without Alexander Bah, Bruma, and Dodi Lukébakio. As for Napoli, Conte is missing injured Belgian pair Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne, with Billy Gilmour, Stanislav Lobotka, Frank Anguissa, Miguel Gutiérrez, and Alex Meret also out.
Despite being without some of their main men, Napoli have built momentum in recent weeks, with several squad players stepping up. Given Benfica’s vulnerability at Europe’s top level, the Italian champions will look to claim maximum points, leaving Mourinho’s men on the verge of elimination.
Score prediction: Benfica 0–1 Napoli
Borussia Dortmund vs Bodø/Glimt
Borussia Dortmund will be looking to take a major step towards a top-eight finish when they welcome Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt to Signal Iduna Park.
Dortmund endured a slight hiccup in November, going on a three-match winless run that saw them lose ground on Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga title race. Since then, Niko Kovac and his men appear to have found their rhythm again, winning three of their last four outings, including an impressive 4–0 thumping of Villarreal over a fortnight ago.
While Dortmund can almost taste the knockout stages, Bodø are staring down the barrel of elimination. The Norwegian giants are languishing towards the bottom of the standings, having picked up just two points from their five Champions League matches. Those points came from their opening two games, and since then Kjetil Knutsen’s men have lost their three outings against Galatasaray, Monaco, and Juventus.
When it comes to injuries, Niklas Süle is the only source of concern for Dortmund, still struggling with a toe issue. Bodø, on the other hand, head into Wednesday’s fixture without the suspended Jostein Gundersen, who picked up a red card against Monaco at the start of November.
Looking at this fixture, BVB are in good form and will be looking to cap off the year with a series of solid victories. Bodø, on the other hand, have struggled to match the intensity and level of the Champions League, and we expect their losing run to continue in Germany.
Score prediction: BVB 3–1 Bodø/Glimt
Bayer Leverkusen vs Newcastle United
Both Bayer Leverkusen and Newcastle United are vying for a place in the top eight come January. The German side are 17th in the league phase table with eight points, two fewer than eighth-placed Sporting, whereas the Magpies are 11th with nine points.
Leverkusen produced an impressive 2–0 victory over Man City in their last fixture, scoring with both of their two shots on target, although goalkeeper Mark Flekken was the star of the show with nine saves. However, since then, they have been beaten twice in three fixtures, with their latest loss a 2–0 defeat against Augsburg.
While only 11 points were needed to qualify for the round of 16 play-offs last term, a Leverkusen win would leave Toon boss Eddie Howe needing two points from his side’s final two games against PSV and PSG to match that total. Hence, he’d love to come away with something from this encounter.
In terms of injuries, Bayer have midfielder Exequiel Palacios sidelined with a groin issue. As for Newcastle, Nick Pope remains their sole absentee.
Looking ahead to this fixture, Bayer Leverkusen should take confidence from the fact Newcastle have rarely performed at their best away from home. The hosts have also found their footing in the Champions League, while Newcastle’s display last time out in Europe was poor; a home victory on Wednesday should not come as a surprise.
Score prediction: Leverkusen 2–1 Newcastle
