The UEFA Champions League returns with Matchday 7 of its 2025/26 edition after a break of more than a month. Yet again, we will witness some mouthwatering encounters in Europe’s elite competition.
With Sporting facing PSG, Liverpool travelling to Marseille, and Arsenal visiting San Siro to face Inter Milan, this week is bringing endless European action. With the race for automatic round of 16 and play-off qualification heating up, fans are in for a treat going into the final two Matchdays of this season’s league phase.
Here, we present our previews and predictions for all matches of Matchday 7 of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League.
Neither side has been in the best of form. While Kairat have lost their last three encounters across all competitions and are without a win in their last five games, Club Brugge have been marginally better, having lost their last two league games but won two and drawn one from their last five.
As for personnel availability, Kairat will miss Azamat Tuyakbaev and Dastan Satpaev due to injuries, while Club Brugge have Lynnt Audoor and goalkeeper Simon Mignolet doubtful for this game with muscle injuries.
Lying bottom of the league phase table with no wins and five losses, Kairat are most certainly going to be knocked out of the tournament, hence they’ll want to win their last home game to at least end their debut Champions League campaign with one home win and on a high note.
As for Club Brugge, they are not very far off and are 31st in the table, but if they win their last two games, they may have an outside chance to qualify for the play-off tie. Hence, this is a must-win game for the Belgian outfit, and one they should win given their on-paper superiority.
Club Brugge’s defence has been quite poor, though, having conceded in all Champions League games thus far, so they could concede a goal here as well. That said, they have enough firepower up front to take all three points from this game and keep their knockout hopes alive.
Score Prediction: Kairat Almaty 1–2 Club Brugge
After their disappointing loss in the Manchester derby this weekend, Man City will want to get back to winning ways in the Champions League. The Cityzens haven’t won any of their last four Premier League games, with their only wins arriving in the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. They’ve done well in the Champions League, however, and are on course for a top-eight finish.
As for the hosts, Bodø are placed a lowly 32nd in the league phase table, looking less likely to qualify for even the play-offs. That said, their recent form hasn’t been poor, and they’ve managed to win three games, lost one, and drawn one in their last five encounters.
From an injury perspective, the Norwegian heavyweights are far better placed than City and have a fully fit squad. In contrast, City are missing key defensive players in John Stones, Joško Gvardiol, and Ruben Dias, with Savinho, Oscar Bobb, and Mateo Kovacic also out.
If we look at the two sides, irrespective of form, and despite their injury problems, Man City are the far superior team in this match-up. It will be difficult for the hosts to contain the visitors’ front line. Although City do have defensive frailties, they should bag the three points in this tough away fixture.
Score Prediction: Bodø 1–3 Man City
Both teams have shown inconsistent form this season. Villarreal have won two games and lost three from their last five games, with their most recent game resulting in a loss to Real Betis. Their last Champions League game also ended in defeat to Copenhagen at home.
Ajax, meanwhile, have been equally abysmal and are only one place above Villarreal in the league phase table, though they won their last fixture in the competition against Qarabag. Their defensive issues have been apparent, and they conceded six goals to Alkmaar in the Eredivisie recently, having also conceded five goals against Chelsea in the Champions League.
Injury-wise, the Yellow Submarine will not be missing many players, with only Pau Cabanes and Willy Kambwala on the sidelines, while Ajax will be without Wout Weghorst, Steven Berghuis, and Takehiro Tomiyasu for this game.
This is a difficult game to call, as both teams have been inconsistent and leaking goals. However, Ajax have been far more open at the back and will be playing away from home against a decent side. This is going to be an open game, in which we believe the hosts have the edge to grab all three points.
Score Prediction: Villarreal 3–2 Ajax
Both Dortmund and Spurs have done fairly well in the Champions League with three wins, two draws, and a solitary loss, but their recent form is anything but similar.
Spurs have been abysmal. Their previous game in the Premier League ended in a loss to 17th-placed West Ham at home. The Lilywhites are also without a win in their last five fixtures. To pile more pressure on head coach Thomas Frank, Spurs were also knocked out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa last week. In contrast, Dortmund have been unbeaten in their last five games with three wins and two draws.
Tottenham’s injury woes haven’t helped their cause either. James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Mohammed Kudus are out for the long term, with Ben Davies, Richarlison, and Dejan Kulusevski also on the sidelines. For BVB, Marcel Sabitzer and Aarón Anselmino will be out of action in this fixture.
Spurs’ home form in the Champions League has resulted in three wins, so it’s not going to be an easy outing for Dortmund despite the hosts’ dismal form. That said, the German Bundesliga heavyweights possess superb attacking threat through Serhou Guirassy, Karim Adeyemi, and Julian Brandt. With Spurs also missing key players in Kudus and Richarlison, their goal-scoring options are limited, though Dortmund’s defence can still be exposed; an entertaining draw is on the cards here.
Score Prediction: Spurs 1–1 BVB
With only one league phase game to go after this fixture, Olympiacos will be looking to win at home against a tough opposition and try to grab a play-off spot next week. Their previous encounter in the Champions League resulted in a narrow win against Kairat.
As for Leverkusen, they have lost a bit of momentum, having suffered two consecutive losses in the Bundesliga after two wins. Their last Champions League outing resulted in a draw at home against Newcastle United.
Injuries have also troubled the German side, who are missing a host of key players. Mark Flekken, Nathan Tella, Axel Tape, Edmond Tapsoba, Exequiel Palacios, and Eliesse Ben Seghir will all be on the sidelines for this fixture. On the other hand, Olympiacos have been rather fortunate with injuries and only have Alexandros Paschalakis unavailable for this game.
With a number of key players missing, Leverkusen will field a weakened side. That could be a problem for Die Werkself, as Olympiacos are no pushovers, which they proved recently against Real Madrid. Given that they’re also playing on home turf, Olympiacos hold a narrow edge for us in this one.
Score Prediction: Olympiacos 2–1 Bayer 04
Both teams have similar form in their last five games. While Sporting’s only loss in that time arrived in the Taça da Liga semi-finals against Vitória, PSG’s only defeat came in the Coupe de France against local rivals Paris FC. In their previous Champions League game, Sporting suffered a 3–1 defeat away at Bayern Munich, while the defending champions played out a dour goalless draw away at Athletic Club.
Sporting’s injury list comprises key players: Nuno Santos, Ousmane Diomande, Geovany Quenda, and Pedro Gonçalves. Their opponents, meanwhile, will miss Lucas Hernández through suspension, while João Neves, Lee Kang-in, Matvey Safonov, and Quentin Ndjantou are injured.
Even though Sporting are playing at home in this game, PSG are one of the most difficult opponents to defend against given their world-class attackers and midfielders in Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha, and Fabián Ruiz, coached by the highly experienced and decorated Luis Enrique.
Their last Champions League game might have ended in a draw, but with most of their first XI available for this one, PSG are our clear favourites to bag all three points in this fixture.
Score Prediction: Sporting 0-2 PSG
Arsenal are the only team in the Champions League this season who have won every single game so far and are currently top of the league phase table. Both Arsenal and Inter Milan are league leaders in their respective leagues; the Gunners have a comfortable seven-point gap in the Premier League, while the Nerazzurri only have a three-point lead in Serie A. Both teams are unbeaten in their last five as well, with Inter winning four and drawing one and Arsenal winning three and drawing two.
Inter have a fair few out with injuries in Josep Martínez, Raffaele Di Gennaro, Tomás Palacios, Denzel Dumfries, and Hakan Çalhanoglu. Arsenal, meanwhile, have only Piero Hincapié and Max Dowman on the sidelines, with most of their players fit and available.
This isn’t a must-win game for Arsenal, who are all but certain of automatic qualification to the round of 16, but for Inter three points could be massive, given they’ve lost their last two Champions League encounters and are desperate for a win.
Though Inter are playing at home here, the North London side possesses the best defence in Europe with genuine attacking threat up front in the form of Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Gabriel Martinelli and Viktor Gyökeres. With both teams relying on maintaining a solid defensive structure, this could be a cagey affair, similar to the Inter–Liverpool game. However, considering Arsenal’s exceptional quality on set pieces, they are our favourites to leave San Siro with a narrow win.
Score Prediction: Inter 0–1 Arsenal
With former Real Madrid player Álvaro Arbeloa replacing Xabi Alonso as their head coach, Los Blancos started their first game poorly, getting knocked out by second division side Albacete in the Copa del Rey. However, they recovered their form in the next game, defeating Levante comfortably in LaLiga. Monaco, on the other hand, have been highly inconsistent and are desperately struggling for form. Their last five games have produced three losses and two wins.
While Real Madrid’s previous Champions League encounter resulted in a defeat against Manchester City, Monaco defeated Galatasaray in their last European fixture.
In this game, Real Madrid will miss the services of Éder Militão, Andriy Lunin, Ferland Mendy, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Monégasques, on the other hand, are amid somewhat of an injury crisis, with Christian Mawissa, Lukas Hradecky, Lucas Michal, and Paul Pogba out with short-term injuries, while Takumi Minamino and Mohammed Salisu are out for the season with ACL injuries.
The European giants have a far superior and experienced squad on paper as compared to Monaco. Playing at home, they are the undeniable favourites to win this game. Given Monaco’s injury issues, they will travel to Madrid with a weakened squad, making it even more difficult for them to grab anything from this game.
Score Prediction: Real Madrid 2–0 Monaco
Copenhagen defeated Villarreal away from home in their last Champions League fixture in a thrilling affair and went on to win their next two league games. Since then, however, they have dropped points, drawing two consecutive games. Napoli, on the other hand, suffered defeat to Benfica in their last Champions League game but have been unbeaten in their last five with three draws and two wins, though they have been poor in the Champions League when playing away from home.
The reigning Serie A champions also have major injury concerns, with about seven players injured. Kevin De Bruyne, Frank Anguissa, Billy Gilmour, Alex Meret, Romelu Lukaku, Eljif Elmas, and Matteo Politano will all be unavailable for this game. Copenhagen, meanwhile, will be without Rodrigo Huescas and Magnus Mattsson.
Copenhagen have surprised a lot of teams in the Champions League this season by taking points from tough encounters. They’re currently placed 24th in the league phase table, very much with a chance of making the play-off round. Astonishingly, Napoli are placed just a position above them in the table, not playing up to their usual standards this season, and need to win in order to secure play-off qualification.
Napoli’s inability to win away games is a genuine concern, and based on their previous results, Copenhagen can hardly be taken for granted. That said, Napoli should be able to bag all three points here given the amount of match-winning players they possess in their ranks.
Score Prediction: Copenhagen 1–2 Napoli
Galatasaray have never beaten Atlético Madrid, having drawn one and lost three of the four previous meetings between them in the Champions League. The Turkish giants are therefore chasing some history on Wednesday night.
Okan Buruk’s side are three points ahead of 25th-placed Benfica and three from Atlético Madrid in eighth, highlighting the importance of this match, given Galatasaray are still capable of claiming a top-eight spot. Since they’ll be finishing their league stage against Man City, successive defeats could potentially see them drop out of the play-off places as well. Those three wins have kept them in a strong position thus far.
Los Colchoneros, on the other hand, come into this match on the back of a 1–0 success over Alavés in LaLiga, while their last Champions League game also brought a win, as they recorded a 3–2 victory over PSV in early December.
Diego Simeone’s team are eighth in the overall table courtesy of a record of four wins and two defeats from their six matches, with 12 points enough for a direct round of 16 spot at this moment in time, though there are still two rounds of fixtures to be played. Given they have a much easier run-in, with Bodø/Glimt being their final opponents of the league phase, a win here will help them close out the league stage with a top-eight finish.
In terms of injuries and team news, Galatasaray will be without the services of Metehan Baltaci (suspended), Gabriel Sara (knee), and Arda Ünyay (thigh). As for Atleti, Clément Lenglet (knee) and Nico González (thigh) will miss this game.
Looking ahead to this fixture, cases can be made for either side to take the win, but it’s likely both will be forced to accept a share of the spoils.
Predicted Score: Galatasaray 1–1 Atleti
Qarabag enter this fixture having enjoyed a competitive Champions League campaign so far. The Azerbaijani champions have collected seven points from their first six league phase matches through two wins, one draw, and three defeats.
Those results have kept Qurban Qurbanov’s side firmly in contention for progression and underlined their growing credibility at this level. Across all competitions, Qarabag’s last six matches have produced three wins, one draw, and two defeats, with 14 goals scored and nine conceded, while their home form in Baku has remained a key strength.
Eintracht Frankfurt, meanwhile, arrive in Azerbaijan amid significant upheaval. The German Bundesliga side confirmed the dismissal of head coach Dino Toppmöller on Sunday following a run of disappointing domestic and European results, which were driven largely by defensive struggles, with just two points collected since the start of the new calendar year.
Die Adler‘s Champions League campaign has fallen well short of expectations, with only four points taken from six league phase matches through one win, one draw, and four defeats, including heavy losses such as 5–1 defeats to Atlético Madrid and Liverpool.
In terms of injuries and team news, Qarabag have no new cases except the recovering Kady Borges (fibula), while Frankfurt will be without Jonathan Burkardt (calf), Timothy Chandler (ankle), Elias Baum (medial collateral ligament), Hugo Larsson (illness), Mario Götze (illness), and Rasmus Kristensen (unspecified).
Looking ahead to this fixture, Qarabag have been very good at home and play with attacking intent. Frankfurt, on the other hand, are still struggling with their defensive frailties. Thus, we’re backing the hosts, refreshed after the winter break, to claim a home victory.
Predicted Score: Qarabag 2–1 Frankfurt
Slavia Prague have not played a competitive match in over a month due to the break in their domestic campaign, with the team’s last non-friendly outing having been on December 13. That said, there’s no getting away from the fact that it has been a real struggle for the Czech side in the Champions League this term.
Jindrich Trpišovský’s side have a record of zero wins, three draws, and three defeats from their six matches in the league phase, with three points leaving them down in 33rd spot, four points off a play-off spot, so a win here is absolutely crucial for the hosts.
Barcelona, meanwhile, have a record of three wins, one draw, and two defeats from their six matches in this season’s Champions League, with ten points leaving them 15th in the table, two points off the top eight, so this is a vital match for Hansi Flick’s side as well.
The Spanish champions will finish their league stage campaign against Copenhagen on January 28. Two wins from their last two games in the league phase would put them in an excellent position to finish in the top eight. However, the Blaugrana are coming into this match on the back of a shock defeat to Real Sociedad in LaLiga and are somewhat low on confidence.
In terms of injuries and team news, Slavia have no new injury or suspension concerns. As for Barça, Lamine Yamal is suspended, Gavi and Andreas Christensen will both miss out due to knee issues, while Raphinha needs to be assessed.
Looking ahead to this fixture, we are finding it tough to predict an upset here. Barcelona will be desperate to bounce back from their league defeat on Sunday; we see a routine success for the Catalan giants.
Predicted Score: Slavia 1–3 Barça
Marseille have fought fire with fire successfully for much of the 2025/26 campaign, and that was again the case on Matchday 6, where a Mason Greenwood double helped them prevail 3–2 against Belgian upstarts Union Saint-Gilloise.
Roberto De Zerbi’s men have also taken down Newcastle United and PSV in this year’s tournament, though Sporting, Atalanta, and Real Madrid have all got the better of Les Olympiens, who sit 12th in the league phase table, three points off the top eight.
As for their opponents, the league phase has proven more fruitful for Liverpool than their domestic league. Although there have been uncharacteristic defeats to Galatasaray and PSV, the reigning Premier League champions have also got the better of both Madrid teams, while also registering a memorable win against Inter at San Siro.
However, few Anfield faithful would have celebrated the extension of their current unbeaten run when relegation-threatened Burnley fought back to rescue a 1–1 draw in the league, one that saw the Reds make unwanted history by becoming the first reigning Premier League champions to fail to win any of their three home games against newly promoted sides in a single season, which reignited speculation about Arne Slot’s long-term future in the red half of Merseyside.
In terms of injuries and team news, Liverpool are definitely going to be without Conor Bradley (knee), Giovanni Leoni (knee), and Alexander Isak (leg), who are long-term absentees, while Derek Cornelius (muscle) and Rubén Blanco (knee) are ruled out for the home side.
Looking ahead to this fixture, unlike the Burnley game over the weekend, Slot’s men will get enough openings against De Zerbi’s, but given the hosts’ strength in depth up front, Liverpool may have to accept another draw at the end of an end-to-end goal-fest.
Predicted Score: OM 2–2 Liverpool
Before his astonishing exit, Enzo Maresca oversaw three indifferent wins, one draw, and two defeats from Chelsea’s opening six league phase games in Europe. Having also dropped points against Bayern Munich and Qarabag in this campaign, the Blues find themselves 13th in the overall table, but such is the tight nature of the standings that they are just three points off third-placed PSG.
Furthermore, all of their European aberrations this term have arrived on the road; they have bested Barcelona, Ajax, and Benfica on home soil and are now unbeaten in 17 UEFA group stage/league phase games at Stamford Bridge.
Their opponents, though, are only trailing them by four points. Pafos have not just made up the numbers in their maiden Champions League campaign, but have also given a proper account of themselves. While they share the same number of defeats as the hosts, they have won against Villarreal and drawn against Monaco, Olympiacos, and Kairat this season.
As a result, Albert Celades’s side are not out of play-off contention by any stretch and sit 26th in the rankings, only one point below Copenhagen, who are occupying the 24th and final knockout spot.
In terms of injuries and team news, new Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior is waiting to learn whether Estêvão (illness), Jamie Gittens (illness), and Malo Gusto (knock) will be fit for this contest, though Mykhaylo Mudryk (doping ban), Roméo Lavia (thigh), and Levi Colwill (knee) will definitely be absent. As for Pafos, David Luiz, David Goldar, and João Correira remain the only absentees.
Looking ahead to this fixture, Pafos have held their own against some revered European names this term, but the Chelsea challenge will surely prove one step too far for the reigning Cypriot top-flight champions.
Predicted Score: Chelsea 3–0 Pafos
Vincent Kompany’s men are one of this season’s standout favourites to lift the prestigious continental trophy and come into the penultimate game of their league phase campaign in unrelenting form.
Sitting in second place, Bayern are on an unbeaten run that stretches back to November 26, with their 3–1 defeat to Arsenal on that night being their sole loss this term. Since their return from the winter break, the six-time European champions have been prolific, having scored 16 goals in three games, including 8–1 and 5–1 wins against Wolfsburg and RB Leipzig, respectively.
Meanwhile, Union Saint-Gilloise are 27th in the league phase table and will be hoping to still be in a chance for a play-off spot come the final round of games next week.
The Belgian Pro League table-toppers have made a solid account of themselves in their debut Champions League campaign, sealing memorable victories away at Eredivisie holders PSV and reigning Turkish champions Galatasaray. Unbeaten in their last five outings in all competitions, Les Unionistes will be hoping that, like the hosts, they can leverage this current run of solid form.
In terms of injuries and team news, there are no major injury concerns for either side ahead of this contest, and when we look forward to it, Bayern’s perfect start to 2026 looks set to continue, with their unstoppable firepower in front of goal likely to wreak havoc against an Union side who have already shipped 15 goals in their six league phase fixtures so far.
Predicted Score: Bayern 4–0 Union SG
Luciano Spalletti’s team head into the penultimate fixture of the league phase fresh off a shock Serie A defeat to struggling Cagliari. While the Bianconeri enter Matchday 7 in 17th place on nine points, which guarantees a spot in the play-offs, they have no reason not to desire more, given that Atlético Madrid in eighth are only three points ahead.
A positive ending to the league phase, however, is contingent on the two-time European champions winning on Matchdays 7 and 8 as well as needing results in other games to go in their favour to seal an automatic spot in the round of 16.
As for their opponents, it has been a mixed start to the year for José Mourinho’s men, who have won two and lost two after ending 2025 on an 11-match run without defeat. Benfica claimed eight wins during that period, including back-to-back Champions League victories. Here, they will bid to secure a third at the expense of the Old Lady.
The Portuguese giants last won three in a row in Europe’s premier club competition in the 2022/23 season, but history in this fixture and positive results against Italian teams stand them in good stead ahead of another visit to Turin.
In terms of injuries and team news, Daniele Rugani (calf) and Dušan Vlahovic (thigh) are the only absentees for Juventus, while Dodi Lukébakio (ankle), Alexander Bah (knee), and Richard Ríos (shoulder) are ruled out for Benfica.
Looking ahead to this fixture, Juve are on a good run of form, despite dropping points against Cagliari in Serie A. Both José Mourinho and Benfica, though, have very good records against Italian sides, making this a very intriguing contest. All signs point towards another stalemate.
Predicted Score: Juve 1–1 Benfica
Newcastle United may be enduring a difficult Premier League campaign, having recorded nine wins, six draws, and seven defeats in 22 league games, but they have been superb in cup competitions this term.
Eddie Howe’s side have progressed into the semi-finals of the League Cup, have secured their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup, and are currently sitting in 12th in the league phase standings of the Champions League with ten points. With just two league phase fixtures remaining, the Magpies will be looking to record back-to-back wins in an attempt to push into the top eight places, starting with Wednesday’s meeting against PSV before taking on the reigning champions, Paris Saint-Germain.
Peter Bosz’s side, on the other hand, have been excellent away from home during their continental outings. They’ve drawn against Bayer Leverkusen and Olympiacos away from home, while having recorded a sensational 4–1 triumph over Liverpool at Anfield. Outside of the Champions League, PSV have also been superb in the Eredivisie, sitting at the top of the standings after winning 17 of their 19 league games, alongside one draw and only one defeat.
In terms of injuries and team news, both sides have several players missing with injuries. Newcastle will be without Dan Burn, Emil Krafth, William Osula, Tino Livramento, Fabian Schär, Jacob Murphy, and Jamaal Lascelles. Meanwhile, PSV are similarly expected to be without numerous players, with Ruben van Bommel, Alassane Pléa, Myron Boadu, Nick Olij, Ricardo Pepi, and Sergiño Dest all unlikely to feature.
Looking ahead to this fixture, Newcastle are at their best when playing at St James’ Park, but PSV are unbeaten on the road in the Champions League this season. Thus, we expect a hard-fought encounter likely to end all square.
Predicted Score: Newcastle 2–2 PSV
La Dea have responded to their 4–0 hammering by PSG on the first Matchday to accumulate 13 points from the following five fixtures to climb up to fifth in the table, albeit just one point ahead of ninth-placed Liverpool on 12 points, while Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham Hotspur have 11 points apiece.
All eight of the Italian team’s goals in the league phase have come after half-time, pointing to their slow starts and strong finishes. This stands them in good stead ahead of facing a team who have had a player sent off in consecutive games heading into Wednesday.
On the other hand, having failed to win in normal time in any of their last eight games across all competitions, Athletic Club could potentially get knocked out in the league phase itself. Currently on five points, the 28th-placed Spanish side cannot finish in the top eight places anymore, but they can still finish in the play-off spots. That said, considering their defensive struggles on the road in Europe this term and their issues at the back since the turn of the year, Ernesto Valverde’s team face an uphill challenge in Bergamo this week.
In terms of injuries and team news, Atalanta will be without the services of Berat Djimsiti (hip) and Raoul Bellanova (hamstring). As for Athletic Club, Aymeric Laporte (thigh), Beñat Prados (back), Mikel Vesga (back), Maroan Sannadi (knee), and Nico Serrano (muscle) are all sidelined.
Looking ahead to this fixture, considering the respective forms of these two sides, Atalanta should back themselves to take all three points here. Athletic Club have been extraordinarily leaky defensively, and the Bergamaschi should take full advantage to extend their unbeaten run in the Champions League.
Predicted Score: Atalanta 3–0 Athletic Club
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