The penultimate round of 2025/26 UEFA Champions League ‘League Phase’ fixtures take place this week, as Europe’s elite continue in their quest to advance to the knockout stages.
Arsenal are looking to make it seven from seven, Man City are off backpacking in the Arctic Circle, and Tottenham fans are protest-ready ahead of Thomas Frank’s latest home defeat.
Qualification seems a formality for those within the current top eight of the competition, though their positions in the automatic qualification spots aren’t secure.
Just five points separate second-placed Manchester City and 15th-placed Barcelona, who are one of four teams on 10 points after six matches.
Benfica head the chasing pack of teams outside the play-off places, and with their destiny decided outside of their control, they – alongside UEFA Champions League debutantes Pafos and Royal Union Saint-Gilloise – can only hope that other teams do them a favour.
The same can’t be said for Villarreal and Kairat Almaty, who are six points adrift of the play-offs with only two matches to play.
Inter Milan vs Arsenal match preview
Current table-toppers Arsenal are one of three clubs from England’s top-flight playing on Tuesday night, as they travel to Italy to face Inter Milan.
A win at the San Siro would see them qualify for the next round of the tournament as league phase winners, with their far superior goal difference aiding them in an already unbeaten campaign.
It is expected to be a cagey affair, in which two of the competition’s most solid defences go head-to-head.
Manager Mikel Arteta’s side have conceded only one goal in the tournament so far, whilst Inter have conceded fewer than any side other than the Gunners.
The form of Gabriel Martinelli in this competition cannot be ignored either; the winger has recorded six goal contributions so far in the tournament.
Bodo/Glimt vs Man City match preview
Manchester City are once again in pursuit of Arsenal, a position they have found themselves in for the majority of the campaign, both in Europe and domestically.
Fresh from the back of an embarrassing defeat in the Manchester derby, manager Pep Guardiola’s side now face a trip to Norway to face Bodo/Glimt.
Much like their chances in the Premier League title race, City’s hopes of finishing top of the League Phase seem a distant likelihood, but they will know that a win in Scandinavia will almost certainly see them through to the next round of the competition.
However fragile City have shown themselves to be last weekend, they still have Erling Haaland, who has netted 26 goals (six in this competition) this season.
He will fancy his chances against a Bodo/Glimt side that have played only one competitive match since the start of December and are winless from their six UEFA Champions League matches so far this season.
Tottenham vs Borussia Dortmund match preview
The fact that Tottenham haven’t yet sacked manager Thomas Frank must be one of life’s biggest questions.
A 2-1 loss at home to a struggling West Ham should have been the final nail in the coffin, though he has once again survived.
Spurs are now winless in their last five matches and haven’t won a home match since early December, when they defeated Slavia Prague 3-0 in this competition.
That being said, the fate of their Champions League progression is in their own hands, with the prospect of automatic qualification a huge possibility.
They would have to beat Borussia Dortmund, though, and that isn’t an easy task at the best of times, given that they have scored more goals than any other Champions League side this season.
The German side are also looking to secure the same fate as Tottenham, with the sides level on points going into this match.
