Following the conclusion of the seventh round of classification matches on the morning of January 22nd, the UEFA Champions League 2025-2026 has already determined the two teams advancing and the four teams that will be eliminated from the tournament.
Kane scored a brace to help Bayern Munich secure a place in the Champions League round of 16 - Photo: REUTERS
Arsenal and Bayern Munich secured their places in the round of 16 with one match to spare. Arsenal defeated Inter Milan 3-1 on the morning of January 21st, while Bayern Munich beat Union St. Gilloise (Belgium) 2-0 at home on the morning of January 22nd.
With these victories, Arsenal and Bayern Munich now have 21 and 18 points respectively, sharing the top two positions in the league table.
The two giants of English and German football are guaranteed to finish in the top 8, thus securing their places in the round of 16.
Alongside determining the two teams advancing, the UEFA Champions League 2025-2026 also bid farewell to four teams: Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Villarreal, and Kairat.
These teams are sharing the bottom four positions in the table and are certainly unable to advance even if they win their final qualifying match. Surprisingly, the strong La Liga team Villarreal was eliminated early, failing to win a single match after seven games.
The final round of the Champions League Round of 16 classification will take place on January 28th and 29th. Here, the UEFA Champions League will determine the six teams that will qualify directly for the first knockout stage, and the 16 teams that will advance to the play-offs to compete for a spot in the first knockout stage.