The inaugural League Phase of the Champions League gave some memorable clashes credit to the format change, but the second edition of the stage promises to be far more exciting when it kicks off on 16 September 2025. Long-standing rivalries in the competition will be reignited, while new ones will form this season as the fight for the top eight or direct knockout qualification intensifies. These clashes among the 144 fixtures could be make-or-break affairs for a club, with any wrong result forcing them to the knockout playoffs or, far worse, eliminating them from the competition. Name, status or respective prestige in the Champions League will not matter at that moment, making these games unmissable at any cost as Europe’s elite clash.
Here are the top 10 games to watch in the Champions League 2025/26 League Phase:
Bayern Munich vs Chelsea (Matchweek 1)
The 2012 Champions League final will be replayed in the first week of the League Phase, with Chelsea travelling to Munich, where they created history by lifting the trophy for the first time. Bayern took revenge for that penalty shootout loss with a huge 7-1 aggregate win in this fixture, played at the Round of 16 stage of the 2019/20 season, when they eventually won their sixth Champions League title. These past encounters, coupled with Vincent Kompany’s men looking forward to a tactical dominance and the Blues slowly rolling back their glory days with their transfer model, make this a must-watch encounter.
Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid (Matchweek 1)
Another top game to watch in the first round of League Phase games is Liverpool welcoming Atletico Madrid at Anfield. The Reds had an unpleasant outing when the two met at this venue six years ago, when their Champions League defence came crashing down, even after overturning a 1-0 deficit from the first leg to lead 2-0. However, Diego Simeone’s side made an unthinkable turnaround in extra time to leave them stunned. Liverpool took revenge for that loss in the previous home meeting with a cruising 2-0 victory, something the Premier League holders, now under Arne Slot, want to repeat to kick off the new season on a high.
Manchester City vs Napoli (Matchweek 1)
This clash will be more than just eight-time Premier League winners taking on Serie A holders, as it will mark the homecoming of a club legend. Kevin de Bruyne became the heartbeat of the City team and one of the league’s best players as he spent 10 years in England since joining in 2015, winning countless trophies while orchestrating memorable moments. The Belgian departed this summer to write a new chapter in Italy, making it an emotional return with playing for his ex-club fresh in the memories. Manchester City and Napoli have played only four times in this competition, but it has been an entertaining watch each time. They are hoping for another special clash at Etihad.
Barcelona vs PSG (Matchweek 2)
The final, which football fans dreamt of last season in the Champions League, until Barcelona managed to squander it at the final moment in the semifinal against Inter. The Nerazzuri, though, weren’t ready to face the incredible force Paris Saint-Germain turned into and were demolished 5-0 in a record-breaking final. The success came under former Barca boss Luis Enrique, who, like in 2015 with the Spanish giant, won a historic treble for PSG after years of embarrassment in the competition. Hence, to face his former employee who had rejuvenated themselves under Hansi Flick after years of doldrums, with the Champions League being the only silverware they missed out on last season, back at the place he earned his limelight, is a recipe for a blockbuster encounter.
Real Madrid vs Juventus (Matchweek 3)
Be it the 2017 final when Cristiano Ronaldo's brace secured a huge 4-1 or the iconic bicycle kick by the Portuguese superstar that drew applause from even home fans at Turin, or his late dramatic penalty at Santiago Bernabeu that thwarted Juventus’s unreal comeback, leading to club legend Gianluigi Buffon being dismissed in his final game in the competition, this fixture has given some unforgettable moments in the competition. So when the two meet again in the Champions League eight years later, fireworks are imminent. Both clubs are donning a new era, with Juventus looking to move back to the summit of Italian football again under Igor Tudor, while Xabi Alonso is hoping to take the next big step in his career with Real Madrid. The pair met in the newly formed FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 stage only in July this year, with Los Blancos edging 1-0, but this will be a different level altogether.
Liverpool vs Real Madrid (Matchweek 4)
The schedule does not get easier for Real Madrid, as after hosting Juventus, they will be facing Liverpool in the replay of the 2018 and 2022 Champions League finals. Although Madrid fans have happy memories of those encounters, they certainly don’t have one when their team travelled to Anfield in the inaugural League Phase last season. The team suffered a 2-0 defeat in which Kylian Mbappe missed a crucial penalty in the deteriorating final campaign of Carlo Ancelotti, something which Alonso is assigned to initiate a change. On the other hand, the Reds will be wishing for more of the same as they take the second club from Madrid to boost their chances of locking themselves in the top eight early.
PSG vs Bayern Munich (Matchweek 4)
Also meeting for the consecutive League Phase are defending champions Paris Saint-Germain and Bundesliga holders Bayern Munich, with the venue of the clash being the French capital this time. PSG lost the last meeting, which took place in Munich, after which the club transformed their form and landed the Champions League for the first time, having also sought revenge for the loss in the FIFA Club World Cup quarter-finals in an intense clash. Enrique’s men will be hoping to do the same in the Champions League this time, but Bayern are determined to push them all the way again to get something in their favour, having reestablished themselves under Kompany.
Chelsea vs Barcelona (Matchweek 5)
Whenever Chelsea and Barcelona have locked horns at the Champions League stage, drama and controversy have erupted. This fixture gives a reminder of the chaotic meetings in the early 2000s, Barcelona’s much-debated semifinal win in 2009 and Chelsea’s redemption in the 2011-12 season, where they won a historical first Champions League title. Meetings in Stamford Bridge have been even more dramatic, be it winning the first-ever clash, the six-goal thriller in the 2004/05 Round of 16 or that semifinal heartbreak through dodgy decisions by the official. The Blues have held strong at their fortress, losing to the Catalan giants only once at home, that too 19 years ago, so it remains to see whether Enzo Maresca’s side takes advantage of the offside trap or roll their knee in front of the exhilarating attack led by Lamine Yamal and co in a new chapter of this fixture history.
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich (Matchweek 5)
An old rivalry in the Champions League will be renewed as Arsenal takes on Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium in their fifth match of the League Phase. Once, a very frequently played fixture in the competition, the clashes became a nightmare for the Gunners as they had to suffer three straight 5-1 humiliations at one time, while also losing to the Bavarians even during their disappointing campaign in the last meeting two seasons ago. Arsenal have less to cheer for, even at home, but still had their moments, like the 2-0 win in 2015, although Arteta has the task now to make a statement here with Bayern having a tougher schedule leading up to this clash.
Real Madrid vs Manchester City (Matchweek 7)
The two sides just can’t stop facing each other in the Champions League, as this will be the fifth straight season in the competition to feature this clash. Tensions between the sides grew after the meeting in the 2019-20 season, when City secured their first win at Santiago Bernabeu and eventually eliminated Real Madrid from the Round of 16 stage. Then they were struck by a late dramatic comeback by the Los Blancos back at the Spanish capital, demolished them 4-0 the following season, losing out on penalties next and then hitting a low when Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick saw them get eliminated from the knockout playoffs of the inaugural League Phase. Man City are yet to recover from their frustrating campaign last term, while Real has only found new energy in their strides, making this penultimate League Phase match all the more important, depending on where they are placed on the 36-team table by then.
