Champions League Standings Before Final Matchday: Arsenal and Bayern Munich Qualify, Pressure on Barcelona and Manchester City

21 January 2026at22:26

The seventh (penultimate) round of the 2025–2026 UEFA Champions League brought significant changes to the team standings. England's Arsenal and Germany's Bayern Munich secured direct qualification to the Round of 16. The "Gunners" lead the standings with 21 points, followed by the "Bavarians" with 18 points.

Meanwhile, Barcelona sits in ninth place with 13 points, placing them in the playoff zone for the Round of 16. They must win their final match at home against Danish side Copenhagen and hope for a slip-up from one of the top eight teams to secure direct qualification.

League Phase Standings (Teams ranked 1-8 qualify directly for the Round of 16 / Teams 9-24 enter the playoffs / Teams 25-36 are eliminated from the competition):

1 - Arsenal: 21 points
2 - Bayern Munich: 18 points
3 - Real Madrid: 15 points
4 - Liverpool: 15 points
5 - Tottenham: 14 points
6 - Paris Saint-Germain: 13 points
7 - Newcastle United: 13 points
8 - Chelsea: 13 points
9 - Barcelona: 13 points
10 - Sporting CP: 13 points
11 - Manchester City: 13 points
12 - Atlético Madrid: 13 points
13 - Atalanta: 13 points
14 - Internazionale: 12 points
15 - Juventus: 12 points
16 - Borussia Dortmund: 11 points
17 - Galatasaray: 10 points
18 - Qarabağ: 10 points
19 - Olympique Marseille: 9 points
20 - Bayer Leverkusen: 9 points
21 - Monaco: 9 points
22 - PSV Eindhoven: 8 points
23 - Athletic Bilbao: 8 points
24 - Olympiacos: 8 points
25 - Napoli: 8 points
26 - Copenhagen: 8 points
27 - Club Brugge: 7 points
28 - Bodø/Glimt: 6 points
29 - Benfica: 6 points
30 - Pafos FC: 6 points
31 - Royal Union Saint-Gilloise: 6 points
32 - Ajax: 6 points
33 - Eintracht Frankfurt: 4 points
34 - Slavia Prague: 3 points
35 - Villarreal: 1 point
36 - Kairat Almaty: 1 point

Q&A

What does Barcelona need to do to qualify directly for the Champions League Round of 16?

Barcelona, currently 9th with 13 points, must win their final home match against Copenhagen and rely on a slip-up from one of the top eight teams to secure direct qualification.

What are the key Champions League qualification implications after the penultimate matchday?

Arsenal and Bayern Munich secured direct Round of 16 spots. Meanwhile, Barcelona and Manchester City are in the playoff zone, facing crucial final matchday challenges for direct qualification.