2025-26 UEFA Champions League Grading (League Stage Status After Matchday 6/8)
Image Credit: Janosch Diggelmann
The sixth UEFA Champions League (UCL) matchday out of eight in the 2025-26 UCL league stage concluded this week. This season’s competition is the second edition of the relatively new competition format (see our article about the UCL, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League formats). Under this format, 36 UCL participating clubs each play eight matches, with the eight highest-ranked clubs clinching an automatic qualification for the round of 16, clubs ranked ninth to 24th advance to a two-legged knockout playoff round, with the eight winners advancing to the round of 16; and the bottom 12 clubs being eliminated from the competition entirely.
With six of eight matches wrapped up, we begin our brief “three-quarter-term” analysis. Regarding likely winners of this season’s UCL, it just so happens that the three favourites to win it all are the three highest-ranked clubs: Premier League (EPL) leaders Arsenal FC (18 points), Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich (15 points) and Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) (13 points). All three of these clubs, along with fourth-place club Manchester City and fifth-place Atalanta BC — both of which also have accumulated 13 points — have officially booked their tickets for at least the playoff round.
First-place Arsenal have won all six of their UCL matches this season. Interestingly, Bayern’s sole loss in this season’s UCL campaign occurred on matchday 5 against Arsenal (3-1 away), while PSG’s sole loss was on matchday 4 against Bayern (2-1 at home). On December 10, PSG dropped points for the second time after settling for a scoreless draw away against LaLiga club Athletic Club.
Arsenal’s UCL performance in this season’s UCL edition is undoubtedly an upgrade to that of last season at this stage, having won four matches, drawn one and lost one, totalling 13 points. Bayern’s UCL league stage record this season also is an improvement from last season, accumulating one victory (three more points) at this stage. However, PSG has had the best year-over-year improvement; at this stage last year, PSG had won only two matches (2 wins, three losses and one draw) and were fighting for a playoff position. Despite a slow start to last season’s campaign, the French capital club finished the competition as first-time UCL winners.
Having provided the briefing on the top three contenders and their year-over-year improvements, it is now time for the three most surprising clubs and three most disappointing clubs so far in this competition. First, the three most surprising clubs.
3 Most-surprising Performers
Atalanta BC
UCL league stage ranking (out of 36): fifth
Record: four wins, one draw and one loss (13 points)
Matchday 1: 4-0 loss vs PSG (away)
Matchday 2: 2-1 win vs Club Brugge (home)
Matchday 3: 0-0 draw vs Slavia Praha (home)
Matchday 4: 1-0 win vs Olympique de Marseille (away)
Matchday 5: 3-0 win vs Eintracht Frankfurt (away)
Matchday 6: 2-1 win vs Chelsea (home)
Despite struggling in Serie A and being blown out in their UCL opening match against PSG, after six UCL matches, Atalanta have found themselves in fifth place of the UCL league stage, tied with fourth-place Manchester City and third-place PSG. As mentioned previously, Atalanta have booked their ticket for the knockout stage. That said, it remains to be seen whether they clinch a berth for the playoff round or for the round of 16.
An impressive feature of their run thus far is their three-match win streak from matchday 4 to 6, two of which were victories away from home against clubs from top five European leagues. That said, those three matches were against some of Atalanta’s most difficult opponents. Conversely their last two matches are under more favourable conditions and against weaker clubs: at home against 28th-place Athletic Club and away against 27th-place Belgian Pro League club Union Saint-Gilloise (SG). Both clubs currently sit out of a round of 16 or playoff position.
Sporting CP
UCL league stage ranking: 14th
Record: three wins, one draw and two losses (10 points)
Matchday 1: 4-1 win vs Kairat Almaty (home)
Matchday 2: 2-1 loss vs Napoli (away)
Matchday 3: 2-1 win vs Marseille (home)
Matchday 4: 1-1 draw vs Juventus FC (away)
Matchday 5: 3-0 win vs Club Brugge (home)
Matchday 6: 3-1 loss vs Bayern (away)
While contending for the Primeira Liga title in Portugal, Lisbon-based Sporting CP had mustered three victories and one draw in their first five UCL league stage matches, including a clutch last-minute home victory against in-form Marseille and a massive away draw against Italian giants Juventus. As a result, Sporting rank 14th and are tied in points with EPL clubs Newcastle United and Chelsea FC and with LaLiga club FC Barcelona. Moreover, they are two points away from a top-eight position, which leads to a berth in the round of 16.
However, Sporting have a pair of difficult matches to conclude their UCL league stage campaign. The Lisbon-based club’s final two competition matches are at home against PSG and away against Bilbao-based Athletic Club.
Olympique de Marseille
UCL league stage ranking: 16th
Record: three wins and three losses (9 points)
Matchday 1: 2-1 loss vs Real Madrid (away)
Matchday 2: 4-0 win vs AFC Ajax (home)
Matchday 3: 2-1 loss vs Sporting (home)
Matchday 4: 1-0 loss vs Atalanta (home)
Matchday 5: 2-1 win vs Newcastle (home)
Matchday 6: 3-2 win vs Union SG (away)
At a time when they are competing with PSG and (surprisingly) RC Lens for the Ligue 1 title, Marseille also have been impressive in UCL. After losing close matches in the final minutes against Real Madrid, Sporting and Atalanta, Marseille have found themselves with a balanced UCL record this season after winning their last two matches, including a crucial bounce-back victory against Newcastle. That comeback victory against Newcastle was the first time that Marseille had defeated an English club since defeating Chelsea in 2010.
As a result, Marseille find themselves tied in points with such clubs as Juventus, Turkish Süper Lig club Galatasaray, Ligue 1 rivals AS Monaco and Leverkusen. However, their upcoming two matches will be challenging amid a pursuit for the Ligue 1 title. Their next UCL match will be at home against ninth-place Liverpool, whereas their final match will be away against 31st-place Club Brugge.
Honourable Mentions: PSV Eindhoven & Qarabag FK
3 Most-disappointing Performers
Now, the three most disappointing clubs in this season’s UCL edition. While such big-name clubs as Real Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona and Juventus have underperformed, they remain well within contention of a top-eight ranking. Our three selections for most disappointing clubs go to those that have a significant chance of failing to clinch a top-eight position or missing out on UCL knockout-stage football entirely.
SSC Napoli
UCL league stage ranking: 23rd
Record: two wins, one draw and three losses (7 points)
Matchday 1: 2-0 loss vs Manchester City (away)
Matchday 2: 2-1 win vs Sporting (home)
Matchday 3: 6-2 loss vs PSV Eindhoven (away)
Matchday 4: 0-0 draw vs Frankfurt (home)
Matchday 5: 2-0 win vs Qarabag FK (home)
Matchday 6: 2-0 loss vs SL Benfica (away)
Despite winning last season’s Serie A title and significantly enhancing their squad during the offseason (see our linked article), the defending Serie A winners have struggled to find consistency in this season’s UCL league stage. Since dropping their UCL opener against Manchester City, they have struggled to put two victories together, dropping points at home against a struggling Frankfurt squad and losing important away matches against PSV and Benfica.
As a result, Napoli sit in 23rd, while they should be contending for a top-eight position after enhancing their title-winning squad (they are at least contending to defend for the Serie A title). That said, Napoli should not expect their final two UCL league stage matches to be walks in the park: they will play away against Danish Superliga club FC Copenhagen, which are in 24th place and are tied on points with Napoli, and at home against 13th-place Chelsea.
AFC Ajax
UCL league stage ranking: 34th
Record: one win and five losses (3 points)
Matchday 1: 2-0 loss vs Inter Milan (home)
Matchday 2: 4-0 loss vs Marseille (away)
Matchday 3: 5-1 loss vs Chelsea (away)
Matchday 4: 3-0 loss vs Galatasaray (home)
Matchday 5: 2-0 loss vs Benfica (home)
Matchday 6: 4-2 win vs Qarabag (away)
Disaster in Amsterdam! Sitting in a distant third place in Eredivisie and currently ranked 34th in the UCL league stage, garnering only one victory in six matches and having conceded a whopping 18 goals, the highest number of goals conceded by any of the 36 clubs. They also have a -13 goal differential, the highest negative goal differential among all of the participants. Worse, Ajax have lost all three of their home matches thus far and are thereby on the brink of elimination from the competition.
However, Ajax had earned a hard-fought away victory against Qarabag, giving the Dutch capital club hope for a potentially miraculous qualification for the playoff round (they have already kissed goodbye to their chances at automatic round of 16 qualification). To achieve this outcome, they will have to win both of their final UCL league stage matches, in which they will play away against LaLiga club and 35th-place Villarreal CF, and at home against Greek Super League club and 29th-place Olympiacos FC.
Villarreal CF
UCL league stage ranking: 35th
Record: one draw and five losses (1 point)
Matchday 1: 1-0 loss vs Tottenham (away)
Matchday 2: 2-2 draw vs Juventus (home)
Matchday 3: 2-0 loss vs Manchester City (home)
Matchday 4: 1-0 loss vs Pafos FC (away)
Matchday 5: 4-0 loss vs Borussia Dortmund (away)
Matchday 6: 3-2 loss vs Copenhagen (home)
In Southeastern Spain, despite being among the top performing clubs in LaLiga this season, Villarreal are somehow second-last in the UCL league stage rankings. Throughout their six UCL matches this season, Villarreal have accumulated only one point in an impressive 2-2 draw against Juventus, losing their five other contests.
With only one point, Villarreal find themselves virtually eliminated from the tournament, along with 36th/last-place Kairat Almaty, which are tied on points with Villarreal. Unlike the Kazakh Premier League club — which are competing in their first UCL competition in club history — Villarreal, a club with ample UCL experience and a 2022 UCL semifinal appearance under their belt, were expected to compete for a position between ninth and 24th place. Barring a miracle, their final two UCL league stage matches are mere consolation affairs at home against Ajax and away against Leverkusen, respectively.
(Dis)honourable Mentions: Athletic Club & Eintracht Frankfurt
Comment your thoughts on this season’s best- and worst-performing clubs of this season UEFA Champions League!
