The league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League returns to pitches and screens next week, with another 18 matches scattered across Tuesday and Wednesday evening (25th and 26th November).
Only Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Inter Milan have retained perfect records so far, though two of those teams meet on Matchday 5 when the Gunners host Vincent Kompany’s Bavarians at the Emirates Stadium.
Alongside that heavyweight scrap in the capital, we’ve taken a look at Chelsea’s tussle with Barcelona and Liverpool’s meeting with PSV, with predictions and prices from Tonybet’s Champions League markets provided for each contest.
Chelsea vs Barcelona – 25th November
Tonybet odds
- Chelsea – 2.26
- Draw – 3.80
- Barcelona – 2.75
Chelsea and Barcelona are rivals from a bygone era, and their clash on Matchday 5 of this season’s UCL league phase evokes memories of tense Champions League semi-final bouts, Ronaldinho’s creative, curling finish (2005) and Didier Drogba’s “Disgrace” rant (2019).
More recently, meetings between the Blues and Barça have been rare, with the clubs going seven years without crossing paths since a round-of-16 double header in 2018.
Chelsea will kick off Tuesday’s game at Stamford Bridge as market favourites, which is something of a surprise given their patchy form in the competition so far.
Enzo Maresca’s temperamental side have collected seven points from four fixtures, a haul propped up by wins over Benfica (1-0) and Ajax (5-1), though they were convincingly outplayed by Bayern Munich on Matchday 1 (1-3), and that result informs our thinking here.
Maresca likes to set up his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation with players instructed to build up from the back with short-passing combinations. However, this on-the-deck approach could play into Barcelona’s hands.
Barça have gathered the same number of points as Chelsea (seven), though they have already won on English soil in this season’s Champions League. Aided by a Marcus Rashford double, they beat Newcastle 2-1 in September, so they can travel with confidence.
Tuesday’s game at the Bridge also has the potential to thrill. Barcelona have been averaging 3.00 goals per game in the UCL league phase. However, Chelsea should have defensive vulnerabilities to target.
Hansi Flick’s top-heavy Barça have already conceded two or more goals in six separate matches in all competitions this term, and their issues at the back were on full display when they drew 3-3 with Club Brugge on Matchday 4 in the Champions League.
On that basis, backing goals could be the way to go here, and linking over 2.5 with BTTS at 1.60 is advised. That combination has already landed in 100% of Barcelona’s first four Champions League fixtures of the campaign, and they are unlikely to play with the brakes on in London.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score (1.60 with Tonybet)
Liverpool vs PSV – 26th November
Tonybet odds
- Liverpool – 27
- Draw – 6.00
- PSV – 8.40
Liverpool have been finding solace in the Champions League amid their domestic woes, and a home tie against Dutch outfit PSV at Anfield on Wednesday looks like another winnable game for the Reds.
Former Feyenoord boss Arne Slot will be determined to mastermind a win over a rival from his homeland, while Ryan Gravenberch, Virgil van Dijk and former PSV attacker Cody Gakpo will be equally eager to impress against their Dutch counterparts.
PSV got the better of Liverpool (3-2) in last season’s UCL league phase (January), though the Reds fielded a shuffled side made up of fringe players and youngsters on that occasion, having already secured qualification.
Liverpool’s best performances this season have come in the Champions League, with their back-to-back 5-1 and 1-0 wins over Eintracht Frankfurt and Real Madrid on Matchdays 3 and 4 particularly impressive.
The Merseysiders have toiled against the physical, direct style of their Premier League opponents this term, but have faced no such hardships against teams from the Continent, so bettors should expect them to have the edge on PSV.
The Eredivisie champions lost their UCL opener against Union Saint-Gilloise, but they have gone unbeaten since, with their 6-2 triumph over 10-man Napoli on Matchday 3 their standout showing so far.
Romanian Dennis Man (two goals) had a field day that evening and the 27-year-old right winger will be hoping to make a nuisance of himself against a Liverpool team that have a point of weakness at left back.
PSV showed resolve when coming from behind to rescue a point in each of their first two away assignments in the league phase at Bayer Leverkusen (1-1) and Olympiacos (1-1). However, they conceded 32 shots in those two matches combined.
PSV have also maintained a 100% strike rate in the competition, netting in each of their first four assignments, a record that suggests they can score again when visiting Merseyside.
However, a consolation goal might be PSV’s only positive slant at Anfield, especially if they give up as many chances as they did in Germany and Greece. With that in mind, combining a home win with BTTS is the favoured approach.
Prediction: Liverpool to win and both teams to score (2.21 with Tonybet)
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich – 26th November
Tonybet odds
- Arsenal – 2.12
- Draw – 3.50
- Bayern Munich – 3.20
Arsenal and Bayern Munich are arguably the two most in-form outfits in Europe at present, and both clubs are listed among the favourites for outright glory in current Champions League betting markets.
They last met at the quarter-final stage of the tournament during the 2023/24 campaign, with Bayern Munich emerging as 3-2 aggregate winners after two keenly contested ties.
With Arsenal topping the Premier League and Bayern runaway leaders in the Bundesliga, Wednesday’s head-to-head feels like an irresistible force versus an immovable object, if you’ll forgive the cliché.
Both teams have won a perfect four games out of four in the league phase, and while leaders Bayern have a better goal difference overall, the Gunners are yet to concede a single goal.
With key centre half Gabriel Magalhães facing a spell on the sidelines, Arsenal’s proud defensive record could come under pressure when Bayern land in North London, however.
Vincent Kompany’s goal-hungry outfit notched a searing 14 times across their first four Champions League fixtures, with evergreen veteran Harry Kane chipping in with five of those.
Former Tottenham talisman Kane, who has scored a mammoth 15 career goals against Arsenal, has already breezed past the 20-goal mark in all competitions this season, and the 32-year-old can do more damage here.
With the prolific Kane spearheading, Bayern are yet to lose a single game in any competition since the start of the new campaign – in fact, they have only failed to win once (2-2 vs Union Berlin).
The German giants are 3.20 underdogs for this one, which seems generous in the circumstances. Bayern’s 2-1 win over defending European champions PSG in the French capital on Matchday 4 felt like a major statement of intent, and they are backed to leave the Emirates Stadium with at least a point.
Prediction: Bayern Munich Double Chance (1.63 with Tonybet)
Chelsea players to watch
Marc Cucurella – The Spanish fullback has been in steady form this season, combining sharp defensive work with dangerous surges forward down the left flank. Cucurella was a student at Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, so he will want to show his best side here. The 27-year-old might have the unenviable task of marking Barça wonderkid Lamine Yamal at Stamford Bridge.
Moisés Caicedo – Ecuadorian workhorse Caicedo has been averaging 3.1 and 2.5 tackles per game in the Premier League and Champions League respectively this term. The anchorman will have a heavy workload against a Barcelona midfield packed with talented technicians. Caicedo has already collected four bookings for Chelsea in all competitions and could be a card market candidate again.
Alejandro Garnacho – The Argentine winger continues to divide opinion, though his output is starting to improve. The 21-year-old has lodged four goal contributions since late October and seems to be nailing down a regular position on the left. Garnacho had a canny knack for shining in big games for previous club Manchester United, so he should relish the prospect of taking on Barcelona.
Liverpool players to watch
Cody Gakpo – The Liverpool forward was on PSV’s books from the age of seven before leaving to sign for the Reds in January 2023. Gakpo scored from the spot when Liverpool lost 3-2 in Eindhoven earlier this year and the 26-year-old won’t mind putting his former employers to the sword again at Anfield.
Alexander Isak – British record signing Isak has made little impact since swapping Newcastle for Liverpool in the summer. Injuries have blighted the striker’s progress, but the 26-year-old is fit again now and needs to deliver. Isak should have chances against PSV if he starts.
Florian Wirtz – Like Isak, Wirtz hasn’t enjoyed the best of starts since joining Liverpool for an eye-watering £116m. The attacking midfielder has done some of his best work in the Champions League, however, registering two assists in the competition so far, and he might thrive again against PSV.
Arsenal players to watch
William Saliba – With his usual central-defensive foil Gabriel Magalhães in the treatment room, Saliba will have to shoulder greater responsibility against Bayern Munich. That means keeping close tabs on Harry Kane. Saliba hasn’t really been tested in the Champions League so far, so it will be interesting to see how he manages the lethal Kane.
Declan Rice – The heartbeat of this Arsenal team, Rice took his game to new levels in some high-profile Champions League ties last season, and he will need to be at his influential best to win the midfield battle against Bayern Munich. Rice’s wicked delivery from dead balls could swing the game in the Gunners’ favour.
Bukayo Saka – Right winger Saka hit a flurry of goals before the November international break and scored again while on duty for England against Serbia. The 24-year-old has rediscovered his touch just in time to face Bayern Munich. Saka’s speed should make him a menace, especially if Bayern stick with Josip Stanišić at left back in the continued absence of Alphonso Davies.
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