Champions League: What to look out for in every game on Matchday 5

The league phase of the UEFA Champions League has reached its midway point and the second half kicks off on 26/27 November.

UEFA.com details the key talking points and stats as the 36 teams look to plot their courses towards the knockout stages.

Tuesday 26 November

Slovan Bratislava vs AC Milan

Slovan are one of five sides still searching for their first points in this season's competition following a 4-1 home defeat to GNK Dinamo on Matchday 4. With tough fixtures against the likes of Atleti and Bayern still to come, the Slovakian side's situation is a tricky one, but their captain Marko Tolić urged them to "start learning from these more experienced teams" in order to improve.

One of the teams he may have indirectly been talking about are Milan, who enjoyed a memorable night at the Bernabéu on Matchday 4, beating reigning champions Real Madrid for the first time in 15 years with a well-earned 3-1 win. "When we perform like 11 lions on the pitch it's hard for anyone to beat us," beamed goalscorer Álvaro Morata after the game, and if Milan are able to replicate that fine showing in Madrid they could be on course to record a third straight victory in the league phase.

Did you know?
These two teams last met in 1992/93, the first season the European Cup became the Champions League. Milan won the second round tie 5-0 on aggregate, Paolo Maldini scoring the only goal of the first leg in Bratislava.

Sparta Praha vs Atlético de Madrid

After amassing an impressive four points from their opening two games Sparta's form has dipped, with a 5-0 defeat to Manchester City followed up by a 2-1 loss to high-flying Brest on Matchday 4. Coach Lars Friis believes his side need to get back to the basics, saying after the Brest match: "It was a game of mistakes, we made too many of them to get anything out of that. The quality and our decision-making were not on the level required in Champions League."

The Czech champions are certainly likely to see any errors punished against an Atlético side that will be buoyed by a superb smash-and-grab 2-1 away victory against Paris on Matchday 4, in which substitute Ángel Correa curled in a dramatic winner with the last kick of the game. Coach Diego Simeone was delighted with the impact of his substitutes, saying: "I was pleased at being able to re-energise the side by bringing Samuel Lino, Correa and Reinildo on. We didn't steer away from our plan, and we defended how we needed to." Simeone may make full use of his squad again as he seeks a third league phase win.

Did you know?
Sparta have lost only two of their last 13 UEFA competition matches at home (W7 D4), while Atleti have won just two of their last 11 away games in the Champions League proper (D2 L7).

Bayer Leverkusen vs Salzburg

Leverkusen are not used to losing. Xabi Alonso's team had only tasted defeat twice since the start of last season before they were dismantled 4-0 by Liverpool on Matchday 4, and Robert Andrich is backing them to clear their heads again successfully here. "The game started to get stretched and Liverpool then picked us off," said the midfielder. "Seven points is fine and gives us every chance of progressing."

Salzburg will be slightly envious of their opponent's haul, though they did breathe life into their own campaign by breaking their duck with a fine 3-1 triumph at Feyenoord last time out. "Now we have three points – when you get those, you're hungry for more," said two-goal striker Karim Konaté. "Since the start of the competition, we have been expecting to win matches. We kept working and knew that, either way, we were going to get points."

Did you know?
Salzburg have now played exactly 100 matches in European Cup/Champions League history (including qualifying). They are the first Austrian club to reach a century.

Young Boys vs Atalanta

Young Boys are still searching for their first points after a narrow 2-1 reverse against Shakhtar and, though this looks a tricky assignment on paper, coach Joël Magnin insists a change in fortune could ignite their campaign. "We took the lead [against Shakhtar] then Loris Benito became another important defender of ours to suffer an injury and we immediately conceded," he noted. They will need to improve in front of goal though, the Swiss team having struck just once in the league phase.

Breaching the Atalanta defence will be a severe task though, as Gian Piero Gasperini's side are yet to concede in their four games in the competition. Defender Isak Hien is desperate to keep that run going too. "The secret is that we all fight to always keep a clean sheet," he said. "It's not only thanks to us defenders, but rather the whole starting XI and everyone who comes on. We made some jumps in the table but there are just a few points in it and we need to keep going."

Did you know?
Atalanta are unbeaten in their last 12 away matches in UEFA competition (W7 D5) and have kept six clean sheets in the last seven of those games.

Barcelona vs Brest

Robert Lewandowski helped himself to two more goals in Barcelona's 5-2 success at Crvena Zvezda and now sits on 99 Champions League goals. Coach Hansi Flick has nothing but praise for his striker as he attempts to become only the third player to reach a century in the competition after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. "Lewandowski is ambitious and that's key," he said. "He always wants more, game after game, and that's rare to see."

Unbeaten Brest stand in Lewandowski's way and the French side sit higher than the Spanish giants in the standings after their 2-1 victory at Sparta Praha. Defender Kenny Lala believes they need to pull off a scalp here for Europe's heavyweights to truly take notice of the competition debutants though. "It is a good position for us," he said. "We are not under pressure and are not talked much about but I think this may change soon."

Did you know?
Barcelona have scored four or more goals in three successive European Cup/Champions League matches (all rounds) for the second time. They previously did so in the 1959/60 season.

Bayern München vs Paris Saint-Germain

Jamal Musiala's goal was enough to see Bayern past Benfica on Matchday 4 and the forward believes winning such tight games are important as another high-profile opponent heads to Munich this time around. "It was very important to get three points," he said. "We don't have to win every game by four or five goals. Sometimes 1-0 is enough. We had to be patient. Now we carry on and look to the next game."

Paris slipped into the elimination places thanks to a last-gasp defeat by Atleti and Marquinhos says they need to respond after backing themselves into a corner. "We are still not efficient enough. In big matches, against great players, you can get punished," he said. "We still have big games to play and we're going to have to take points to qualify. We have to look for points away from home and we know how difficult that is. But we're going to play the cards we've been dealt. It is in the final details where we must improve."

Did you know?
Bayern are unbeaten in 32 home Champions League group stage/league phase matches (W30 D2) since losing 3-2 against Manchester City in December 2013.

Inter vs Leipzig

Along with Atalanta, Inter are the other side in the league phase still to concede following their 1-0 win over Arsenal, and that is one of the biggest plus points about their campaign so far according to Lautaro Martínez. "We didn't concede any goals and this is positive because in the [domestic] league we conceded too many," said the Nerazzurri striker. "We are happy but must continue to raise the level. We want everything, the history of this club says so. I want to win everything."

By contrast, Leipzig's Christoph Baumgartner knows there is no room for error after they lost for the fourth successive time in the competition when going down 3-1 at Celtic last time out. "It's going to be very difficult for us to progress now," said the midfielder. "We have been ahead in three games now and we've still lost them. You can't make the mistakes we have made in the Champions League and get away with it."

Did you know?
Inter are unbeaten in 11 Champions League home matches (W9 D2) and have kept nine clean sheets across those games.

Manchester City vs Feyenoord

Pep Guardiola's side were dealt a 4-1 Matchday 4 defeat by Rúben Amorim and his Sporting CP side in the Portuguese manager's final home game before taking up his post with the Sky Blues' rivals Manchester United. Phil Foden's early strike faded into obscurity after a Viktor Gyökeres hat-trick as Guardiola rued a lack of sharpness at both ends of the field. "We weren't clinical enough," the 53-year-old said. "When you give the ball away so easily, the transitions will be there for the opposition."

Matchday 5 opponents Feyenoord are also looking to bounce back after losing 3-1 to Salzburg on home turf. "It's a big disappointment, because we saw this game as hugely important for our campaign," said defender Dávid Hancko. The Rotterdam club have lost both of their previous two encounters with Man City, though, falling to a 1-0 defeat away and a 4-0 loss at home in the group stages of the 2017/18 Champions League.

Did you know?
Manchester City have only been defeated by a Dutch side once in UEFA competitions, winning four and drawing two in their other six encounters.

Sporting CP vs Arsenal

João Pereira has big shoes to fill as he takes the reins from Rúben Amorim in the Champions League. His predecessor guided the Portuguese club to second in the league phase table, boasting an undefeated record of three wins and one draw. The 40-year-old's first Champions League fixture is a tricky one, too, taking on last season's Premier League runners-up after Amorim dispatched the holders Manchester City on Matchday 4. "I think it was written that my farewell had to be like this," the departing manager said after his final game at the Estádio José Alvalade. Pereira will hope for a storybook start to match Amorim's fairy-tale finish.

The return of captain Martin Ødegaard from an ankle injury provided a silver lining on an otherwise cloudy day as Arsenal were defeated by Inter at the Stadio San Siro on Matchday 4. The Norway international was reintroduced in added time to aid Arsenal's search for an equaliser after Hakan Çalhanoğlu's first-half penalty, but to no avail. "Football is like that, we created some good opportunities but we did not put the ball in," said winger Gabriel Martinelli.

Did you know?
Sporting CP and Arsenal's last meeting came in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 in 2023, from which the Portuguese side advanced on penalties.

Wednesday 27 November

Crvena Zvezda vs Stuttgart

Yet to pick up a point, and with a goal difference of -12, Crvena Zvezda have found the going tough in the league phase, but their performance in a 5-2 home loss to Barcelona on Matchday 4 has given them some encouragement as they welcome Stuttgart. "We put in a good showing, especially in the first half," insisted midfielder Timi Elšnik.

Like their hosts, Stuttgart are outside the knockout phase play-off places going into Matchday 5, but are not too stressed just yet. "We're not putting ourselves under any pressure," said full-back Maximilian Mittelstädt. "It would obviously be great to reach the play-offs but we're proud to just be able to take part in this competition – it's something very special for all of us."

Did you know?
Crvena Zvezda have not won in their last three home games against Bundesliga sides (D1 L2), including a 6-0 loss to Bayern in the 2019/20 Champions League group stage.

Sturm Graz vs Girona

Austrian champions Sturm are still smarting at their failure to pick up a first point of the league phase last time out, conceding late to lose 1-0 at Dortmund. "We deserved a point," said defender Jusuf Gazibegović, coach Christian Ilzer adding: "We played a good game and it's very annoying that we didn't get the reward."

Home advantage may help as they welcome Girona. Míchel's side were surprise overachievers in Spain last season, but are struggling to reach similar heights this time around, a 4-0 loss at PSV on Matchday 4 the worst result of their maiden European campaign. "We missed a few players through injury," said defender Daley Blind. "But I don't want to give that as an excuse."

Did you know?
Sturm have lost all three of their most recent European home games without scoring.

Monaco vs Benfica

One of the surprise packages so far in this season's Champions League, Monaco remain undefeated following impressive victories against Barcelona, Crvena Zvezda and Bologna along with a draw away at GNK Dinamo. Coach Adi Hütter, however, is determined for his side to keep their feet on the ground, saying: "I'm pleased with the ten points we've accumulated. We’re near the top of the standings, but right now, we’re concentrating on our next matches."

After victories against Crvena Zvezda and Atleti to kick off their campaign, Benfica have now lost consecutive games against Feyenoord and Bayern. "The lesson is not to try to respect our opponents too much because we have quality too," midfielder Renato Sanches told UEFA.com after that narrow defeat in Munich. Bruno Lage's side will therefore no doubt head to France hoping to get back to winning ways.

Did you know?
Monaco have lost only one of their last eight matches in UEFA competition (W5 D2).

Aston Villa vs Juventus

This intriguing match-up sees a repeat of the 1982/83 European Cup quarter-final, in which Juve defeated reigning champions Villa 5-2 on aggregate on their way to reaching the final. That tie was Villa's last appearance in Europe's elite competition up until this season, where they have enjoyed two memorable home victories against Bayern and Bologna. Can they make it a hat-trick?

Doing so will be no easy feat against a Juve side that have picked up seven points from four tough opening fixtures, forward Dušan Vlahović looking particularly dangerous with three goals. "Honestly, I think it could be better," midfielder Timothy Weah said on their campaign so far. "We want three points [from] every game, but this is high-level football." A win at Villa Park would certainly send a statement.

Did you know?
Villa have won their last three UEFA competition matches at home against Italian opposition without conceding a goal.

Bologna vs LOSC Lille

The wait for a first league phase win continued for Bologna as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against undefeated Monaco at home. Thilo Kehrer finished from close range in the 86th minute to secure the win, leaving Bologna in the elimination places with only one point. "It was an even match, but the result is what matters in the end,” said Bologna goalkeeper Łukasz Skorupski. “If you don’t take your chances in the Champions League, you get punished.” As we enter the second half of the league phase, Bologna can hardly afford more missed opportunities.

Lille and Juventus shared the points at the Stade Pierre Mauroy as Dušan Vlahović’s penalty cancelled out Jonathan David’s opener – the Canadian international's fourth goal in the league phase. “We’ve proved tonight that we don’t want to finish here, and we still have ambitions in this competition,” said defender Aïssa Mandi. Currently 14th, the French side can move closer to realising those ambitions with a win at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.

Did you know?
Lille have won six and drawn three of their 13 encounters with Italian sides in UEFA competitions.

Celtic vs Club Brugge

Celtic's attempt to progress to knockout Champions League football for the first time since 2013 has got off to a positive start, with an impressive win against Leipzig on Matchday 4 lifting them to 15th place in the table on seven points. They are now seeking four consecutive home Champions League victories in what is sure to be another superb atmosphere under the lights in Glasgow.

Standing in their way are Brugge, who earned one of the most eye-catching results of Matchday 4 by beating previously perfect Villa 1-0. "In the Champions League, you have to take your moments, and that is what we did," said delighted captain Hans Vanaken at full-time. Can Brugge now earn successive victories over British clubs?

Did you know?
Brugge's win against Villa was their 100th match in the Champions League era (including qualifying).

GNK Dinamo vs Borussia Dortmund

After going a goal down in the fifth minute, GNK Dinamo fought back to win 4-1 against Slovan Bratislava. “I have the same hope and belief that we can keep winning,” said coach Nenad Bjelica after their second triumph of their campaign. The Croatian side’s ten league phase goals is the joint-fourth highest in the competition, but Dortmund (13) are one of three sides to better that number. Even so, Bjelica is intent on taking the game to the visiting side. “We will approach the game against them bravely, and we'll see what happens,” the 53-year-old said. That is an exciting prospect for the neutral, but will it pay off for his side?

A sublime Serhou Guirassy assist to set up a late Donyell Malen strike gave Dortmund a 1-0 win over Sturm Graz at the BVB Stadion Dortmund. The German side are on track to advance straight to the round of 16 with half of their league phase games played, taking three wins and one loss from four games. Their goalscoring exploits have caught the eye, particularly in the 7-1 victory over Celtic, but defender Nico Schlotterbeck highlighted the defensive foundations of their success after the hard-fought win. “I always say that if we don’t concede, we will win. I believe that our attack will always score a goal,” the German international said.

Did you know?
In 13 attempts, GNK Dinamo have never beaten a German side in UEFA competitions.

Liverpool vs Real Madrid

You have to go back to 2009 for Liverpool’s last Champions League victory over Los Blancos, who have won seven and drawn one in eight fixtures since. History does not bode well for Arne Slot’s side, but their form in the competition can instill belief that a new chapter is on the horizon. The table-topping Reds boast the only 100% record in the competition as they return to Anfield following a 4-0 win over Leverkusen. “It’s a very special moment that I’ll remember my whole life,” said Luis Díaz after netting his first hat-trick with the club. “We’ve got to keep doing what we’re doing with focus.” That intensity helped them dispatch the German champions, but will it carry them to a long-awaited win over the Spanish holders?

Real Madrid’s 15-game Champions League unbeaten run (W12 D3) at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu came to an end in their 3-1 loss to Milan on Matchday 4. “We need to be worried, we are not showing the best version of ourselves,” said coach Carlo Ancelotti. “We lack order in the team and we’re conceding too many goals.” Only three teams have scored more than Liverpool’s ten in the league phase, so shoring up the defence sooner rather than later will be key to their chances at Anfield.

Did you know?
Two of the last seven Champions League finals have seen Liverpool and Real Madrid go head-to-head, with the Spanish side triumphing in 2018 and 2022 to claim their 13th and 14th titles.

PSV Eindhoven vs Shakhtar Donetsk

After each claiming their first wins last time out, PSV and Shakhtar meet in Eindhoven on Matchday 5. The Dutch side treated the home fans to a 4-0 win over Girona last time out, and they will hope to build on that momentum as they retake the field at the PSV Stadion. “It was vital to take our first three points at home, especially after a difficult start in the Champions League,” said defender Olivier Boscagli.

Two first-half strikes helped Shakhtar overturn an early Young Boys lead and claim their first win of the Champions League season in Gelsenkirchen on Matchday 4. “The mental strength of this team is so impressive,” said coach Marino Pušić. “They immediately responded to falling behind.” Shakhtar moved to four points after the win and travel to Eindhoven with hopes of escaping the elimination places. “Our journey is not over yet,” insists defender Yukhym Konoplia.

Did you know?
Both teams have losing records against sides from their opponent's nation. PSV have five wins and six losses against Ukrainian sides in UEFA competitions while Shakhtar have two wins and five defeats against Dutch outfits.

Further ahead

• Matchday 6 sees a repeat of the UEFA Super Cup as Europa League winners Atalanta take on Champions League holders Real Madrid, who won that last meeting 2-0.
• The two top-scoring teams heading into Matchday 5 – Dortmund (13) and Barcelona (15) – face off in Germany on Matchday 6.
• Salzburg and Paris both sit in the elimination places after four matches, making their Matchday 6 encounter pivotal to their chances of reaching the knockout phase.

Where is the 2025 UEFA Champions League final being played?

UEFA via Getty Images

The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League final will take place at Munich's Fußball Arena München on 31 May 2025.