Champions League, the scoreboard smiles at Inter. More difficult path for Juve and Atalanta

The draws in Nyon have outlined the scoreboard for the second phase of the 2025-26 Champions League, consequently the teams already know the possible path to take to reach the final in Budapest.

when and where the champions final is played

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The 2025-26 Champions League final will be played on 30 May 2026 at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest. The match will start at 18:00 CET. The time has been brought forward compared to previous years to improve the overall experience for fans, teams and host cities, optimizing matchday logistics and operations. In the event of a tie at the end of regular time, two extra periods of 15 minutes each will be played. If either team scores more goals than the other during extra time, they are declared the winner. In case of a tie even after extra time, the winning team is decided on penalties.

Italians in the running

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The Italian teams that have qualified for the Champions League playoffs are Juventus (who will play against Galatasaray in the playoffs), Inter (who will face Bodo in the playoffs) and Atalanta (who will have to qualify for the round of 16 in the play-off with Borussia Dortmund). Napoli, however, was eliminated at the end of the first phase.

Champions League calendar and dates

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The Champions League playoffs will be played on 17-18 February in the first leg and on 24-25 February in the second leg. The round of 16 will be played on 10-11 March for the first leg and on 17-18 March for the return leg. The quarter-finals will be on 7-8 April for the first leg and 14-15 April for the return leg. Semi-finals on 28-29 April in the first leg and 5-6 May in the second leg. The final on May 30th.