There is no Champions League football this week. The competition is paused for the November international break, and Matchday 5 does not arrive until Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 November 2026. That is the honest starting point for any Champions League football prediction written on 9 November: the next games are two weeks away, and the leans below are built on the table after four rounds, not on guesswork about team news that does not exist yet.
Here is how we read it. Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid both sit on 12 points after four wins from four, and Arsenal are unbeaten on 10. The fight for the top eight — the places that go straight to the round of 16 — is already tight, and Matchday 5 is where it starts to separate. Our leans are opinions, not certainties, and we would not touch any of them until the confirmed line-ups are out.
Where the table stands after Matchday 4
Four rounds are played, and the table already has a clear shape: the top eight go directly to the round of 16, 9th to 24th go into the play-offs, and the bottom twelve go out.
| Pos | Team | Played | Points | Goal difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris Saint-Germain | 4 | 12 | +15 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 4 | 12 | +6 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 4 | 10 | +5 |
| 4 | Como | 4 | 9 | +13 |
| 5 | Barcelona | 4 | 9 | +8 |
| 7 | Manchester City | 4 | 9 | +5 |
| 8 | Liverpool | 4 | 9 | +4 |
Two things stand out: PSG’s goal difference (+15 after four games, including a 6–0 win at Villarreal) — they are not just winning, they are winning by distance — and how crowded it is below them. Six clubs sit on nine points, and three points separate 8th from 17th. One result on Matchday 5 moves a team into the top eight, or out of the top 24 altogether.
The Matchday 5 fixtures — 24–25 November 2026
All 18 games are spread across two nights. Kick-offs are 18:45 or 21:00 CET, per UEFA’s fixture list.
Tuesday 24 November 2026
- Bodø/Glimt vs LASK — 18:45 CET
- Galatasaray vs Aston Villa — 18:45 CET
- Arsenal vs Borussia Dortmund
- Real Madrid vs PSV Eindhoven
- Manchester City vs Napoli
- Feyenoord vs Porto
- Como vs AEK Athens
Wednesday 25 November 2026
- Sabah vs Barcelona — 18:45 CET
- Slavia Praha vs Villarreal — 18:45 CET
- Atlético Madrid vs Viking
- Sporting CP vs Manchester United
- Club Brugge vs Liverpool
- Paris Saint-Germain vs Roma
- LOSC Lille vs Bayern Munich
- Inter vs Stuttgart
- Shakhtar Donetsk vs Fenerbahçe
No fixtures are played on 9 or 10 November — the international break owns this week. If you see a Champions League tip dated this week, check the date on it before you trust it.
One more fixture to note: Shakhtar Donetsk vs Fenerbahçe on Wednesday 25 November. Fenerbahçe beat Liverpool 3–2 at home on Matchday 4 — the result we covered in our Fenerbahçe prediction — and travel to Shakhtar full of confidence. We have no verified form line on Shakhtar, so we will not pick a winner here; both teams to score is the market we would look at first.
Arsenal vs Borussia Dortmund — Tuesday 24 November, Emirates Stadium
Arsenal are the form side here — unbeaten after four games (three wins, one draw), including a 2–1 win away at Slavia Praha on Matchday 4. At home against a Dortmund side travelling to London after the international break, the shape of the game favours the hosts.
Our lean is Arsenal to win, but not by a big margin. Dortmund are dangerous on the break, and Arsenal’s strength has been control rather than scorelines. The angle we like more than the short-priced home win is Arsenal to win and both teams to score — but wait for the team news first.
Real Madrid vs PSV Eindhoven — Tuesday 24 November, Santiago Bernabéu
Real Madrid have won all four league phase games, including a 3–2 win away at AEK Athens on Matchday 4. They sit second only on goal difference behind PSG, and at the Bernabéu the question is never whether Madrid score — it is whether they keep a clean sheet.
PSV lost 1–2 at home to Club Brugge on Matchday 4: they can score against good sides, and they can be got at. Our lean is a Real Madrid win with both teams to score — PSV can trouble a Madrid defence that has conceded in three of its four European games, and the straight home win is likely too short alone. Our soccer predictions use the same checks.
Sporting CP vs Manchester United — Wednesday 25 November, Lisbon
This is the hardest game on the card to call. Manchester United sit 17th on six points after four games — two wins, two defeats, goal difference zero — and they need points to climb toward the top 24. An away trip to Lisbon is not the place to need them: Sporting at home, under the lights, are a different side to the one you see on the road.
Our lean is not a winner at all — it is both teams to score. United have to attack because a draw does little for them, and Sporting will not sit back at home. We would not back either side until we see the line-ups: one missing midfielder changes this fixture more than most.
Paris Saint-Germain vs Roma — Wednesday 25 November, Paris
PSG are the best side in this competition right now, and it is not close: twelve points, four wins, 20 scored and five conceded, including a 6–0 win at Villarreal on Matchday 4. At home against a Roma side that has to chase the game, this is PSG’s to lose.
Our lean is PSG to win. The honest question is the margin, and that is the question we refuse to answer with money — big handicaps look tempting after a 6–0 win, and they are the market where a comfortable 2–0 win still loses your bet. Take the straight win, or build it into a short double, and keep the stake small.
Inter vs Stuttgart — Wednesday 25 November, San Siro
Inter sit 15th on six points, and their Matchday 4 win tells you what they are: a side that does its best work away from the noise. They beat Feyenoord 0–3 in Rotterdam — goals from Bisseck, Esposito and Zieliński — for their second win in a row. Stuttgart are one place above them on seven, so this is a direct fight for the play-off places.
Our lean is a narrow Inter home win. San Siro on a European night, a side that has just won two in a row, against a Stuttgart team travelling to Italy: the small edges all point the same way. But this is the tightest of our five leans — most likely decided by a single moment, a set piece or a goalkeeping error. Keep the stake smaller here, and do not be surprised by a draw.
What could change before kick-off
- International break injuries. Players go away with their countries this week, and some come back hurt. The confirmed line-ups an hour before kick-off are worth more than any preview written on 9 November, including this one.
- Domestic form. Every side plays a league game on 21–22 November before Matchday 5. A heavy defeat or a big win that weekend changes the mood a team carries into Europe.
- The table itself. Three points separate 8th from 17th, so one surprise result on the Tuesday night reshapes what the Wednesday teams need.
Our rule for this round: no bets before the weekend league games are played, and none before the team news is out. Our football bets tips guide covers the six checks behind that rule, and our best Betfair trading strategy covers managing a position once a game starts.
FAQ
When is Champions League Matchday 5?
Matchday 5 is played on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 November 2026; Matchday 4 was 3–4 November, and Matchday 6 follows on 8–9 December. There are no Champions League games during the international break week of 9–10 November.
How does Champions League qualification work?
The 36 teams play in a single league table, eight games each. The top eight go directly to the round of 16. Teams in 9th to 24th go into a two-legged play-off for the remaining eight places. The bottom twelve are eliminated.
What is our strongest Champions League prediction for Matchday 5?
PSG to beat Roma at home is the strongest lean in this guide, on form — four wins from four, 20 goals scored. Even so, we would take the straight win rather than a big handicap, and we would not call any bet a certainty.
Can a team still qualify after a bad start?
Yes. With four rounds left after Matchday 5, a team on six points — like Inter or Manchester United — can still reach the play-offs with two wins. The table is tight enough that one result changes everything.
About the author
Junaid Ashraf is the Founder & CEO of JD SEO Agency and the writer behind FifaWorld. He follows European football every week and writes these predictions from the fixtures and the table as they actually stand — including the weeks when the honest answer is that there is no football to predict.
Which Matchday 5 game are you most looking forward to — and which lean in this guide do you disagree with? Tell us in the comments.
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