You’ve probably been scouring the TV guides or refreshing your favorite sports app looking for a kickoff time. It’s Friday, January 16, 2026, and the itch for that iconic anthem is real. But here’s the cold, hard truth that might bum you out: there is no champions league game today.
I know, it feels like there should be. The winter break is supposedly over, and the domestic leagues are back in full swing. In fact, if you’re looking for high-level European football right now, you’ll find Werder Bremen taking on Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga tonight. But as for the Champions League? The lights at the Bernabéu and Anfield are staying off for a few more days.
The "League Phase" of this new, slightly confusing 36-team format is currently in a brief hibernation. While the Conference League held its knockout phase play-off draw just hours ago in Nyon, the Champions League is basically on a tactical pause until next week.
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When the Champions League game today actually returns
Mark your calendar for Tuesday, January 20. That is when the chaos resumes. We are entering Matchday 7 of the league phase, and honestly, the stakes are getting a bit ridiculous. Because of the way the single league table works now, every goal in these final two rounds determines who goes straight to the Round of 16 and who has to suffer through a two-legged playoff in February.
Next Tuesday isn't just a "soft" return. It’s a full-on explosion of fixtures. We’ve got Kairat Almaty hosting Club Brugge early on, followed by Manchester City traveling to the freezing temperatures of Norway to face Bodø/Glimt. If you've never seen City try to play their possession game on a synthetic pitch in the Arctic Circle, you’re in for a treat. It’s usually messy.
The 20:00 GMT (15:00 EST) slot on Tuesday is absolutely stacked. You’ve got Inter Milan vs. Arsenal, which is a massive tactical battle for a top-eight spot. Real Madrid is hosting Monaco, and Tottenham is welcoming Borussia Dortmund. It’s the kind of Tuesday that makes you want to call in sick.
The Mo Salah drama and the Marseille trip
While there isn't a champions league game today, the news cycle hasn't stopped. The big story hitting the wires right now is coming out of Liverpool. Arne Slot just confirmed that Mohamed Salah is flying back from the Africa Cup of Nations this weekend.
Egypt has a third-place playoff against Nigeria on Saturday—thanks to a Sadio Mané-inspired Senegal knocking them out in the semis—and then Salah is straight on a plane. There’s a lot of chatter about whether Slot will actually start him for the Marseille game next Wednesday.
Keep in mind, Salah and Slot haven't exactly been best friends lately. There was that whole "under the bus" comment from Salah a few weeks back. But with Liverpool’s attack looking a bit thin, Slot basically admitted today that he needs his talisman back. Marseille’s Orange Vélodrome is a literal cauldron; going there without your best finisher is a recipe for disaster.
Bayern Munich’s massive injury boost
If you’re a Bayern fan, today actually brought some of the best news of the season. Vincent Kompany confirmed that Jamal Musiala is finally back in the squad. He’s been out for six months with that nasty fractured fibula he picked up at the Club World Cup.
Bayern doesn't play their Matchday 7 fixture against Royale Union SG until Wednesday, but Musiala is expected to get minutes in the Bundesliga tomorrow against Leipzig. Having him back for the final Champions League push is a game-changer. Kompany was sounding pretty emotional about it today, talking about Musiala coming out of a "dark tunnel."
Bayern is currently hovering around the edge of that automatic qualification zone. They need Musiala’s "positive energy," as Kompany puts it, to avoid the embarrassment of a playoff round.
How the table looks right now
Since we aren't watching a champions league game today, it’s a good time to look at the mess that is the league table. It’s not like the old days where you just had to finish top two in a group of four.
- The top 8 teams go straight to the Round of 16 in March.
- Teams 9 through 24 enter a two-legged playoff in February.
- Teams 25 through 36 are out. No Europa League safety net anymore. They just go home.
This is why next week is so tense. A team like PSG or Barcelona, if they slip up in Matchday 7 or 8, could find themselves playing an extra two games in an already bloated schedule. Or worse, out of Europe entirely before February even begins.
What you should do instead of watching the Champions League today
Since the UCL is a no-show for this Friday, you have to find your fix elsewhere.
First, keep an eye on the Bundesliga results tonight. Frankfurt is a dark horse in European competition, and seeing how they handle domestic pressure usually tells you a lot about their continental form.
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Second, if you're a betting person or just a stats nerd, start looking at the "points required" for the top 8. Most analysts suggest 17 or 18 points will be the magic number for automatic qualification. Check your team's current tally—if they're on 12 points with two games left, next week is basically a cup final for them.
Third, get your streaming setup ready for Tuesday. With the new format, several games happen simultaneously. If you don't have a "Goal Zone" or "Multicast" style feed, you're going to miss half the story.
The wait is almost over. Friday and the weekend are for the domestic grind, but the real European drama is only 96 hours away. Prepare for the Tuesday/Wednesday gauntlet because once it starts, it doesn't stop until the final in Budapest this May.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your local listings for the Tuesday, January 20 kickoff times, as the early games (Kairat vs. Brugge) start significantly earlier than the standard night slots.
- Monitor the fitness of Jamal Musiala in tomorrow's Bayern vs. Leipzig match to see if he's truly ready for a Champions League start next Wednesday.
- Review the current UEFA League Phase table to see if your team is in the "Danger Zone" (ranks 9-24) or the "Safe Zone" (top 8).