Bayer Leverkusen are taking the belief gained from finishing in the top eight of the Champions League standings into the latter stages of their Bundesliga title defence. Bayern, who face Holstein Kiel on Saturday,

Bayer LeverkusenStarting as if they were the home side, Bayer Leverkusen were in complete control of the encounter's opening stage at in Madrid. However, as matches so often do at

We use our Champions League projections to work out where the drama will be located on the final night of the league stage

Manchester City snuck their way into the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds on Wednesday, avoiding elimination on a dramatic final day of the competition's first-ever league phase. Pep Guardiola's side entered halftime with a 1-0 deficit to Club Brugge but three goals after halftime ensured they would clinch a spot in the top 24 and participate in the knockout round playoffs with a 3-1 win.

After finishing in the playoff places in the new Champions League format, both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have found out who they will play in the playoffs.Bayern Munich will face Celtic,

Leverkusen are eighth in the final automatic qualification spot with 13 points but their 2-1 defeat against Atletico Madrid on January 21 means they head into the final Champions League matchweek level on points with the five teams below them, while Sparta are 29th with four points and have already been eliminated.

LONDON — Here's the state of play after the conclusion of the first stage of the Champions League: Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, Aston Villa

Manchester City have already spent well over £100 million on players in January and another player, or two, may be coming through the door soon

It will soon become clear whether the revised Champions League—with titans Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich among the playoff teams—is better than before.

Bayern Munich took a small but potentially decisive step toward the Bundesliga title last weekend when defending champion Bayer Leverkusen dropped points at Leipzig.

Ousmane Dembele's hat-trick helps Paris St-Germain into the Champions League play-offs as they thrash Stuttgart, a result that eliminates the Germans.