Honestly, if you're a Madridista, your heart rate is probably already spiking. We are officially hitting the "do-or-die" stretch of the Real Madrid UCL schedule for the 2025/26 season. The new league phase format has been a wild ride, and let’s be real, it’s a bit more stressful than the old group stages we used to breeze through.
Right now, Madrid is sitting in a decent but vulnerable spot. They’re 7th in the massive 36-team table. That’s enough to skip the playoff round if they stay there, but the margin for error? Basically zero. One bad night at the Bernabéu and suddenly we’re looking at an extra two-legged tie in February that nobody wants.
The Remaining League Phase Fixtures
We’ve got two games left to decide if we go straight to the Round of 16. Mark your calendars, set your alarms, or do whatever you’ve gotta do.
Tuesday, January 20, 2026: Real Madrid vs. AS Monaco This is a home game at the Santiago Bernabéu. Kickoff is at 9:00 PM local time (CET). If you’re in the states, that’s 3:00 PM EST. Monaco isn’t just some pushover this year; they’ve been hovering around the top of the French league and have enough points in the UCL to be dangerous. Madrid needs a clinical performance here, especially after that frustrating 1-2 loss to Manchester City back in December.
Wednesday, January 28, 2026: Benfica vs. Real Madrid This is the big finale. We’re heading to the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon. Same time—9:00 PM CET / 3:00 PM EST. Ending the league phase away from home is always a gamble, but it's a stadium that holds some pretty legendary memories for this club (La Décima, anyone?).
👉 See also: The 2016 CFP National Championship: Why This Game Changed Everything For College Football
What happened so far?
It hasn't been a perfect run. Not even close. We started strong by beating Marseille 2-1 and then absolutely demolished Kairat Almaty 5-0. Then came that gritty 1-0 win over Juventus where Jude Bellingham proved once again why he's the heart of this team.
But then things got rocky.
A 1-0 loss at Anfield against Liverpool reminded everyone that we aren't invincible. We bounced back with a chaotic 4-3 win over Olympiacos, but the Manchester City game was a reality check. Rodrygo scored early, but Erling Haaland finally found the net at the Bernabéu, and we ended up losing 1-2. That loss is exactly why these next two games in the Real Madrid UCL schedule are so high-stakes.
The Managerial Shift: Arbeloa’s Big Test
Here’s the thing most people are talking about in the cafes around Madrid: the coaching change. Xabi Alonso is out as of January 12. It was a mutual agreement, but the timing is... well, it's bold.
Álvaro Arbeloa has stepped up from the youth ranks to lead the first team. He’s a club legend who knows the DNA of Real Madrid better than almost anyone, but managing a Champions League run is a different beast entirely. He’s inherited a squad that is 2nd in La Liga but just got knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Albacete. Talk about a "welcome to the job" moment.
How to Watch the Remaining Games
If you're trying to figure out where to catch the action, here is the breakdown for the 2026 broadcasts:
- United States: Everything is on Paramount+. If you want the Spanish broadcast, look at ViX.
- United Kingdom: TNT Sports is still the go-to home for European football.
- Spain: Movistar+ remains the primary broadcaster for all UCL matches.
The Path to Budapest
The final this year is on May 30, 2026, at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest. To get there, Madrid has to navigate a knockout bracket that looks more like a tennis tournament draw than the old lottery system.
If Arbeloa can keep the team in the top 8, we won't play again in the UCL until March 10 or 11. If we slide down to 9th or lower? We'll be playing playoff matches on February 17 and 24. Given the injury scares we've had with players like Éder Militão and the heavy minutes Kylian Mbappé is logging (he’s already at 29 goals for the season across all competitions!), those extra games could be a disaster for our fitness levels.
🔗 Read more: What Time Is The Mike Tyson Jake Paul Fight: Why You Already Missed The Bell
Key Stats to Keep an Eye On
Madrid’s current UCL stats tell a story of "good, but could be better." We’re averaging about 2.17 goals per game, which is solid. But we’ve only kept two clean sheets in six matches.
Thibaut Courtois has been busy, making 34 saves already. While it’s great to have the best keeper in the world, you don’t really want him having to be a hero every single Tuesday night. Arbeloa’s main task for the Monaco and Benfica games will be tightening up that defensive transition because, honestly, we've looked a bit exposed on the counter lately.
Your Actionable Matchday Plan
To make the most of the upcoming Real Madrid UCL schedule, here is what you need to do:
- Check the Standings Immediately After Matchday 7: If Madrid beats Monaco and other results go our way (specifically looking at how Dortmund and Arsenal perform), we might clinch a top-8 spot before even stepping foot in Lisbon.
- Monitor the Injury Report: Keep a close eye on the fitness of Vinícius Júnior and Arda Güler. Güler has been a creative spark lately, and with the new manager often favoring technical midfielders, he could be the X-factor.
- Sync Your Calendar: Ensure you have the January 20 and January 28 dates blocked off. In this new format, goal difference matters immensely, so every minute of these games counts toward the final seeding.
This isn't just about winning a trophy anymore; it's about survival in a format that punishes even the slightest slip-up. Arbeloa has the keys to the Ferrari now. Let's see if he can drive it to Budapest.