Why Napoli vs Chelsea will kick-off at same time as every other Champions League game revealed
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All 18 of the Champions League fixtures will get underway at the same time on Wednesday night as the league phase concluded.
Matchday 8 is upon us and all will be decided in terms of who qualifies for the knockout stages, who enters the play-off round, as well as the eight teams who will be eliminated from the competition this season.
For Chelsea, they head to Naples to face Napoli with their fate in their own hands. They currently sit in eighth place, which would be enough to automatically progress into the Round of 16.
Chelsea can guarantee progression by winning against Antonio Conte's side, plus bettering the sides below them goal difference should they win, with several sides, including Barcelona, on 13 points heading into the final matchday.
READ MORE: Champions League permutations - How Chelsea's last-16 & play-off fate will be decided
Matchday 8 fixtures in the Champions League in full
Ajax vs Olympiacos
Arsenal vs Kairat Almaty
Monaco vs Juventus
Athletic Club vs Sporting CP
Atlético de Madrid vs Bodø/Glimt
Leverkusen vs Villarreal
Borussia Dortmund vs Inter
Club Brugge vs Marseille
Frankfurt vs Tottenham
Barcelona vs Copenhagen
Liverpool vs Qarabağ
Manchester City vs Galatasaray
Pafos vs Slavia Praha
Paris Saint-Germain vs Newcastle United
PSV Eindhoven vs Bayern München
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Atalanta
Benfica vs Real Madrid
Napoli vs Chelsea
18 games kicking off simultaneously on Wednesday 🤯#UCL pic.twitter.com/NwkUz8XDgQ
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 26, 2026
Usually, the 18 fixtures every matchday are spread over two days. However, for the final matchday they are all played at the same time.
This will see many changes throughout the 90 minutes to the league phase table, ensuring drama until the full-time whistles are blown across Europe.
Chelsea will hope that come full-time they don't need to rely on results elsewhere. If they get the job done in Naples, Liam Rosenior's side will likely secure a crucial spot in the top-eight to avoid a two-legged play-off next month.
Matt Debono leads the editorial team which covers Chelsea On SI. He has witnessed Chelsea win it all, whilst also featuring on ITV News, SPORTbible and various other publications.