Champions League Matchday 5 Recap: Arsenal Stay Perfect, Mbappé Runs Riot, and Anfield Stunned
Matchday 5 of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League delivered a night of pure European drama. From a goal-fest in Paris to a masterclass in Piraeus, here is your full recap of the action.
The Big Games & Results
Arsenal 3 – 1 Bayern Munich In the clash of the titans at the Emirates, Arsenal solidified their status as the competition’s frontrunners. Despite the equalizer goal by Bayern youngster Lennart Karl, the Gunners roared back in the second half. Goals from Noni Madueke, and Gabriel Martinelli secured a statement victory, ending Bayern’s unbeaten run and keeping Arsenal as the only team with a perfect 15 points from 5 games.
PSG 5 – 3 Tottenham Hotspur The Parc des Princes witnessed the most chaotic match of the round. In an eight-goal thriller, PSG came from behind twice to defeat Spurs. Former Parisian Randal Kolo Muani returned to haunt his old club with a brace for Tottenham, but it wasn’t enough. The night belonged to PSG’s Vitinha, who netted a sensational hat-trick to drive the French champions to a crucial 5-3 win.
Liverpool 1 – 4 PSV Eindhoven The shock of the round came at Anfield. Liverpool’s European campaign hit a new low as they were dismantled by a fearless PSV side. After an early Virgil van Dijk penalty scare, the Reds collapsed in the second half. PSV substitute Couhaib Driouech scored twice, silencing the Kop and piling immense pressure on Arne Slot, as Liverpool suffered their fifth loss in seven games across all competitions.
Olympiacos 3 – 4 Real Madrid Real Madrid edged a seven-goal firefight in Greece, largely thanks to one man. Kylian Mbappé was unplayable, scoring all four of Madrid’s goals—including a stunning first-half hat-trick in under seven minutes.
Other Key Scores:
- Atlético Madrid 2 – 1 Inter: Inter Milan suffered their first defeat of the campaign.
- Chelsea 3 – 0 Barcelona: The Blues cruised past the Catalan giants on Tuesday.
- Man City 0 – 2 Bayer Leverkusen: A tactical masterclass from Kasper Hjulmand’s side at the Etihad.
- Sporting CP 3 – 0 Club Brugge: The Portuguese champions continue to impress.
Top 365Scores IR Performances
- Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid): A “10/10” performance. Four goals in a single UCL game is a rarity; doing it away from home in a hostile atmosphere is legendary. He is the top rated player in our Impact Rating of mathchday 5, with an avarage IR of 133.38. He now leads the scoring charts with 9 goals.
- Vitinha (PSG): The midfielder controlled the tempo and provided the cutting edge with a career-defining hat-trick against a top Premier League side. His avarage IR is 115.62.
- Couhaib Driouech (PSV): Came off the bench to destroy Liverpool’s defense, earning Man of the Match honors with 55.02 IR for a game-changing cameo.
- Arsenal’s Collective Defense: Conceding only 1 goal in 5 games against elite opposition highlights why they are currently the outright favorites.
Standings Snapshot
As we head into the final stretch of the League Phase, the table is taking shape. The top 8 qualify directly for the Round of 16.
Outrights & What’s Next
The Favorites: With a flawless record and a victory over Bayern, Arsenal have shortened as the bookies’ favorites to lift the trophy. Real Madrid and Man City remain top contenders, though City’s loss to Leverkusen has raised eyebrows.
The Danger Zone: Liverpool (9 pts) and Barcelona (7 pts) are currently sitting outside the top 8 automatic qualification spots and face a nervy battle in the playoffs if they don’t find form quickly.
Next Up: Matchday 6 is scheduled for December 9th and 10th. All eyes will be on whether Arsenal can maintain their 100% record and if Liverpool can stop the rot to save their European season.
