Chelsea and Barcelona experienced strikingly similar fates in the UEFA Champions League 2025-2026 this week. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland added insult to injury for his former club as Manchester City emphatically defeated Borussia Dortmund.
The fourth matchday of the UEFA Champions League 2025-2026 league phase resumed on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, local time, delivering a fresh wave of thrilling European football action.
This crucial day saw a series of captivating encounters unfold across the continent, shaping the group standings as teams battled for progression.
Notable fixtures on the schedule included Qarabag FK versus Chelsea, Club Brugge hosting Barcelona, and a much-anticipated clash between Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund.
Kicking off the proceedings, Chelsea embarked on a challenging away trip to face Qarabag at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium in Baku.
The Blues, under immense pressure, were unable to secure a full three points, settling for a hard-fought 2-2 draw against their determined Azerbaijani hosts.
Despite dropping points, this draw was arguably a fortunate outcome for Chelsea, as they narrowly avoided defeat against a spirited Qarabag side that pushed them to their limits.
Chelsea initially took the lead with a superb left-footed strike from their promising young star, Estevao.
However, Qarabag demonstrated incredible resilience, mounting a strong comeback with two goals in quick succession within a 10-minute spell. Leandro Andrade equalized in the 29th minute, followed by a penalty from Marko Jankovic in the 39th, sending Chelsea into halftime trailing 1-2.
After the break, manager Enzo Maresca made a tactical change, introducing Alejandro Garnacho in the 46th minute to replace Jamie Gittens, hoping to inject fresh impetus into his side’s attack.
The Argentine winger made an immediate and decisive impact, turning the tide for the English giants.
Just eight minutes after stepping onto the pitch, Garnacho found the back of the net, coolly slotting home to level the score.
Champions League Results – A Six-Goal Thriller: Club Brugge vs Barcelona Ends in a Stalemate
The thrilling encounter ultimately concluded with a 2-2 scoreline, a result that left Chelsea with mixed feelings but relieved to escape with a point.
In a strikingly similar turn of events to Chelsea’s match, Barcelona also found themselves teetering on the brink of defeat during their visit to Club Brugge at the Jan Breydel Stadium.
The Catalan giants similarly trailed 1-2 at halftime, facing an uphill battle against their Belgian opponents.
Club Brugge established their initial lead with goals from Nicolo Tresoldi in the 6th minute and Carlos Forbs in the 17th, showcasing their attacking prowess. Barcelona managed to pull one back through Ferran Torres in the 8th minute, but still went into the interval behind.
The second half saw Barcelona equalize through Lamine Yamal in the 61st minute, displaying their fighting spirit. However, their joy was short-lived as Forbs completed his brace just two minutes later, restoring Brugge’s advantage and piling pressure back on the visitors.
Fortunately for Barcelona, they were able to salvage a crucial point thanks to an own goal from Christos Tzolis in the 77th minute, sparing them from a significant upset.
This dramatic late equalizer resulted in a thrilling 3-3 draw, underscoring the unpredictable nature of Champions League football.
Meanwhile, Manchester City put on a dominant display as they hosted Borussia Dortmund at the Etihad Stadium, showcasing their formidable strength.
The reigning champions secured a resounding 4-1 victory over their German visitors, a performance that highlighted their title ambitions.
Adding a layer of poetic justice to the evening, Erling Haaland, who previously played for Dortmund from 2020-2022, found the back of the net against his former club in the 29th minute, a moment keenly felt by both sets of fans.
City’s other goals came from a brilliant brace by Phil Foden (22′, 57′) and a late strike from Rayan Cherki (90+1′), demonstrating their clinical finishing.
Dortmund’s lone consolation goal was scored by Waldemar Anton in the 72nd minute, a small highlight in an otherwise challenging night for the German side.
Here are the complete results from Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League 2025-2026 league phase:
Napoli 0-0 Frankfurt
Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal (Saka 32′-pen, Merino 46′, 68′)
Atletico Madrid 3-1 Union Saint-Gilloise (Alvarez 39′, Gallagher 72′, Llorente 90+6′; Sykes 80′)
Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid (Mac Allister 61′)
Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 Copenhagen (Johnson 19′, Odobert 51′, Van de Ven 64′, Palhinha 67′)
Olympiacos 1-1 PSV Eindhoven (Martins 17′; Pepi 90+3′)
Juventus 1-1 Sporting CP (Vlahovic 34′; Araujo 12′)
PSG 1-2 Bayern Munich (Neves 74′; Diaz 4′, 32′)
Bodø/Glimt 0-1 Monaco (Balogun 43′)
Pafos FC 1-0 Villarreal (Luckassen 46′)
Qarabag FK 2-2 Chelsea (Andrade 29′, Jankovic 39′-pen; Estevao 16′, Garnacho 53′)
Manchester City 4-1 Borussia Dortmund (Foden 22′, 57′, Haaland 29′, Cherki 90+1′; Anton 72′)
Newcastle United 2-0 Athletic Club (Burn 11′, Joelinton 49′)
Ajax 0-3 Galatasaray (Osimhen 59′, 66′-pen, 78′-pen)
Club Brugge 3-3 Barcelona (Tresoldi 6′, Forbs 17′, 63′; Torres 8′, Yamal 61′, Tzolis 77′-og)
Benfica 0-1 Bayer Leverkusen (Schick 65′)
Inter Milan 2-1 Kairat Almaty (Martinez 45′, Augusto 47′; Arad 56′)
Olympique Marseille 0-1 Atalanta (Samardzic 90+2′)
Summary
Chelsea and Barcelona faced similar challenges in the UEFA Champions League, both narrowly avoiding defeats. Chelsea secured a 2-2 draw against Qarabag FK, coming back from a 1-2 deficit with goals from Estevao and Alejandro Garnacho. Similarly, Barcelona salvaged a 3-3 draw against Club Brugge, equalizing late after twice falling behind, with goals from Ferran Torres, Lamine Yamal, and an own goal.
Meanwhile, Manchester City achieved a dominant 4-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund. Erling Haaland scored against his former club, complemented by a brace from Phil Foden and a late strike from Rayan Cherki. This emphatic win highlighted City’s formidable strength in the competition.
