Who Will They Face: Italian Champions League Hopes Rest on Inter Juventus and Atalanta.
Only three Italian teams remain in the Champions League as Inter, Juventus and Atalanta chase glory, money and a crucial fifth UCL spot.
Andrea Locorotondo
Updated on 29 January 2026
Italian teams Champions League hopes after Napoli’s exit
There are now three Italian teams left who will try to go all the way in the 2025/2026 Champions League season.
After Napoli’s elimination, it is now up to Inter, Juventus, and Atalanta to carry the banner of Italian soccer, accumulate points in the UEFA coefficient, and hope to bring a fifth team to the next edition of the Champions League.
In addition, of course, to each team’s purely personal considerations regarding the financial side, since the further they advance, the more revenue they generate.
However, the three Italian teams remaining in the competition will have to go through the playoffs. Here are their possible opponents.
Champions League journey continues ✅#UCL pic.twitter.com/j6skDC3eIU
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 28, 2026
Juventus Champions League playoff opponents and history
Juventus will face either Club Brugge or Galatasaray.
The Bianconeri already played the Belgians in last season’s Champions League, drawing 0-0.
The two teams were in Group A in 2005/06. Fabio Capello’s Juventus won both times. However, it was Brugge who eliminated Juventus in extra time in the 1977/78 European Cup semi-final.
Juventus’ past against Galatasaray is less rosy, with two defeats, three draws, and only one victory in 2003/2004 with a brace from Alessandro Del Piero.
Inter and Atalanta face tricky Champions League paths
Inter, on the other hand, will face either Benfica or Bodo/Glimt.
While a match against the Norwegians would be a first, against the Portuguese Inter can dive into sweet memories, starting with the final won in 1964/1965 with Jair’s goal.
In the following six meetings, Inter won three times and drew three times.
For Atalanta, it will be a new challenge in the Champions League against both Borussia Dortmund or Olympiakos. However, the teams have already faced each other in the Europa League.
Against Olympiakos, Atalanta won 5-1 on aggregate in the playoff round, while against Borussia Dortmund there has only been one double-header, but in this case, it was in the 2017/2018 Europa League season, with the Germans beating Gasperini’s team in extra time after a thrilling 3-3 draw.
Andrea Locorotondo
Andrea Locorotondo is an Italian sports journalist. He has been living in the UK since 2015 and he is accredited by the SJA and AIPS. In addition to his role as contributor for FootItalia, he has demonstrated his ability to effectively cover a range of positions in sports journalism. Former Sportitalia TV journalist back in 2014, he is currently employed as a data journalist for Opta and Sportsdata. He is the team leader of Italian commentators at GBVision. He collaborates with EA Sports and frequently appears as a guest on Italian radio and television shows, including RDS Serie A TV and La Fiera del Calcio, where he shares his insights as a Premier League expert.
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