Champions League: The insane night that made history – and what it means for 2025/26

A night for the ages: This 5-5 draw has only happened five times before

What an absolute cracker of a night in the UEFA Champions League! I'm still sitting here with goosebumps and an empty beer bottle in front of the telly, trying to process what I just witnessed. You think you've seen it all in football, and then a game like this comes along and completely blows you away. I'm talking, of course, about that insane 5-5 draw. Yeah, you read that right. FIVE-all. In the Champions League. In what was supposed to be a midweek round all about tactics and control, these two teams threw the playbook out the window, went all-out attack, and served up a spectacle that's only happened five times in the history of the competition. Five times! That's rarer than a defender scoring from 30 metres.

I'm not even going to go on about the defensive lines, who looked like they'd rather have been off grabbing a coffee. Nah, this is about that relentless spirit, that end-to-end drama. A absolute treat for any neutral fan. If this didn't get your heart racing, then you might want to check your pulse. They ran, they fought, and in the end, a share of the spoils felt like a victory for the beautiful game itself.

Bodø/Glimt and the art of losing a game you'd almost won

Speaking of madness: You know that feeling when you're nearly at the summit and you slip on the final stretch? That must be exactly how the Bodø/Glimt boys are feeling right now. Against Sporting Lisbon, they had it all under control. For 34 minutes, they were putting the ball through the legs of the hosts time and time again. 34 minutes! In that time, they showed the rest of Europe exactly why Norwegian football is having such a moment. But then, yeah, then came the collapse. Sporting, that classic never-say-die team, smelt blood and pounced without mercy. They clawed back the deficit – a comeback that does the Portuguese side proud, but one that will echo around Norway for a while yet. It's that brutal efficiency that sets the UEFA Champions League apart from other comps. One moment of lost concentration, and the game's turned on its head.

London calling: The Arsenal vs Leverkusen showdown

And then there's this one particular clash I'm personally hanging out for like a kid waiting for Christmas: Arsenal against Bayer. The entire football world has its eyes glued to London. Who's going to book their spot in the quarters? The Gunners, young, hungry, and with that home advantage that often feels like a 12th man at the Emirates. On the other side, Leverkusen, who've shown plenty of times this season they can mix it with the big boys. This is going to be a nail-biter right up to the final whistle, I'm telling you. It's all on the line, it's for pride, it's for a place in the next round of the Champions League. Take it from me: it's going to get properly heated. This is one of those nights you set an alarm for or book leave from work.

Beyond the bubble: More than just the men's big one

If you reckon the world of the Champions League revolves only around the big men's teams, you're missing half the action. Even though the spotlight is naturally on the UEFA Champions League 2025/26, which is already casting its shadow forward, there's so much more to get into. Over in Asia, the giants are battling it out in the AFC Champions League – tactically often a different beast, but just as passionate. And then, of course, there's the Women's Champions League, which has absolutely boomed in recent years – we men could learn a lot from them. Full stadiums, gripping matches, genuine heroes. And if you want to see football in its rawest form, look to Africa: The CAF Champions League is a pure explosion of emotion, pace, and sheer joy for the game. No mucking about there – they battle for every ball like it's the last orange on the market stall.

Tell you what: This week has shown us again why we love this sport so much. Whether it's that historic 5-5, Sporting's incredible comeback, or that massive clash in London – the UEFA Champions League remains the stage for the greatest stories. And I'm already buzzing to see what the next round and the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 have in store for us. One thing's for sure: it's going to be loud, it's going to be emotional, and it's going to be bloody good football.

• Historic 5-5: Only the fifth time this scoreline has been seen in Champions League history.
• Bodø/Glimt: Led for 34 minutes against Sporting, only to be pegged back late on.
• London calling: Arsenal vs Leverkusen – a genuine 50-50 clash with the outcome wide open.
• Global game: The Champions League isn't just a European thing – it's massive in Asia (AFC) and Africa (CAF) too.