【WOWOW INC.】 “I’m happy to be able to see these amazing cards even in the early stages.” Former Japan national team player Hisato Sato sums up the early stages of the UEFA Champions League league phase and looks ahead to MD4 and beyond!
WOWOW Co., Ltd. Press release: October 29, 2025 To Members of the Press “I’m happy to be able to see these amazing cards even in the early stages.” Former Japan national team player Hisato Sato sums up the early stages of the UEFA Champions League league phase and looks ahead to MD4 and beyond! Due to popular demand, the “CL/EL 2025-26 Season Pass,” which allows you to enjoy WOWOW’s soccer programming to the fullest, has been extended by one week until Friday, November 7th! The UEFA Champions League (CL) is the world’s top soccer tournament, organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by Europe’s strongest clubs. WOWOW will provide exclusive live coverage (broadcast and streaming) of the 2025-26 Champions League season, captivating soccer fans worldwide, from the league phase through the final. The tournament, which kicked off in September, has now completed Matchday (MD) 3, the league phase in which participating teams play eight matches to determine their rankings. The state of the league phase is beginning to emerge. We spoke with former Japan national team player Hisato Sato, who serves as a commentator for WOWOW, about the tournament’s history since the start of the season and his outlook for the notable matches in MD4 and MD5 in November. Due to popular demand, WOWOW has decided to extend the sales period for the “CL/EL 2025-26 Season Pass,” which allows you to enjoy all WOWOW soccer programming, including all Champions League and Europa League matches, match highlights, and “Champions League Digest!” by one week until Friday, November 7th. We hope you enjoy November (MD4 & MD5), which is packed with big matches, on WOWOW.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1355/8498/1355-8498-82bef8e5137a8b69fcc72095dbf1e1ac-3900×2600.jpg
–First of all, how do you feel about the progress up to league phase MD3? Leverkusen, who are without their manager and key players, and Juventus, who have had to play consecutive games against strong opponents early on, are struggling, but overall, it seems like the strong clubs are steadily accumulating points. The tournament format has changed since the last time, and instead of playing the same opponent twice on a home-and-away basis, teams now play different opponents until MD8, so they can’t make up for losses. It’s important to earn as many points as possible at the start. The teams that will advance straight to the knockout phase (top 8) will likely become clearer than last season. On the other hand, teams aiming to advance to the playoffs (9th to 24th place) will want to keep the score low even if they lose early on, as last season’s result was decided by goal difference between the four teams that were tied with 11 points, and every single point will mean a lot at the end. –From MD4 and MD5 onwards, it looks like the teams will be split into two camps: those at the top of the league who are aiming to win straight through and those looking to advance to the playoffs while focusing on draws and keeping conceded goals low. This time, I’d like to ask you about the highlight matches of MD4 and MD5. First, what are your thoughts on MD4’s “Liverpool vs. Real Madrid”? Both teams seem to be incomplete. Liverpool still lacks the consistency they had last season. Will each player fit into the organization they’re trying to build? Ekitike, who has the drive to carry the ball forward, seems to fit in well, so the question remains: how will they use him alongside Isak? Also, Wirtz, who joined in the summer transfer market for a reported amount of over 20 billion yen, has yet to score a goal, causing some noise around the club. He’s shown great quality, so if he can score goals and improve his form, I think the team will be able to win consistently, so I’m keeping an eye on him. This is Xabi Alonso’s first year as manager at Real Madrid. It will be interesting to see how he will be received at the home of Liverpool, where he played during his playing days. While they are currently scoring goals through counterattacks, their organizational skills are still in development. I think they will want to force the opponent to move further away with their attacking build-up and use central positions to advance forward. The fact that they are placing more importance on Arda Güler is a difference from last season, but the key will be whether their strong individual players can connect under the new manager. Both teams have fast attacks and are equipped with players who can perform well when given space, so it’s important for both teams to close the gaps defensively. How can they change the situation in response to that defense? This will likely be a match where Liverpool change as a team, while Real Madrid change individually. The set-piece battles will also be worth watching. –Next up is Paris Saint-Germain vs. Bayern Munich, also in MD4. Both teams have continued to win big up until MD3. It’s great that the tournament format has changed and we can see such impressive cards even in the early stages. Despite being sidelined by injuries, PSG has consistently delivered results. Left-back Nuno Mendes took a more forward position and participated in attacks, demonstrating his devastating attacking power through positioning that made him difficult for opponents to pin down. This shows the strength of a champion team striving for a second consecutive title. Returning left-back Due scored a goal in MD3, and while Joao Neves is a solid midfielder, Vitinha in the center is in a class of his own. He’s small at 172 cm, but he uses his body well, keeps the ball from being stolen, and outwits opponents. It’s truly impressive that he can display such intensity on such a stage. I think his play will inspire Japanese youth development players. I also like the play of Zaire Emery. I think Bayern’s acquisition of Luis Diaz on the left wing was a big help. Last season, Olise on the right wing was a major asset, but he’s no longer limited to the right. They have an excellent balance between offense and defense, have a goal-scoring ace in Kane, and young player Karl is also emerging. Since Kompany took over as manager, we’ve seen his skill in positioning himself to create numerical superiority from the back and creating situations that free up the wingers. On the right, Laimer, positioned perfectly behind Olise, frees up the wingers. In the MD3 match against Club Brugge, he positioned himself on the left and passed the ball to Luis Diaz, who then scored a goal with a mid-range shot. He’s a player who can break down the opponent’s defense without a direct movement (to kick the ball). When both players have possession of the ball, they create unbalanced formations to displace the opposing defensive block. This creates an opportunity for the opponent to steal the ball, allowing them to aim for a counterattack even when under attack. I think it’s a seamless offense and defense, with a sense of control that seems to be there, but doesn’t. At the top level, goals are hard to come by without small mistakes. It’s a battle of who will create the opponent’s mistakes. I think it’s a battle of whether the attacking team can start a chain reaction that leads to the next small mistake, or whether the defending team can stop it. –Just hearing about this match makes it fun. Finally, please give us your outlook for MD5, “Chelsea vs. Barcelona.” Depending on the results of MD4, each team’s approach to the game may change. Last season, the 8th-placed team in the league advanced directly to the knockout phase with a record of 5 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses (16 points). Both teams already have one loss, so in this matchup between the two strongest Pot 1 teams, neither team will want to finish with zero points. However, if they lose in MD4, they may need to win all remaining matches. Both clubs should aim for a direct advance. How they calculate their winning tactics will change. From a pure perspective, both teams have offensive power, as evidenced by the high number of goals they scored in MD3. They also have players capable of scoring goals in the second row. Chelsea surprised everyone by defeating Paris Saint-Germain in July’s Club World Cup. Their new recruits are producing results, and their young players, especially up front, are also emerging. I think the key player in this matchup is right-back Caicedo, who has a wide playing area. Defensively, they must not give Barcelona any space and must be discerning about when to steal the ball. His ability to defend, steal, and advance will be crucial in that regard. Barcelona was pleasantly surprised by how well Rashford fit in. This is sure to be a source of some frustration for fans of Manchester United, where he played until last season. Ramin Yamal, who will be wearing the number 10 this season, is a symbol of the team’s current lineup. He’s garnering attention as a star player that children look up to. –So far, we’ve been talking about the notable cards from MD4 and MD5, but are there any others you’re paying attention to? I’m interested in the Italian team, Inter Milan. I’m a Milan fan, though (laughs). I think the reason Italian teams currently have a solid spot in the tournament is largely due to Inter Milan’s hard work. They also advanced to the final last season. Since the change of manager from Simone Inzaghi to Cristian Chivu, it seems like they’ve continued to develop while maintaining their former glory. Having witnessed Italy’s golden age, it’s a little disappointing to see them often falling behind other teams in recent years. Both Napoli and Juventus struggled in the MD3, and I think Inter are a symbol of Italian pride. –The exciting thing about the Champions League is seeing the top teams from each country advance, so it’s likely to get even more exciting if teams from each league advance. Finally, please give a message to readers who are planning to watch the UEFA Champions League. This time, we talked about the notable matches in MD4 and MD5, but I would also like you to pay attention to the performance of Japanese players competing on the biggest stage of the UEFA Champions League. The other day, the Japanese national team beat the Brazilian national team for the first time, and I feel that the status of Japanese players in the UEFA Champions League has been improving significantly. Frankfurt’s Ritsu Doan and Ajax’s Ko Itakura have reached this stage while still active in Europe. Doan provided an assist in MD3, but we can expect him to score goals in the UEFA Champions League in the future. Junnosuke Suzuki, who performed well in the match against Brazil, also played as a member of Copenhagen, but he was a J.League player who played for Shonan Bellmare until last season. Reaching the European Champions League just one year after transferring overseas is like a Cinderella story. People tend to focus on big clubs and famous players, but I want people to know that Japanese players who have dreamed of reaching this stage are also taking on the challenge. –Knowing the history of the world’s top clubs and Japanese players helps you appreciate the value of Japanese players who play for big clubs and Japanese players who compete against big clubs. That’s right. If you keep that in mind and watch the offense and defense on the pitch, I think you’ll have a lot of fun, so be sure to check it out! ★”CL/EL 2025-26 Season Pass” Sale period extended until November 7th (Friday) 23:59! For just 2,188 yen per month (※), you can enjoy plenty of WOWOW soccer programming, including all Champions League and Europa League matches! *Based on a sales price of ¥17,500, viewing from November 2013 to the end of June 2014 Purchase here: https://wod.wowow.co.jp/product/217
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1355/8498/1355-8498-454849249d0792ca96999990689b9f28-3000×1800.jpg Getty Images ◆◆◆ WOWOW program information ◆◆◆ UEFA Champions League 2025-26 Season Exclusive live coverage from the league phase to the final! (Broadcast & Streaming) “Napoli vs. Frankfurt” Wednesday, November 5th, 2:30 AM [WOWOW Live] [WOWOW On Demand] “Liverpool vs. Real Madrid” Wednesday, November 5th, 4:50 AM [WOWOW Prime] [WOWOW On Demand] “Paris Saint-Germain vs. Bayern” November 5th (Wednesday) 4:50 AM [WOWOW Live] [WOWOW On Demand] “Manchester City vs. Dortmund” November 6th (Thursday) 4:45 AM [WOWOW Prime] [WOWOW On Demand] ■For other matchups and detailed broadcast and streaming information, please visit the program’s official website!
https://www.wowow.co.jp/sports/clel/ UEFA Europa League 2025-26 Season Exclusive live coverage from the league phase to the final! (Broadcast & Streaming) UEFA Conference League 2025-26 Season Exclusive live streaming of the most anticipated matches right up to the final! Champions League Digest! 』 Broadcast and streaming on Fridays of Champions League match weeks ＜Related Information＞ ▶ WOWOW Soccer Official ▶WOWOW Soccer Official YouTube:
https://youtube.com/@wowowsoccer