The Champions League is now down to its last eight teams, and the quarter-finals have thrown up some mouth-watering ties. For the fourth season running, there are only two English sides in the last eight, with Arsenal and Liverpool being the Premier League’s representatives this time around.
A Mix of Teams, Tactics & Tempo
As many as five countries are represented in the last eight- a reasonably healthy mix, all things considered. Spain are top with three teams- Real Madrid, Atleti and Barca. The Premier League has two teams as mentioned above, and one each from Germany (Bayern), Portugal (Sporting Lisbon) and France (PSG) complete the list.
Tougher for Liverpool, easier for Arsenal?
PSG beat Liverpool in the Round of 16 en route to their maiden UCL title in 2024/25, and it was the Parisians who effectively derailed the Reds’ season, with Arne Slot’s side also losing the League Cup final to Newcastle 4 days later in the same month.
The two sides will again meet this season, and revenge over PSG could go a long way in restoring Slot’s reputation after the difficult second season he’s had at Anfield- they’ve lost more league games in 25/26 than the previous two campaigns put together.
PSG demolished Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate in the Round of 16, while Liverpool thumped Galatasaray 4-0 at Anfield after having lost the first leg 1-0 in Turkey.
On paper, Arsenal probably have the easiest opponents in the quarter-final. The draw is also pretty kind to the Gunners, with PSG, Real and Bayern all on the opposite side of the bracket. Given the solid form the Premier League leaders are currently experiencing, quite a few folks will expect them to comfortably reach the final, although this is football, and anything can happen.
Even the most die-hard Sporting Lisbon fans wouldn’t have expected a first-ever UCL quarterfinal appearance after losing the first leg of their Ro16 tie 3-0 in Norway. But as luck would have it, they smashed Bodo 5-0 in the return leg in extra time at the Alvalade, and progressed 5-3 on aggregate. It’s the type of luck one hopes they get while playing social casino games, and having reached the last eight, Sporting will fancy their chances of upsetting the Gunners- they did get the better of Mikel Arteta’s side in a knockout tie in the Europa League a few years ago.
The Portuguese side also beat PSG in the league phase earlier this season and had Bayern Munich on the ropes before 3 quickfire goals in 12 mins from the Bavarians snatched the game away from the Lions. The Gunners cannot underestimate them, and to slightly complicate matters, the Gunners have to play arch-rivals Man City in a key, potentially league-deciding game just days after the second leg against Sporting.
One Spanish Side is Guaranteed a Final 4 Spot
With Barca drawing Atletico Madrid in QF3, one La Liga side is guaranteed to reach the semis. The two sides will meet three times in the space of 10 days, and while Barca start as favourites, it mustn’t be forgotten that Diego Simeone’s Atleti hammered the Blaugrana 4-0 earlier this year.
Atleti are also the lowest-ranked team from the league phase left in the competition- they finished fourteenth.
Both Barca and Atleti beat English opposition to reach the last eight. Barca beat Newcastle, with Eddie Howe’s Magpies demolished 7-2 at the Nou Camp in the return leg. Atleti prevailed 7-5 on aggregate against Spurs, with a 5-2 first leg win in Madrid key to their triumph.
Heavyweights Dominate One Side of the Draw
As mentioned earlier, PSG, Liverpool, Bayern and Real are all on one side of the draw, meaning that only one of them will reach the final.
While Bayern are in excellent form, Real’s tournament pedigree in this competition is pretty much unmatched, and they always somehow find a way to get things done in Europe. Bayern put 10 goals past poor Atalanta in both legs while Real overcame Pep Guardiola’s Man City 5-1 on aggregate, beating the Citizens both at the Bernabeu and at the Etihad Stadium. Munich vs Madrid; it’s probably the pick of the quarter-final ties on paper and premises to be a tasty encounter.
Real and Barca being on opposite sides of the draw means that an El Clásico final also remains a possibility. While there will be no dazzling magic from Lionel Messi or monumental moments from Cristiano Ronaldo in the fixture now, it still remains a blockbuster game, and one that TV executives will salivate over should it eventualise!