Following a sensational Round of 16 stage, the eight winners of the round will now compete in the 2025-26 Champions League quarterfinal stage, which will offer cracking ties and historical rivalries in the competition, adding to the excitement levels. Six previous winners, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and record champions Real Madrid, will have their say after making it into the last-eight stage. It is a new place for others, like Sporting CP, to show what they are capable of, while Arsenal and Atletico Madrid battle it out to the next steps to make their European dream a reality. The quarterfinal ties of the Champions League will be played after the final international break of the season in the second and third week of April 2026. The first leg will be held on the 8th and 9th, while the reverse legs are scheduled on the 15th and 16th of the month, respectively.
Champions League 2025-26 Quarterfinal Ties
Sporting CP vs Arsenal
This is a familiar tie in European competition lately, as Sporting CP face Arsenal in the first quarter-final tie of the 2025-26 Champions League. The Gunners won spectacularly 5-1 in Lisbon in this Champions League meeting last time, just the previous season in the inaugural League Phase. However, the Portuguese giants were the victors last time these two met in the knockout stage of a European competition, winning on penalties after the score locked 3-3 on aggregate, stunning their opponents at the Emirates in the Round of 16 stage of the Europa League in 2023. They entered as underdogs back then and do so now, but are making a fairytale run this time.
Rui Borges’s side pulled out a sensational comeback to end another Cinderella story of Bodo Glimt after overturning a 3-0 first-leg loss to claim a huge 5-0 victory back at home to secure their passage to the quarterfinals for only the second time in their history. It is not the first time they secured a spectacular result in the competition this season, especially at home, having also stunning the holders, PSG, with a 2-1 win in the League Phase game at Estádio José Alvalade en route to sealing their spot in the top eight of the 36-team table. This set of results suggests Sporting are not pushovers and are capable of surprising the best of sides to make it to the semifinal of the competition for the first time in their history.
Their form in Europe, especially at home, where they have won all four games so far in the season and haven’t suffered defeat at the venue since February 2025, could be a concern for the Gunners, who also missed the chance of adding the first silverware of the season by losing to Manchester City in the League Cup final. However, Arteta’s men remain firmly in the hunt for a historical treble, sitting comfortably at the top of the Premier League table, reaching the FA Cup quarterfinals and now in the Champions League, having defeated a stubborn Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16. After also making a clean sweep in the League Phase, it will be a surprise if Arsenal don’t find themselves in the semifinal stage of the competition for consecutive seasons.
PSG vs Liverpool
A repeat of last season's high-voltage Round of 16 Champions League clash, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool will clash again in the quarterfinals of the competition this time. The Parisians overcame the Reds’ challenge back then after overturning a 1-0 home loss to win 1-0 at Anfield, tied on aggregate and then triumphed on penalties to go through. It kick-started a memorable run for the Ligue 1 giants, who went on to win their first European trophy after years of disappointment. Although Liverpool won the first-ever Champions League meeting 3-2 at home in 2018, they were left empty-handed in the tie and will seek revenge to make it to the semifinals for the first time since they won the competition in 2019.
Luis Enrique’s side has not been at their very best this season as they failed to clinch one of the automatic spots for the Round of 16 in the League Phase and faced a severe challenge from fellow Ligue 1 side, AS Monaco, in the knockout playoffs, managing to edge them 5-4 on aggregate. However, they turned up the gear against Chelsea in the previous round by defeating them 8-2 on aggregate to make their place in the last-eight. This was the fourth consecutive knockout-stage win for the Ligue 1 giants over an English team, staying unbeaten in the last six such meetings in the competition. PSG will want to extend that record, facing another Premier League outfit in the quarterfinals to make it to the last four for the third consecutive season under the Spaniard.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have their own struggles this season with their mojo of winning the Premier League last season long gone as they scramble for a place in the top four, let alone making a defence of their title. Arne Slot’s side also had problems in Europe, but still finished third in the League Phase of the Champions League, having topped it last time. The Reds then went down in Istanbul against Galatasaray again, but washed away the 1-0 defeat in the home leg of the Round of 16 tie by smashing the Turkish giants 4-0. The remarkable comeback motivates Liverpool to pursue glory in the competition to salvage their struggling season, although PSG will intensify the challenge, even with the advantage of playing at Anfield in the second leg.
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid
In an all-Spanish clash in the quarterfinals, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have played some edge-of-the-seat stuff this season, including two stunning legs in the Copa del Rey semifinal where Diego Simeone’s side unleashed a demolition at home while the Catalan giants almost provided a heroic comeback in Camp Nou. Barca won this encounter at the same stage last season, 5-4 on aggregate, amid other thrilling encounters in La Liga recently. They will now take their frenzy to Europe as they face each other in the last eight stage of the Chaṁpions League. It will be their first meeting in the competition since 2016, also in the quarterfinal stage, where Simeone’s Atletico beat Barcelona, managed by now PSG boss Enrique then, 3-2 on aggregate.
The Blaugrana won the first leg at home of that tie 2-1, coming from behind, but then lost 2-0 in the reverse leg to suffer elimination as holders of the competition back then. Hansi Flick’s side will not want to experience such a situation, facing a similar scenario back then after finishing as fifth best side in the League Phase and then destroying Newcastle in the home leg 7-2 of the Round of 16 following a 1-1 draw in England. Despite being eliminated from the cup competition by the very opponents they are facing in the last eight, Barcelona remain very much in the treble hunt this season, having won the Spanish Super Cup for the second year in a row and staying four points clear at the top of La Liga. Adding an European prize will eclipse their domestic treble-winning team last season and they will be determined to finish the job early at home.
Atletico have failed to win in their last three trips to Barcelona and have also been left winless in their previous two visits to Camp Nou. However, the second leg being at home is a great advantage for them, as they found out in the previous two meetings in the competition, eliminating their heavyweight opponents each time in front of their fans. Simeone’s side will want to do it again, having already exposed Barca’s high-line earlier in the season and having seen a surge in form in the second half of the season. They have shown an uncharacteristic scoring spree, too, which was reflected in the 7-5 aggregate Round of 16 win over Tottenham. With the top four spot almost guaranteed and the Copa del Rey final to play for, it will mark a successful season for Simeone if he guides his team past Barcelona again to reach the semifinal stage for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich
A historical rivalry in the Champions League classic will renew in the quarterfinal stage this season, with two esteemed winners of the competition, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, going against each other for the 29th and 30th time in the competition. It is their first meeting since the 2023-24 semifinals where the Los Blancos came from 3-2 down on aggregate to win 4-3 after a quick fire brace in from Joselu in one of the finest substitute performance the competition has ever seen in the dying embers of the second leg at Santiago Bernabeu put them in the final which they won to add a record-extending 15th title to their name. Historically, Real Madrid has a slight edge in this battle with 13 wins compared to 11 from Bayern Munich, including progressing from the last four knockout ties in the competition.
They will want to extend that record after proving again why they are the ultimate kings of the Champions League by blitzing Premier League giants Manchester City 5-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16, despite concerns over their form, key injuries and struggles under manager and club legend Alvaro Arbeloa. The side from the Spanish capital finished ninth after an inconsistent League Phase and had to labour through the two legs against Benfica in the knockout playoffs before making that statement over City, which might transform their season altogether. Real Madrid’s only possibility to win something this season looks to be the Champions League after falling off the title charge in La Liga, losing the Spanish Super Cup final again and suffering an early exit from the Copa del Rey, so they will do everything to secure a semifinal berth with top scorer Kylian Mbappe also back from injury.
However, they are about to face possibly the best side in Europe at the moment, Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich, who are also one of the favourites to lift the title this season. The Bavarians are in a rampaging mode, having obliterated Serie A side Atalanta 10-2 on aggregate in the Round of 16 after finishing second in the League Phase and only losing to the table toppers Arsenal all season, which was just their second defeat in all competitions. The Bundesliga giant has a mesmerising attack led by Harry Kane, who is firing like never before, while having one of the best wingers presently, Michael Olise. Bayern remain in the hunt for all three trophies available to them for a historic treble, having nine points lead in the league and reaching the semifinal of the DFB Pokal. The side will now aim for the semifinal stage of the competition by defeating the record winners for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
Champions League 2025-26 Quarterfinal Fixtures
First Leg
Wednesday, 8 April 2026
Sporting CP vs Arsenal - Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon (00:30)
Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid (00:30)
Thursday, 9 April 2026
Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid - Camp Nou, Barcelona (00:30)
PSG vs Liverpool - Parc des Princes, Paris (00:30)
Second Leg
Wednesday, 15 April 2026
Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona - Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid (00:30)
Liverpool vs PSG - Anfield, Liverpool (00:30)
Thursday, 16 April 2026
Arsenal vs Sporting CP - Emirates Stadium, London (00:30)
Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid - Allianz Arena, Munich (00:30)
