These are the Champions League quarterfinal matchups: Every tie explained
With the 2025/26 Champions League field now down to eight, we profile each of the four quarterfinal clashes in Europe’s elite club competition.
The Champions League quarterfinals are set, delivering four colossal matchups - pure paradise for soccer fans. This year’s bracket features a combined 33 titles in Europe’s top competition (15 of them belonging to Real Madrid) and brings together the reigning champions and current league leaders of both LaLiga and the Premier League, as well as the Champions League holders. The first legs are scheduled for April 7 and 8, with the return legs on April 14 and 15. These are the matchups:
PSG vs Liverpool
Last season’s quarterfinal showdown between the Parisians and the Reds gets a sequel - one Champions League title on one side, six on the other. A year ago, Luis Enrique’s team flipped the tie at Anfield after losing the first leg in Paris (1-0 both ways), ultimately advancing on penalties. Ousmane Dembélé’s goal propelled the French side into the semifinals and eventually toward lifting the trophy.
The two clubs also met in 2018, with PSG going through on that occasion as well. This time it’s the reigning Champions League winners against the reigning Premier League champions. The second leg will be played in England.
Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich
Madrid vs Bayern is the Champions League classic - 15 titles against six. No matchup has been played more often in the history of the competition: 28 meetings, with Madrid winning 13 and Bayern 11, a remarkably balanced record.
It’s also the most frequently repeated knockout pairing since the Champions League era began in 1992-93. The sides have met 10 times in knockout rounds, and Madrid has advanced in seven of them. Getting through this matchup has historically been a title omen: Madrid has won the Champions League six of the seven times they eliminated Bayern; Bayern has gone on to win it one of the three times they knocked out Madrid.
A curious stat: every time Madrid and Bayern have met in the quarterfinals (1988, 2002, and 2017), Madrid has gone on to reach the semifinals.
Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid
The only clash involving two teams from the same domestic league, Barcelona vs Atlético is a rivalry that has become a regular fixture in both the Champions League and the Copa del Rey in recent years.
Barcelona owns five European Cups, while Atlético continues its pursuit of a first. The Copa duel between the sides earlier this season is still fresh: Atlético dominated the first leg and survived the second. The tie is packed with compelling storylines, none bigger than Julián Álvarez - Atlético’s star forward and a long‑standing target for Barça. The second leg will be played at the Metropolitano.
Sporting CP vs Arsenal
Viktor Gyökeres’ return to Lisbon, to face the club where he dazzled Europe, adds extra intrigue to this tie. Neither Sporting nor Arsenal has ever won the Champions League.
The two sides met in last year’s league phase, with Mikel Arteta’s team steamrolling the Lions 5-1. But their previous knockout confrontation tells a different story: in the 2023 Europa League, Sporting eliminated Arsenal at the Emirates with a 2-1 win in the second leg. Sporting will need a repeat performance this time around.
UCL quarterfinals - full schedule (all games kick off at 3:00 p.m. ET):
First legs
Tuesday, April 7
- Sporting CP vs Arsenal
- Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich
Wednesday, April 8
- Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid
- Paris Saint-Germain vs Liverpool
Second legs
Tuesday, April 14
- Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona
- Liverpool vs Paris Saint-Germain
Wednesday, April 15
- Arsenal vs Sporting CP
- Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid
Champions League bracket:
Who is going all the way to Budapest? 🤔#UCL pic.twitter.com/ovuX4MbT5p
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 18, 2026
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