Champions League Quarter-Finals 2026: PSG vs Liverpool, Real Madrid vs Bayern and Every Tie Previewed
Four ties. Eight clubs. One final in Budapest on 30 May. The UEFA Champions League quarter-finals begin on 7 and 8 April, and the draw has produced a superb set of fixtures. Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain face Liverpool in a rematch of last season’s round of 16. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich meet for the 29th time in European competition. Barcelona and Atlético Madrid are playing each other for the fourth time in ten days, having just met in a ferocious La Liga clash at the weekend. And Arsenal travel to Lisbon for a reunion nobody quite expected. The first legs kick off on Tuesday, and every single one of them matters.
Seriously juicy Champions League Quarter-Final fixture list this week
Sporting CP vs Arsenal
Viktor Gyokeres, who scored 97 goals in 102 competitive games for Sporting before joining Arsenal, returns to the Estádio José Alvalade in the first leg on 7 April. Sporting’s supporters will greet him with enormous noise. Whether that noise will be celebratory or hostile by the final whistle remains to be seen.
Arsenal beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16, drawing 1-1 in Germany before Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice scored in a 2-0 second leg at the Emirates. Mikel Arteta’s side are into their third consecutive Champions League quarter-final, and the competition remains the trophy that has eluded the club across their entire history. The injury list is a concern heading in: Gabriel, William Saliba, and Mikel Merino are all sidelined, and a 2-0 EFL Cup final defeat to Manchester City, as well as a defeat at Southampton in the FA Cup just before the international break left the squad searching for momentum.
Sporting are no pushover. After losing 3-0 to Bodø/Glimt in the round of 16 first leg in Norway — a result that looked terminal — they produced one of the genuine comeback performances of the season, winning 5-0 at home in extra time to advance 5-3 on aggregate. Rui Borges’ side have already beaten PSG, Club Brugge and Marseille at the Alvalade this season.
Yet history is NOT in their favour as Portuguese clubs have lost all nine of their previous Champions League quarter-final ties against English opposition. Sporting will be aware of it. Arsenal will certainly be reminded of it. The second leg at the Emirates on 15 April gives Arteta a fortress of their own if needed.
Real Madrid vs Bayern München
No two clubs have faced each other more times in UEFA competition than these two. This will be their 29th meeting. Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last nine European meetings with Bayern, have won all three prior Champions League quarter-finals between the clubs, and come here having eliminated Manchester City 5-1 on aggregate in the round of 16. Vinicius Jr remains the constant threat that no defensive line has found a reliable answer to.
Bayern’s case is built on a season of extraordinary output. Vincent Kompany’s side beat Atalanta 10-2 on aggregate in the round of 16. No team in the quarter-finals has scored more Champions League goals this season than Bayern’s 32. The concern going into Tuesday is Harry Kane, who picked up an injury during the international break with England and is a doubt for the first leg.
Bayern without a fully fit Kane operating through the middle is a considerably different proposition, particularly against a Madrid side that understands exactly how to defend a lead and hurt teams on the counter. Kylian Mbappe, meanwhile, arrives fresh from his return to goals in France’s friendly win over Brazil. The Bernabéu tie on Tuesday night is the single most anticipated club fixture of the week.
Harry Kane has been left out of the squad to face Freiburg and is now a massive doubt for the Real Madrid clash! 🤕🏴
— 365Scores (@365Scores) April 3, 2026
Can Bayern handle the Bernabéu without him? 👇 pic.twitter.com/QQnsjLBKHc
Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid
These two sides cannot stop playing each other. On Saturday evening at the Wanda Metropolitano, they met in La Liga for the first of what will be three clashes in ten days, and it was every bit as combustible as their rivalry demands.
Giuliano Simeone gave Atlético the lead before Marcus Rashford levelled in first-half stoppage time. Nicolás González was then sent off for a reckless challenge on Lamine Yamal, reducing Atlético to ten men for the entirety of the second half. Barcelona defender Gerard Martin had a red card of his own, controversially overturned by VAR. Juan Musso made a string of outstanding saves to keep Barcelona at bay, until the 87th minute when Robert Lewandowski turned a Joao Cancelo rebound off his shoulder and over the line to seal a 2-1 Barcelona victory — sending them seven points clear at the top of La Liga after Real Madrid lost 2-1 at Mallorca earlier in the day.
Now they do it all again at Camp Nou on Wednesday, this time with a European semi-final at stake. Atlético arrive carrying the fatigue, the frustration and the red card suspension of González. Barcelona arrive carrying momentum but also injury concerns: Raphinha is out until May with the hamstring injury sustained while on international duty with Brazil, Frenkie de Jong is still sidelined, and Jules Koundé and Alejandro Balde remain doubts.
Atlético’s threat is real regardless. Julián Álvarez has 14 Champions League goals in his last 17 matches in the competition, Ademola Lookman has contributed seven goal contributions in nine appearances since his January arrival, and Diego Simeone’s side beat Barcelona 4-0 at the Metropolitano in the Copa del Rey semi-final earlier this season before losing the second leg 3-0 at Camp Nou in a tie Atlético still won 4-3 on aggregate. Their record in Champions League quarter-finals against Barcelona stands at two ties played, two Atlético wins.
PSG vs Liverpool
A year ago at this stage, PSG knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League. Luis Enrique’s side went on to lift the trophy. Now Liverpool are back, and both clubs have been reminded of exactly what the other is capable of.
PSG’s form through the round of 16 was emphatic. They beat Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate — 5-2 in Paris and 3-0 at Stamford Bridge — and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has scored four goals in his last three Champions League knockout phase matches. The Parc des Princes has been a fortress all season, and Enrique’s squad depth is extraordinary: Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Gonçalo Ramos, Lee Kang-In and Bradley Barcola — who is a fitness doubt for the first leg — all competing for starting positions.
Liverpool’s route was slightly more turbulent. They lost the first leg to Galatasaray 1-0 in Istanbul before dismantling them 4-0 at Anfield, with Hugo Ekitike and Ryan Gravenberch scoring within 115 seconds of each other in a devastating spell. Mohamed Salah became the first African player to reach 50 Champions League goals in that tie, and Dominik Szoboszlai has scored in five of his last eight matches in the competition. Arne Slot’s side have won six of their last eight Champions League quarter-final ties.
Road to Budapest
The semi-final bracket is already set. The winners of Paris vs Liverpool will meet the winners of Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich. The winners of Barcelona vs Atlético de Madrid will meet the winners of Sporting CP vs Arsenal. The final takes place at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on 30 May.
FAQs
When are the Champions League quarter-final first legs?
The first legs take place on 7 and 8 April 2026. Sporting CP vs Arsenal and Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich are on Tuesday 7 April. Barcelona vs Atlético de Madrid and Paris vs Liverpool are on Wednesday 8 April. All kick off at 21:00 CET.
When are the Champions League quarter-final second legs?
The second legs take place on 14 and 15 April. Atlético de Madrid vs Barcelona and Liverpool vs Paris are on Tuesday 14 April. Arsenal vs Sporting CP and Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid are on Wednesday 15 April.
Who are the favourites to win the Champions League?
PSG are the defending champions and widely considered favourites. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona are all serious contenders, with Liverpool and Arsenal representing the strongest English hopes in the competition.
Where is the 2025/26 Champions League final?
The final takes place at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary, on 30 May 2026.
By Nicky Helfgott / @NickyHelfgott1 on Twitter (X)
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