Champions League quarter-finals 2025/26: Liverpool face tough PSG test

The Champions League quarter-final draw is now con

March 20, 2026 Talk Football

Champions League quarter-finals 2025/26: Liverpool face tough PSG test

The Champions League quarter-final draw is now confirmed and eight teams are still dreaming of lifting the prestigious trophy in Budapest on May 30.

Paris Saint-Germain are still in contention to retain the title after demolishing Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate in the previous round.

The 2025 Champions League winners will now face Liverpool, who recovered from a shock first leg defeat at Galatasaray to ease into the last eight.

Read on as we look at the quarter-final draw for this season’s Champions League, before assessing which teams are most likely to progress to the next stage.

Champions League 2025/26 - Quarter-final draw

First legs

April 7 - Sporting CP vs Arsenal
April 7 - Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich
April 8 - Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid
April 8 - Paris Saint-Germain vs Liverpool

Second legs

April 14 - Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona
April 14 - Liverpool vs Paris Saint-Germain
April 15 - Arsenal vs Sporting CP
April 15 - Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid

Champions League 2025/26 – Quarter-final preview

Sporting CP vs Arsenal

Sporting CP have been one of the surprise packages in the Champions League this season, but their run will likely in the quarter-final.

After securing automatic progression to the last-16, Sporting appeared to be on their way out of the competition after suffering a 3-0 defeat at Bodo/Glimt.

However, a 5-0 victory in the second leg helped them become just the fifth team in Champions League history to come back from a first-leg defeat of three goals or more to win.

Sporting now face Arsenal, who finished top of the league phase standings before defeating Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 on aggregate in the round of 16.

The Gunners are still on course to win the quadruple this season and should have little difficulty securing a place in the Champions League semi-finals.

Prediction: Arsenal to progress.

Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich

The heavyweight clash between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich is undoubtedly the tie of the round, and picking a winner is no easy task.

While Madrid have an enviable track record of success in this competition, Munich are rated as the favourites to make it through to the semi-finals.

However, knocking Manchester City out for the third consecutive season will only strengthen Madrid’s belief that they can go claim a record-extending 16th title.

Munich easily disposed of Atalanta in the previous round, but their defeat against Arsenal in the league phase highlighted some noteworthy deficiencies.

Madrid have emerged victorious in each of their last four Champions League ties against Munich and are fancied to enhance that record here.

Prediction: Madrid to progress.

Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid

Barcelona were inconsistent during the league phase, but stepped things up with an emphatic 8-3 aggregate victory over Newcastle United in the round of 16.

While the Catalans will garner confidence from the manner of their performance, quarter-final opponents Atletico Madrid will be no pushovers.

Atletico have been strong on home soil this season, as evidenced by their thumping 5-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of their round of 16 tie.

Their 4-3 aggregate victory over Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-final highlights why it would be foolish to think the outcome of this tie is a foregone conclusion.

If Atletico can keep themselves in the tie heading into the second leg, they could give Barcelona plenty to think about at the Metropolitano Stadium.

Prediction: Atletico to progress.

Paris Saint-Germain vs Liverpool

PSG’s 8-2 aggregate victory over Chelsea in the previous round made a mockery of the Premier League’s expected dominance of this competition.

The reigning champions picked Chelsea apart over the two legs and a similar outcome could be on the cards when they go head-to-head with Liverpool.

They knocked the Reds out of the competition last season and will fancy their chances of a repeat performance when they meet again in April.

Liverpool lost to Galatasaray and PSV Eindhoven during the league phase - results which highlighted their problems across the pitch.

Arne Slot’s side avenged their defeat by Galatasaray in the round of 16, but their involvement in the competition looks set to end at the quarter-final stage.

Prediction: PSG to progress.