The quarterfinals for the UEFA Champions League are set with a group of teams that are equally star-studded as they are successful, as nearly every team left has won the competition at least once.
Real Madrid, the reigning champions and the competition’s most successful team with 15 titles, are back in the mix after their dramatic round of 16 victory over Atletico Madrid. Bayern Munich and Barcelona, two of the Champions League’s most successful teams with six and five titles, respectively, are also in the quarterfinals and have their sights set on adding another trophy to their stacked trophy cabinet. A pair of teams with just one title their name – Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund – also eye deep runs in the competition, especially Dortmund after last year’s run to the final. As always you can catch all the Champions League action across Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network and CBS Sports Network.
The list of quarterfinalists also includes two teams still waiting for their first Champions League trophies, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal. Both got close to winning the whole thing in the last 20 years, but lost in finals to some of the competition’s perennial winners in the final and have hopes that there is not an encore at some point this season.
Here’s what you need to know about the Champions League quarterfinalists.
Champions League quarterfinal matchups
- Bayern Munich vs. Inter
- Arsenal vs. Real Madrid
- Barcelona vs. Borussia Dortmund
- Paris Saint-Germain vs. Aston Villa
The two-legged ties will be played from April 8 to April 16.
Bracket
Bayern Munich
Best finish: Winners (1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, 2020) – Bayern Munich have put in the work to be considered one of Europe’s heavyweights, winning six Champions League titles over the years and tied for third all-time with most titles. They won the competition for the last time five years ago, when they defeated PSG in a 1-0 game, with Kingsley Coman scoring the final’s lone goal in the 59th minute.
How they got here: It is not exactly surprising that Bayern made it this far, but their road to the quarterfinals has been notably bumpy. Their league phase campaign included highs like a 8-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb and multigoal losses to Barcelona and Feyenoord, as well as a tightly-contested knockout phase playoff tie against Celtic that could have gone either way. Things went much smoother for Bayern in the round of 16, when Bayer Leverkusen unraveled and ensured Bayern would advance to the quarterfinals with a 5-0 aggregate win.
Chances of winning it: Bayern Munich are arguably the biggest question mark left in this competition. They have gotten plenty of things right this season, most notable among them a commanding lead in the Bundesliga that will signal that things are going back to normal under new manager Vincent Kompany. There’s a real question about how good they actually are, though – their inconsistencies feel like asterisks on their record so far this season, especially their tie against Celtic, and their quarterfinal matches against Inter will offer a big test of their bonafides to win the whole thing.
Inter
Best finish: Winners (1964, 1965, 2010) – Inter are another European titan with the trophies to back it up, even if the wait for another Champions League title is into year 15. They last collected Europe’s top club prize in 2010 in a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich, memories of which might be top of mind when the two sides face each other in this season’s quarterfinals. Inter became the first team from Italy to win the treble that year and they could match that this season since they are still contenders to win the Serie A and Coppa Italia.
How they got here: Simone Inzaghi’s side have been the picture of consistency in all competitions, including in the Champions League. They dropped just four points from 24 during the league phase and finished in the top eight, booking a spot in the round of 16. They then breezed through Feyenoord, beating the Dutch side 4-1 on aggregate thanks to two goals from Marcus Thuram across the two legs.
Chances of winning it: If you are looking for a dark horse contender, Inter just might be as good a pick as any. Three years into Inzaghi’s tenure in charge of the club, they are a well-organized team that boasts some of the game’s most exciting players like Thuram and Lautaro Martinez. They also have a demonstrated ability to make deep runs in this competition and win silverware in recent years – they were the 2023 Champions League finalists and are the reigning Serie A champions. Their prospects might depend on fitness and the matchups ahead of them, since there are arguably no easy games left in this competition. Inter are good enough to make things competitive regardless of the opponent, though, making them a realistic contender in each game they will play for the rest of the season.
Arsenal
Best finish: Runners-up (2006) – Arsenal experienced their highest high in the Champions League nearly two decades ago when they reached the final, but a 2-1 loss to Barcelona at the Stade de France meant they would miss out on the ultimate prize. Their European ventures over the next 19 years have not always been kind to them, with the Gunners failing to advance past the quarterfinals since. They will have as stiff a test as any in this season’s last eight when they take on Real Madrid.
How they got here: Things have been fairly straightforward for Arsenal in the Champions League this season, who dropped just four points during the league phase and earned a spot in the top eight. Their round of 16 tie against PSV was particularly impressive – they won 7-1 in Eindhoven in the first leg, making the 2-2 draw in London the following week just a formality.
Chances of winning it: The pressure’s on manager Mikel Arteta to prove his Arsenal side are title contenders after back-to-back second place finishes in the Premier League, and the Champions League is essentially all they have left. A tie against Real Madrid does not help their case, especially as another round of injuries will leave the Gunners understaffed when European action resumes. The odds are not in their favor, though that could change if they somehow pull off a big upset in the last eight.
Real Madrid
Best finish: Winners (1965, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2024) – If there’s any team that’s synonymous with this competition, it’s Real Madrid. The 15-time Champions League winners have not gone longer than four years without winning the trophy since their 2014 triumph, also under current manager Carlo Ancelotti, and remain a contender even at their most imperfect. That was the theme of their run to the title just last season, when they found a way to win regardless of their performance and makes them among the favorites to win the whole thing again this year.
How they got here: Real Madrid’s Champions League campaign felt a little bit touch and go during the early days of the league phase, when losses to Lille, AC Milan and Liverpool raised concerns that they might not make it to the next round. They managed a respectable 11th place finish and then did away with Manchester City in the knockout phase playoffs, re-asserting their status as one of the major contenders for the Champions League title. Things were a little bit more complicated in their round of 16 tie against Atletico Madrid, in which they needed a penalty shootout to advance, but there were signs during that time that Real Madrid are peaking at the right time.
Chances of winning it: The reigning European champions are full of flaws. They sometimes struggle to find the attacking balance with Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo and have a fairly porous back line that make straightforward wins hard to come by. Real Madrid are the kings of the intangibles, though – they find a way to make victory inevitable even when they get things wrong, perhaps because they stockpiled some of the world’s best attacking stars and are frequently bailed out by their brilliance. Somehow, this title is once again Real Madrid’s to lose and it’s hard to say with any uncertainty that they will.
Barcelona
Best finish: Winners (1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015) – Another one of Europe’s most storied clubs, Barcelona collected four of their five Champions League titles in a 10 year span that included two wins under manager Pep Guardiola. They are now a decade removed from their last win, a 3-1 win over Juventus in Berlin, which offers a reminder about the chaos – of the club’s own creation – that has begun to define them. They have found a way to click on the pitch this season under manager Hansi Flick, who has made Barcelona look like real contenders in each competition this season and has made them one of the most intriguing teams to follow this season.
How they got here: Barcelona were just two points shy of first place in the league phase, marking a very impressive start to their European campaign. The highlight of the first stage includes a 4-1 win over Bayern Munich, which essentially announced Barcelona as a real contender in this competition and was a breakout moment for Raphinha, who is in the midst of a career-best season. Barcelona kept things in cruise control in the round of 16 against Benfica, where they notched a 4-1 aggregate win and booked a spot in the quarterfinals.
Chances of winning it: At this point in the season, Barcelona just might be the favorites to win the Champions League. Even as the never-ending saga around the finances continue, things could not be going better on the pitch – Flick has unlocked improved form in both Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski and is benefitting from the rise of Lamine Yamal. They seem to have what it takes to go the distance and if they do, it would be an appropriate to ring in the 10 year anniversary of their last title in this competition.
Borussia Dortmund
Best finish: Winners (1997) – Borussia Dortmund’s lone Champions League title came nearly three decades ago, when they beat Juventus 3-1 in Munich. The fact that the figure remains stagnant at one is not for a lack of trying, though – Dortmund have been back in the final twice in the last 12 years. They lost to Bayern Munich in 2013 at London’s Wembley Stadium, and returned to the venue for last year’s final against Real Madrid, which they also lost.
How they got here: Things have been up and down for Dortmund this season, who notched three losses and missed out on a spot in the top eight of the league phase. They have since undergone a managerial change, swapping Nuri Sahin for Niko Kovac, who has so far steadied the ship in European play. They made easy work of their knockout phase playoff tie against Sporting Lisbon with a 3-0 aggregate win and came out on top in a closely-contested round of 16 tie with Lille.
Chances of winning it: No disrespect to Dortmund, but their chances of winning the whole thing are fairly slim. It is not just the fact that they have to face an in-form Barcelona next; even outside of the Champions League, things have not gone well for them this season. They rank eighth in the Bundesliga and could miss out on European action next season if things do not go in their favor in the final weeks of the season. That could translate into Dortmund putting everything into their Champions League campaign, but the magic of last season’s run to the final has not returned just yet.
Paris Saint-Germain
Best finish: Finalists (2020) – The Champions League has been the trophy PSG have desired the most since Qatar Sports Investments took over the club in 2011 and they got their closest in 2020, when they lost to Bayern. Their history in the competition is otherwise checkered, but the current group might be dreaming big after proving their worth in the round of 16 against Liverpool.
How they got here: PSG had a very difficult draw in the league phase and went on a four match winless run, but they won the other four games and landed a spot in the knockout phase playoffs. Things were fairly straightforward in that round as they notched a 10-0 aggregate win over Brest, but they made a genuine statement of intent when they knocked out Liverpool in the round of 16. Luis Enrique’s side outplayed the Premier League leaders and emerged as perhaps the most exciting team left in the competition.
Chances of winning it: They definitely are not the favorites, but PSG are a fun dark horse pick at this stage in the competition. Enrique’s team is still fairly young and inexperienced and have no out-and-out stars but the group has found a way to click, especially after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s January arrival. They might be the favorites in their quarterfinal tie but with no easy matches left, it is no guarantee that they will be collecting winners’ medals in Munich in May. That does not mean they cannot get there, though it will require a big effort from a young team to do so.
Aston Villa
Best finish: Winners (1982) – Aston Villa’s glory days include the 1982 European Cup, defeating Bayern Munich 1-0 in the final in Rotterdam. Returning to the final has been difficult in large part because this season is only the second time Villa have competed in Europe’s top club competition since their 1982 triumph, though they have already matched the quarterfinal run they made in their previous season in the competition in 1983.
How they got here: The Villans’ first Champions League season in four decades has been a memorable one from the start, with Unai Emery’s side landing in the league phase’s top eight. They then had a straightforward outing in the round of 16, where they defeated Club Brugge 6-1 on aggregate to book a spot in the last eight.
Chances of winning it: As is the case for a few other teams, a run all the way to the podium feels unlikely for Villa. They are undoubtedly talented and have gotten better since signing Marcus Rashford and Marco Ascensio in the winter, but it is currently unclear how competitive they can be against Europe’s elites. Their quarterfinal clash with PSG will offer a first real answer to that question, but it may be a bit too early in Emery’s rejuvenation of Villa to really consider the team true contenders for the Champions League title.
This news was originally published on this post .
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