We’re getting down to the business end of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League after this week’s slate of games cut the field of teams in half.
The round of 16 threw up a few surprises, while several of the tournament’s top heavyweights also managed to punch their tickets for the quarterfinals, which run from April 7-15.
Here are the big questions facing the remaining eight clubs who remain in contention for a spot in the final on May 30 at Puskás Aréna in Budapest.
ARSENAL
Round of 16: vs. Bayern Leverkusen (3-1 aggregate win)
Quarterfinals: vs. Sporting CP
Can Arsenal be stopped? The Gunners are destined to win the Premier League title — they sit atop the table with a nine-point lead over Manchester City with seven games remaining in the season. Mikel Arteta’s side cruised through the initial phase of the Champions League with a perfect 8-0-0 record and remained undefeated after dispatching Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16. Along the way, Arsenal has conceded only five goals across 10 Champions League matches, so this is their competition to lose at the moment.
ATLETICO MADRID
Round of 16: vs. Tottenham (7-5 aggregate win)
Quarterfinals: vs. FC Barcelona
Can Atletico keep up its torrid scoring pace? Atletico scored a respectable 17 goals through eight games during the first phase of the tournament before pouring it on in their two subsequent aggregate series. Los Colchoneros bagged seven goals over two legs vs. Club Brugge in the playoffs and then put the hammer down with another seven-goal effort in the round of 16 vs. Tottenham.
BAYERN MUNICH
Round of 16: vs. Atalanta (10-2 aggregate win)
Quarterfinals: Real Madrid
Will Alphonso Davies be ready for Real Madrid? The Canadian international limped off the field due to a non-contact injury in the first leg against Atalanta. Davies had only recently returned from a torn muscle fibre in his right hamstring. The diagnosis by the team’s medical staff suggests the damage isn’t that serious this time around, but given Davies' recent rash of injuries, Bayern might be extra cautious and not risk it by playing him against Real Madrid.
FC BARCELONA
Round of 16: vs. Newcastle United (8-3 aggregate win)
Quarterfinals: vs. Atletico Madrid
Can Barcelona keep its momentum going? After a tightly contested 1-1 draw in the opening leg, Barcelona exploded for seven goals in the return match against Newcastle, equalling a club record for its biggest offensive output in a single match in the Champions League. Both Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski bagged a brace in the second leg against their English opponents in a positively brilliant display at Camp Nou. Now the blaugrana look to duplicate that stupendous display against their La Liga rivals.
LIVERPOOL
Round of 16: vs. Galatasaray (4-1 aggregate win)
Quarterfinals: vs. Paris Saint-Germain
Which Liverpool will show up vs. PSG? Liverpool looked positively dishevelled in the first leg against Galatasaray, dropping a 1-0 decision in Istanbul — and the damage could’ve been much worse if not for the Turks’ lack of finishing. But the Reds turned it around in the second leg at Anfield, registering a comprehensive 4-0 win. Liverpool will need a display similar to the one in the return match against Galatasaray if it wants to have any hope of getting the better of PSG.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
Round of 16: vs. Chelsea (8-2 aggregate win)
Quarterfinals: vs. Liverpool
Does Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have more to give? The Georgia international ran rampant against Chelsea with a brace in the opening match and another goal in the second leg at Stamford Bridge. In total, Kvaratskhelia has seven goals and four assists in 11 Champions League appearances this season. It’s an amazing goal contributions record, one that the former Napoli star will be keen to keep going in the quarterfinals against Liverpool.
SPORTING CP
Round of 16: vs. FK Bodø/Glimt (5-3 aggregate win)
Quarterfinals: vs. Arsenal
Can Sporting keep it going? The Lisbon-based club was the surprise package of the initial phase of the Champions League, winning five of eight games to claim one of the eight automatic berths for the knockout round. Their goose appeared to be cooked after suffering a 3-0 loss in Norway in the first leg of the round of 16. But Sporting pulled off an amazing comeback, thanks to a 5-0 home win in the return match.
REAL MADRID
Round of 16: vs. Manchester City (5-1 aggregate win)
Quarterfinals: vs. Bayern Munich
Will Kylian Mbappé come good? The French forward is the top scorer in this season’s Champions League with a whopping 13 goals. But all 13 of them came during the initial phase of the competition. Mbappé has failed to score in his last two outings, including the second leg over Manchester City, while also missing two games due to injury — his last goal in the Champions League came in January.
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 27 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer.
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