Upsets at the Top During the First Legs of the Champions League Quarterfinals
Football fans around the globe will turn their attention to the stadiums on Tuesday, April 7, and Wednesday, April 8, to follow high-stakes matchups during the first leg of the quarter-finals of the 2026 UEFA Champions League.
Featured Matches and Stakes
Real Madrid will host Bayern Munich in what is expected to be a pre-final encounter, while Paris Saint-Germain challenges Liverpool FC in a rematch of last season’s confrontation. At the same time, FC Barcelona will face their fellow compatriots Atlético Madrid.
Team Ambitions
Real Madrid, the most successful club in the history of the competition with 15 trophies, is seeking to overcome its recent disappointments in the league after a 2-1 loss to Real Mallorca. They aim to secure a positive result against the German champions at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Liverpool FC hopes to revive its fortunes following a heavy 4-0 defeat to Manchester City and their elimination from the UEFA Cup, as they travel to Parc des Princes.
On the other hand, Arsenal FC, knocked out of the FA Cup by Southampton FC (2-1) and already out of the Carabao Cup against Manchester City, will aim to reclaim its glory against the surprise package of the tournament, Sporting CP.
As for FC Barcelona, they will go up against Atlético Madrid for the second time in four days after their La Liga derby, which ended with a 2-1 victory for the team led by Lamine Jamal.
The Qualification and Elimination Table
The teams qualified for this season’s quarter-finals are: Sporting CP, Arsenal FC, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Liverpool FC, Bayern Munich, and Atlético Madrid.
The clubs eliminated in the Round of 16 are: Manchester City, Atalanta BC, Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Galatasaray SK, Atalanta BC, and Bodø/Glimt.
