The UEFA Champions League is back this April 7 and April 8, as the final 8 teams remaining in this year’s UEFA Champions League quarter-finals are set to battle it out to book a flight to Istanbul in Turkey, to have the chance to be called the champions of Europe in May 2026.

The quarter-final fixtures are juicy ones for football lovers or neutrals, as we have European heavyweights battling it out, underdogs proving a point, some clubs hoping to win their first Champions League title, some hoping to add to their trophy cabinets of many UCL titles, and some hoping to retain the title they won last season.

As the final international break before the 2026 World Cup in the summer is over and league and cup action resumed over the weekend, the Champions League is also back this week, and the fixture list for the quarter-finals looks like this:

Real Madrid vs Bayern – Tuesday, April 7

This is a heavyweight tie as these two European giants are set to battle it out for a place in the semi-finals. These two giants have last won the Champions League, with Bayern winning it in 2020, and Real Madrid winning it last in 2024. On their route to the quarter-finals, Bayern defeated Atalanta 10-2 on aggregate, while Real Madrid defeated another favourite for this year’s competition in the form of Manchester City by beating them home and away on an aggregate of 5-1. Heading into this tie, Madrid lost their last league match 2-1 to Mallorca to lose a little grip on the La Liga title race, while Bayern showed fighting spirit in their last league match as they came from 2 goals down to win the game 3-2. Heading into this tie, both teams have a very dangerous attack that can hurt any defence in the world, as they both boast two of the star men in this year’s Champions League. Real Madrid have Kylian Mbappé, who has 13 goals in this year’s competition, and Bayern Munich have Harry Kane, who has 10 goals to his name already. This is set to be the biggest tie of these quarter-finals, and also Real Madrid and Bayern Munich last faced each other in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League semi-finals. Real Madrid won the tie 4-3 on aggregate, with a 2-2 draw in Munich (April 30, 2024) and a 2-1 victory in Madrid (May 8, 2024) following a dramatic late comeback. So it’s hard to choose who would prevail in this tie as both teams are strong, and we all know Real Madrid when it comes to the Champions League, as they always have their clutch moments, but Bayern are also big favourites to win this year’s UCL, so it’s a tie to watch out for.

Sporting vs Arsenal – Tuesday, April 7

This is set to be a match that has to deal with mental strength in my books. The reason it’s stipulated to mental strength is the fact that Arsenal’s last two matches have seen them eliminated from two competitions, reducing their quadruple dream to just having to fight for a double in order not to end the season trophyless after being in a promising position to win it all. They lost the EFL Cup final to Man City 2-0 just before the international break, and as they resumed after the international break, they lost to Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals 2-1 to be eliminated from the competition, so this is like a redemption arc to redeem themselves after the last two outings. On the other hand, Sporting Lisbon come into this fixture with much confidence, as they went literally a foot away from elimination after suffering a 3-0 defeat to this year’s dark horse, Bodø/Glimt, in the first leg of the round of 16. Then the second leg came, and Sporting were on another level as they overcame a 3-goal deficit to win 5-0 in the second leg and 5-3 on aggregate to book a spot in the quarters and a clash with Arsenal. Sporting CP and Arsenal last faced each other on November 26, 2024, in a UEFA Champions League league phase match, where Arsenal won 5-1 away in Lisbon. Prior to that, they met in the 2022/23 UEFA Europa League round of 16, with Sporting advancing on penalties after a 1-1 draw on March 16, 2023. On a personal level, this is a clash that would mean more to Arsenal’s Swedish striker, Gyökeres, as he just joined Arsenal from Sporting in the last summer transfer window. The striker is actually on form right now, so this clash might be decided by him. On paper, this is an interesting clash, but I think Arteta’s men have the edge on this and should go through to the semis.

Barcelona vs Atletico – Wednesday, April 8

This is the battle of the Spanish giants on the European front, as Barca and Atletico battle it out for a place in the semis. These two teams last faced over the weekend, with Barcelona winning the game 2-1 to extend their lead at the top of La Liga. Over the coming weeks, both Barca and Atletico would have to be in each other’s faces. This tie is set to be a big one for Spanish football fans, as they have star men in both camps such as Barcelona having Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Rashford, Pedri, Lewandowski, while Atletico have Lookman, Griezmann, Simeone, Alvarez. Barca come to the quarters after beating Newcastle 7-2 in the second leg of their clash after drawing 1-1 in the first leg to prevail 8-3 on aggregate, while Atletico Madrid beat Tottenham 5-2 in the first leg and lost 3-2 in the second leg but still prevailed 7-5 on aggregate. To put it into context, Atletico had already eliminated Barca in the Spanish Cup earlier this season, so they might be out to do the same thing in the Champions League, but Barca look the favourites to move into the semis.

PSG vs Liverpool – Wednesday, April 8

The current champions of Europe battle it out with Liverpool for a place in the semi-finals. PSG come into this fixture after beating the last English opposition they faced, which is Chelsea, 8-2 on aggregate after they met in this year’s round of 16 tie, and Liverpool overcame Galatasaray after falling to a 1-0 defeat to them in the group stage, and they redeemed themselves by thrashing them 4-0 in the second leg at Anfield. Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain last faced each other in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League round of 16, with PSG advancing after a 1-1 draw on aggregate, winning 4-1 on penalties at Anfield on March 11, 2025, following a 1-0 first-leg victory in Paris on March 5, 2025. En route to PSG winning the Champions League last year, both sides have a bolstered attack, as PSG have the likes of Dembélé, Doué, Kvaratskhelia, while Liverpool have Ekitike, Salah, Wirtz. This is set to be an interesting tie, and also the fact that we don’t know the type of Liverpool side that would show up, as they have been inconsistent this season under Slot, but PSG have enough quality to prevail over the Reds.

This fixture is a step for the teams involved to get to play the Champions League final in May 2026, in Istanbul, Turkey.