Eight teams remain in the UEFA Champions League, each of them resuming play this week as they begin to picture a berth in the May 31 final at Budapest’s Puskas Arena.
The field of quarterfinalists is made up primarily of Europe’s heavy-hitters including four of the last six Champions League winning teams, all of whom are being pitted against each other. The headlining act is Real Madrid’s clash with Bayern Munich, which begins in the Spanish capital on Tuesday and will see an inconsistent version of Los Blancos take on a Bayern side that are amongst the favorites to win the competition. On Wednesday, reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain take on Liverpool, who are also in the midst of a rough season, a year after winning the Premier League title.
LaLiga leaders Barcelona, meanwhile, take on Atletico Madrid in the second of three clashes between the two sides in a week. The quarterfinal action is rounded out by Arsenal’s tie with Sporting Lisbon, which will see Gunners forward Viktor Gyokeres take on his former side first with a visit to Portugal.
Here’s what you need to know before another round of Champions League matches.
How to watch
Paramount+ will once again serve as a one-stop shop for Champions League coverage this week, while CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network will simulcast select segments of the broadcast. Coverage begins at 2 p.m. on both days with UEFA Champions League Today pre-match show on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network, while all four matches will air exclusively on Paramount+. Post-match coverage shifts to Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network at the conclusion of the games, while CBS Sports Golazo Network will have new editions of The Champions Club (also simulcast on YouTube) and Scoreline as soon as the action concludes.
UEFA Champions League bracket
Quarterfinals first leg schedule
All times U.S./Eastern
Tuesday’s storylines
Can Real Madrid upset Bayern?: Two of the Champions League’s most successful sides will face off in the quarterfinals, though the pair will meet in Madrid under different circumstances. Bayern Munich have been the picture of consistency this season – they are fresh off scoring their 100th Bundesliga goal of the campaign and need just one more to break the league’s single-season record, while they are the greatest challenger to oddsmakers’ favorite Arsenal for the Champions League title. They reached the 100 goal mark on Saturday without Harry Kane after he sustained a minor injury with England last week, his status unclear ahead of the trip to Madrid. Even though Kane is far and away their greatest goalscorer, Bayern have the players to cope without him – Luis Diaz, Michael Olsie and Serge Gnabry have double digit goals across all competitions this season while teen phenom Lennart Karl has come good with nine of his own, including Bayern’s last-gasp winner in a 3-2 game at Freiburg on Saturday that ensured Bayern would reach the century mark.
Real Madrid do not have a shortage of quality but nearly two years and three managers after the club signed Kylian Mbappe, it is clear that they have yet to become the new version of the Galacticos they believed they would be once the World Cup winner joined their ranks. Mbappe has been the star of the show with 39 goals across all competitions but there’s a longstanding tactical imbalance in their squad, something that was on full display in their 2-1 loss at Mallorca on Saturday. They outshot Mallorca 15 to six but barely edged them out with 1.26 expected goals to the hosts’ 1.19, their attack sputtering once again. One can never really count out Real Madrid – their 5-1 aggregate win over Manchester City in the round of 16 indicative of just that – but there is a clear favorite in this tie, and it is Bayern.
Arsenal target return to form: Arsenal are still the favorites to win the Premier League and the Champions League but it has been a rough few weeks for the Gunners, who lost the EFL Cup final to Manchester City before the international break and followed that up with a surprise defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup quarterfinals. The onus is now on them to return to winning ways at Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday in the most mismatched of the quarterfinal matchups, with Viktor Gyokeres set to return to Estadio Jose Alvalade months after joining the north London side. Gyokeres will be a fascinating player to focus on in Lisbon since he has not been the out-and-out goalscorer the Gunners were in desperate need of last season – Gyokeres has scored 17 goals this season, only five of his 13 domestic goals coming against teams in the top half of the Premier League table while none have been against sides currently ranked higher than eighth. Arsenal have divided the goalscoring load so they have been able to survive Gyokeres’ average form but the goals will need to come from somewhere if they are to revert back to winning ways.
Wednesday’s storylines
Barcelona, Atleti meet again: El Clasico may be Spain‘s most notable matchup but Barcelona’s matches against Atletico Madrid have arguably stolen the show this season, the two sides set to meet for a fifth time on Wednesday before closing things out with a sixth and final meeting next week. Entertainment value has been in high supply each time with no fewer than three goals in each game so far, setting up for what should hopefully be an exciting Champions League tie. Barcelona will be the favorites as long as Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski are in tow, though Raphinha‘s absence will be hard to ignore. The Brazil international sustained another hamstring injury during the international break and is set to miss both legs of the clash against Atleti, leaving Hansi Flick’s side without one of its most important players as they chase a second consecutive run to the Champions League semifinals. The team’s defensive resolve, meanwhile, is still a bit of a question, leaving an opening for the in-form Julian Alvarez and Atleti legend Antoine Griezmann, who will be eager to close out his long association with the club on a high before moving to MLS’ Orlando City.
A rematch for PSG, Liverpool: Paris Saint-Germain’s run to Champions League glory arguably began in earnest with a round of 16 triumph over Liverpool last season, so this year’s rematch offers a chance for Luis Enrique‘s side to remind onlookers of their title credentials. Their title defense has not been perfect but last month’s 8-2 aggregate pummeling of Chelsea was a signal that PSG are still amongst Europe’s elites, while they have the added benefit of receiving a weekend off from Ligue 1’s authorities as they prepare for another Champions League night at home. Liverpool, meanwhile, are all over the place – their 4-1 aggregate win over Galatasaray was a reprieve from a poor run of form, that game their only win in their last five. The Reds are also coming off a 4-0 pounding by Manchester City in the FA Cup, perhaps a signal that Mohamed Salah’s final season with the club will not come with a storybook ending.
