Champions League knockout phase play-off first legs: Key stats and what to look out for in every game

Benfica and Real Madrid are set for a rematch in Lisbon while Galatasaray, Borussia Dortmund and Leverkusen chase collective milestones and Kylian Mbappé, Alejandro Grimaldo and Kasper Høgh aim to extend scoring streaks.

We run through the key statistics from every contest.

All kick-off times are 21:00 CET unless stated

Tuesday 17 February

Galatasaray vs Juventus (18:45 CET)

• Galatasaray and Juventus have met six times in UEFA competition, each encounter coming in the Champions League group stage. Galatasaray hold the upper hand with two wins, Juventus have one victory and the remaining three matches ended level.
• This is only the second two-legged tie between a Turkish and an Italian club in competition history, including qualifying. The first came in the 1962/63 European Cup quarter-finals, when AC Milan defeated Galatasaray 8-1 on aggregate.
• Galatasaray have only lost three of their last 17 UEFA matches against Italian teams (W7 D7) and have not lost against such opposition in Türkiye since 1963, winning seven and drawing four from 11 matches since.
• The Turkish club are set to make their 200th appearance in this competition, becoming the first representative from their country to reach that milestone. They are also two shy of 250 goals scored.
• Galatasaray midfielder Mario Lemina played for Juventus between 2015–17. Eight of his 42 appearances for the Bianconeri came in the Champions League.
• Juventus have lost only two of their ten previous UEFA matches against Turkish opposition (W5 D3) but both defeats were inflicted by Galatasaray.
• The Italian side have not lost the first leg in any of their last six UEFA competition two-legged ties (W3 D3).
• Juventus are participating in the Champions League knockout phase for the 10th time in 12 seasons; Galatasaray are doing so for the first time since the 2013/14 season.

Benfica vs Real Madrid

• These teams produced a Champions League classic on Matchday 8 when a last-minute header from goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin secured Benfica's knockout-phase passage. Before that, Benfica and Real Madrid had met three times in UEFA competition: in the 1962 European Cup final, which Benfica won 5-3, and again in the 1964/65 quarter-finals – Benfica winning 5-1 in Lisbon before a 2-1 defeat in Madrid.
• Benfica have lost their last five UEFA two-legged ties against Spanish opposition. Their most recent success was against Real Betis in the 1982/83 UEFA Cup.
• The Portuguese side have won four of their previous six UEFA home matches this season (L2).
• Prior to that 4-2 defeat on Matchday 8, Real Madrid were unbeaten in ten successive UEFA matches against Portuguese teams (W8 D2).
• Real Madrid have won ten of their last 12 two-legged ties in the Champions League.
• Kylian Mbappé has scored 13 goals in just seven appearances this season — with eight of those coming in his last three matches.
• Real Madrid are participating in the Champions League knockout phase for a 29th successive season while Benfica return for a fourth knockout phase campaign in five seasons.
• Benfica coach José Mourinho was at the Real Madrid helm from May 2010 to June 2013, winning the Copa del Rey in 2010/11 and La Liga the following season, while Madrid defender Álvaro Carreras signed for the club last summer from Benfica, where he made 68 appearances, scoring five goals, between 2024 and 2025.

Monaco vs Paris

• This is the first UEFA competition meeting between Monaco and Paris but both sides have previously partaken in all-French ties: Monaco were eliminated by Marseille in the 1998/99 UEFA Cup third round, while Paris defeated Brest 10-0 on aggregate at this stage last season.
• Monaco have lost their last five two-legged ties in UEFA competition.
• However, the Principality club have lost only one of their last seven Champions League matches (W2 D4) and have kept four clean sheets in their previous six.
• Monaco defender Thilo Kehrer made 128 appearances across four seasons with Paris, including 20 in the Champions League.
• Takumi Minamino's second-half goal gave Monaco a 1-0 home win against Paris in Ligue 1 on 29 November. That success ended a run of three successive defeats – and five games without a win (D1 L4) – against the capital club.
• Paris won six of their last seven two-legged ties in the Champions League. The holders have only lost two of their last 12 matches overall in UEFA competition (W7 D3).
• Paris are competing in the Champions League knockout phase for the 14th season running; Monaco reached this stage last season but were eliminated by Benfica.

Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta

• The only previous meetings between these sides in UEFA competition came in the 2017/18 Europa League round of 32. Dortmund advanced via a 4-3 aggregate win, following up a 3-2 home win in the first leg with a 1-1 draw in Italy.
• Dortmund have lost their previous three two-legged ties against Italian opposition in this competition, most recently against Juventus in the 2014/15 round of 16. They beat the Turin club on their most famous European night, however, a 3-1 victory sealing their only title in 1997.
• The German club have only won one of their last seven UEFA meetings with Italian teams (D3 L3).
• Victory would secure Dortmund's 100th win in this competition. They have won the home leg in six of their last eight two-legged ties in the Champions League.
• Atalanta have only lost two of their previous 11 UEFA matches against German teams (W6 D3). They have won each of the most recent three without conceding.
• La Dea are unbeaten in their last four UEFA away matches against German opposition (W3 D1).
• Dortmund are competing in the Champions League knockout phase for the 11th time in 14 seasons; Atalanta for the fourth time in the last seven.

Wednesday 18 February

Qarabağ vs Newcastle (18:45 CET)

• This is the first UEFA competition meeting between these clubs and Newcastle's first against a team from Azerbaijan.
• The hosts are Champions League knockout phase debutants and the first team from their country to reach this stage of the competition.
• Qarabağ are winless in their previous nine UEFA meetings with English opposition (D1 L8).
• Gurban Gurbanov's charges have scored two or more goals in their last six Champions League home matches. Camilo Duran has opened the scoring in the last two.
• Newcastle have only won two of their last 15 UEFA away matches (D8 L5). They finished with a record of one win, two draws, and one defeat from such fixtures in the league phase.
• This is also Newcastle's maiden voyage in the Champions League knockout phase.

Club Brugge vs Atleti

• These teams have met eight times in UEFA competition, with the record balanced: three wins each and two draws. Most recently, they met in the 2022/23 Champions League group stage when Club Brugge won 2-0 at home before drawing 0-0 in Madrid.
• The Belgian side have won both of their previous two-legged ties against Atleti. They recorded a 4-3 aggregate victory in the 1977/78 European Cup quarter-finals and were successful again in the 1991/92 Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals.
• Club Brugge are unbeaten at home against Atleti after four UEFA meetings (W3 D1). They have scored three or more goals in five of their six UEFA home matches this season.
• Diego Simeone's charges have lost four of their last six knockout-phase ties in the Champions League.
• Apart from their eight meetings with Club Brugge, Atleti's only other meeting with Belgian opposition in European competition was a 3-1 home success against Union SG on Matchday 4.
• Atleti are in the knockout phase of this competition for the 11th time in the last 13 seasons; Club Brugge are appearing for the second successive season.

Bodø/Glimt vs Inter

• The only previous UEFA meetings between the sides were in the second round of the 1978/79 Cup Winners’ Cup. Inter earned a 7-1 aggregate victory, winning home and away.
• Bodø/Glimt beat Lazio in a two-legged tie on their way to the Europa League semi-finals last season. However, that is the only time the Norwegian club have succeeded against Italian opposition in five UEFA two-legged ties.
• Kasper Høgh has scored three goals in Bodø/Glimt’s last two Champions League matches. Bodø/Glimt have scored two or more in six of their last eight.
• Inter are unbeaten in their four UEFA matches against Norwegian opposition (W3 D1).
• The Nerazzurri have won six of their last seven two-legged ties in this competition and they are unbeaten in the first leg during that span (W6 D1).
• Bodø/Glimt are Champions League knockout phase debutants; Inter have reached the final in two of the last three seasons.

Olympiacos vs Leverkusen

• Olympiacos won 2-0 when these sides met in Greece on Matchday 7. Their only other UEFA meetings were in the 2002/03 Champions League season with each side claiming a home win in the first group stage.
• The Greek side's Matchday 7 success ended a run of 13 matches without a win against German teams in UEFA competition (D1 L12).
• Olympiacos have matched their longest winning streak in the Champions League proper with three consecutive victories. They have won the home leg in six of their seven two-legged ties in UEFA competition.
• Olympiacos defender Panagiotis Retsos joined Leverkusen from the Greek outfit in August 2017. He went on to make 44 appearances for Die Werkself between 2017–22.
• Alejandro Grimaldo has scored in three of Leverkusen’s last four Champions League matches.
• One goal would see Leverkusen reach the milestone of 200 goals in this competition.
• This is Olympiacos' first Champions League knockout phase participation since the 2013/14 season. Leverkusen were eliminated in the round of 16 last season.