Champions League quarter-finalists: Meet the teams

League phase: W8 D0 L0 F23 A4 (1st place)
Round of 16: 3-1agg vs Leverkusen
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Gabriel Martinelli (57)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 8
Last season: Semi-final (L1-3agg vs Paris)
Best European Cup performance: Runners-up (2005/06)

Why they can win the competition
Over the past three seasons, both domestically and in the Champions League, Arsenal have been consistently improving, and now they look to be on the verge of glory, ready to cash in all the experience they have accumulated. Two years ago, the Gunners made it to the quarter-finals; last year they bowed out in the semis. The next step is the 2026 final in Budapest. If they get there, Mikel Arteta's side have the resilience and firepower to get over the line.

How they play
Deadlocked at the back, lethal on set pieces and goals from every angle. Arteta's team can win matches in any number of ways, built on foundations that average a goal conceded every other game. But the fact that 12 outfield players have contributed to their goal tally shows that Arsenal are far from just a solid defensive unit. Up front, Viktor Gyökeres is the missing piece of the puzzle to unleash the pace and trickery around him.

UEFA's Arsenal reporter, Joseph Terry: The league phase can be summed up in one word: perfect. No other team has ever gone through with a 100% winning record, plus Arsenal were top scorers and kept five clean sheets. A hard-fought 1-1 draw in Leverkusen in the first leg of their round of 16 tie was followed up by a comfortable 2-0 home win, and it seems like every campaign Mikel Arteta's side show demonstrable progress in this competition. The Gunners must surely be considered strong contenders for a spot in this year's final in Budapest.

Coach: Mikel Arteta
Assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City from 2016 to 2019, Arteta guided Arsenal to a 14th FA Cup in his first season in charge. After eighth and fifth-placed Premier League finishes in 2021 and 2022 respectively, Arteta's team have been runners-up in each of the last three campaigns.

Key player: Bukayo Saka
Saka came through the ranks before his breakout season with the Gunners in 2019/20. Blessed with pace and fine finishing ability, the right-winger passed 50 league goals and 250 total appearances for the club last term. An FA Cup winner in 2020, he has also played in the last two EURO finals for England.

Did you know?
Arsenal have won only three of their nine previous European Cup/Champions League quarter-final ties, though one of those victories came last season when they defeated Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate.

League phase: W4 D1 L3 F17 A15 (14th place)
Knockout phase play-off: 7-4agg vs Club Brugge
Round of 16: 7-5agg vs Tottenham
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Julián Alvarez (75)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 12
Last season: Round of 16 (2-2agg, L2-4pens vs Real Madrid)
Best European Cup performance: Runners-up (1973/74, 2013/14, 2015/16)

Why they can win the competition
Atleti are enjoying one of their highest-scoring seasons, with a deep squad and versatile players like Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann. This gives Diego Simeone an advantage this season, as he can employ different game strategies throughout the knockout phase. Furthermore, although Julián Alvarez is their ace, they don't rely on a single player in their offensive line-up, as 12 players have scored in the Champions League this season.

How they play
With a style based on defensive organisation and strong pressure after losing possession, Atleti can employ various formations, though a 4-4-2 serves as the foundation. In this versatile system, which allows for positional flexibility, Simeone's team this season features a more sophisticated and rapid ball movement, enabling them to make the most of their strikers. In this system, players like Griezmann are key due to their ability to read the game and provide options in the build-up.

UEFA's Atleti reporter, Juan Díaz: Atleti have turned the Estadio Metropolitano into a fortress. The Rojiblancos won their first three home games, scoring ten goals and conceding just three, only losing the last on Matchday 8 when a top-eight place became unlikely. They returned to winning ways against Club Brugge in the knockout phase play-off second legs and earned what proved a crucial advantage against Tottenham with a 5-2 first leg win in the round of 16.

Coach: Diego Simeone
In his 15th season at the helm having arrived in December 2011, Simeone has qualified for the last 13 editions of the Champions League. As well as winning La Liga twice with Atleti, he has led the club to two Europa League triumphs, two UEFA Super Cups and two Champions League finals. The ultimate European crown has evaded him, though, and remains the one big trophy missing from his cabinet.

Key player: Julián Alvarez
His three goals and two assists in the two-legged tie against Tottenham – and especially the sense of danger he creates every time he has the ball – have made Alvarez the Rojiblancos' main attacking threat. The challenge will be a tough one, however, as the quarter-final match-up against Barcelona promises to be a high-stakes showdown. The Argentinian striker, moreover, has strong support this season from Alexander Sørloth and Antoine Griezmann, who join him on the club's list of top scorers.

Did you know?
Julián Alvarez has scored 14 goals in his last 17 Champions League appearances heading into the quarter-finals.

League phase: W5 D1 L2 F22 A14 (5th place)
Round of 16: 8-3agg vs Newcastle
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Fermín López (67)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 7
Last season: Semi-finals (L6-7agg vs Inter)
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1991/92, 2005/06, 2008/09, 2010/11, 2014/15)

Why they can win the competition
The most straightforward answer here is attacking talent. It's not that Barcelona's notoriously high-line defence isn't also a strength in how they play strategically, but when the Spanish champions put their foot on the gas, they can be absolutely irresistible. Do they possess that kind of powerful acceleration sufficiently to go all the way to Budapest and win? You would be naive to declare confidently that the likes of Lamine Yamal, Fermín López and Pedri haven't got that within their armoury.

How they play
Attractively. The formation is 4-2-3-1 with the idea of funnelling the ball as quickly and as often as possible to Yamal or down the left wing, where, admittedly, Barcelona will miss the injured Raphinha for the next handful of weeks. Barça use possession to twist and turn and confuse their opponents, but they will also be happy to play in quick transitions, counterattacks and vertically towards whoever their centre-forward is that night: Robert Lewandowski or Ferran Torres.

UEFA's Barcelona reporter, Graham Hunter: It has been a strange campaign so far for last season's semi-finalists. From the Marcus Rashford-inspired joy of St James' Park and victory over Newcastle to the chastening 3-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge when Chelsea were distinctly superior, the league phase certainly brought mixed results. However, after an emphatic 7-2 second-leg victory against Newcastle sent them through to the last eight, it seems they are ready to deliver their best in the knockout phase.

Coach: Hansi Flick
Flick guided Bayern to a Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League treble, also winning the UEFA Men's Coach of the Year award in 2020. After further domestic success the next term, Flick took over the Germany national team, with his tenure ending in 2023. The third German coach in Barcelona's history, Flick led the club to a domestic double last season.

Key player: Lamine Yamal
Fresh from a triumphant and record-breaking EURO 2024 with Spain, teenager Yamal cemented his status as one of the most exciting players in the world last season. He became the youngest-ever player to appear in the Champions League knockout phase at 16 years, 223 days and has broken various other international records since. A generational talent.

Did you know?
Robert Lewandowski became the oldest player to score in a Champions League knockout phase match when he scored twice in the 7-2 win over Newcastle aged 37 years 209 days.

League phase: W7 D0 L1 F22 A8 (2nd place)
Round of 16: 10-2agg vs Atalanta
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Harry Kane (71) 
UEFA coefficient ranking: 2
Last season: Quarter-finals (L3-4agg vs Inter)
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1973/74, 1974/75, 1975/76, 2000/01, 2012/13, 2019/20)

Why they can win the competition
With their aura of invincibility restored, Bayern's second season under Vincent Kompany has fans reminiscing of treble-winning campaigns under Jupp Heynckes and Hansi Flick. Luis Díaz and Michael Olise are the new Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben, while Harry Kane is enjoying a career-best campaign in front of goal. With Bayern scoring at a record-breaking rate, there's a sense that the only thing that can stop their push for a seventh title is the same thing that stopped them last season: Injuries.

How they play
Bayern have added an extra dynamic to their free-flowing style in Kompany's second season. A structure rooted in Bayern's tried and tested 4-2-3-1 that morphs into a variety of systems to combat opponents' coverage, it’s a fine-tuned concept that gets the best out of Joshua Kimmich and Kane's passing profiles, whilst tapping into the devastating talents of the likes of Olise and Luis Díaz in wide areas.

UEFA's Bayern reporter, James Thorogood: In just over a season in one of the most demanding jobs in world football, Kompany has restored Bayern's aura of invincibility. The German record titleholders had a point to prove after missing out on the top eight last season and are producing form reminiscent of the Heynckes, Flick or Pep Guardiola eras. The loss to Arsenal in London is the only blotch on an otherwise flawless campaign, with a convincing round of 16 triumph over Atalanta securing quarter-final football once more.

Coach: Vincent Kompany
Kompany's first season in the dugout at Bayern had its ups and downs: his side were eliminated in the German Cup round of 16 and the Champions League quarter-finals, but regained the Bundesliga title by a 13-point margin to complete their declared goal for the campaign. Once a defender for Man City and Belgium, Kompany's attacking style guarantees plenty of goals, but also involves risks.

Key player: Harry Kane
Since his summer 2023 move from Tottenham, Kane has been Bundesliga top scorer for two seasons in a row. Has averaged almost a goal a game in the Champions League for Bayern and with Jamal Musiala only recently returning from a fibula fracture, the German champions will be particularly reliant on Kane delivering.

Did you know?
Kane, who has 14 goals in his last 13 Champions League games heading into the last eight, has scored in the away leg of Bayern's quarter-final tie in each of the last two seasons in this competition – against Arsenal in 2023/24 and Inter in 2024/25.

League phase: W6 D0 L2 F20 A8 (3rd place)
Round of 16: 4-1agg vs Galatasaray
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Dominik Szoboszlai (83)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 3
Last season: Round of 16 (1-1agg, L1-4pens vs Paris)
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1976/77, 1977/78, 1980/81, 1983/84, 2004/05, 2018/19)

Why they can win the competition
Victories such as the 2-0 win over Real Madrid in November and last season's 1-0 triumph at Paris suggest that Liverpool remain capable of beating anyone in the competition. While the Reds need no extra motivation ahead of their latest tussle with Luis Enrique's side, there is a steely determination to make amends for last term's round of 16 exit at the hands of the reigning champions. If they get past Paris, why can't they go all the way?

How they play
Arne Slot favoured a 4-2-3-1 formation in his first season at Anfield, but the Dutchman recently trialled a new 4-2-2-2 system with Mohamed Salah playing as a second striker, Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai in attacking midfield, and full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong providing the width in the final third. It worked a treat against Galatasaray in the last 16, but whether Slot keeps faith with the new set-up against Paris remains to be seen.

UEFA's Liverpool reporter, Matthew Howarth: Last season's league phase winners secured an automatic place in the last 16 for the second campaign running, although it was not all smooth sailing. Galatasaray and PSV both got the better of Slot's team, but eye-catching wins over Atleti, Real Madrid and Inter – not to mention comfortable victories in Frankfurt and Marseille – helped cement the Reds' place in the top eight. Another loss to Galatasaray followed in the first leg of their round of 16 tie, but Slot's charges responded with a confident win at Anfield.

Coach: Arne Slot
It takes a brave man to step into the enormous shoes left by Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool, but the Dutchman enjoyed the challenge. The former Cambuur and AZ Alkmaar coach garnered a reputation for fast-paced, attacking football at Feyenoord, leading the team to the Conference League final in 2022 and the Eredivisie title a year later. Slot capped his maiden season at Anfield by bringing the Reds a first league title for five years.

Key player: Virgil van Dijk
Liverpool's captain and central defensive leader, Van Dijk was at his imperious best last term, and when he is at the top of his game there are few forwards in world football who can get the better of him. Now in his ninth campaign at Anfield, the centre-back will want to add to the eight major trophies he has already lifted with the Reds.

Did you know?
The Reds have won six of their last eight Champions League quarter-final ties.

League phase: W4 D2 L2 F21 A11 (11th place)
Knockout phase play-off: 5-4agg vs Monaco
Round of 16: 8-2agg vs Chelsea
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (82)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 6
Last season: Winners (W5-0 vs Inter)
Best European Cup performance: Winners (2024/25)

Why they can win the competition
Question marks over Paris' ability to win the Champions League were quashed emphatically back in May, and the confidence from last season's crowning moment has carried them into the quarter-finals. While the side experienced a chequered league phase, their 8-2 aggregate win over Chelsea in the round of 16 served as a timely reminder of their attacking prowess. When they succeed in binding the tenets of their on-field philosophy together – individual brilliance, perpetual movement and bustling industry – they remain capable of steam-rolling Europe's best.

How they play
Luis Enrique has moulded Paris into one of the great sides of the modern era. Marquinhos and Willian Pacho provide the defensive foundations, affording their nominal full-backs, Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi, the licence to operate as auxiliary wingers and midfielders. Vitinha and João Neves are the metronomes in midfield, while Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are piercing presences across the front line.

UEFA's Paris reporter, Alex Clementson: A rampant 7-2 victory over Leverkusen in October marked three wins from three for Paris, but their seamless progress then hit a snag. Defeats by Bayern and Sporting CP and draws with Athletic Club and Newcastle meant they finished 11th and again had to come through the knockout phase play-offs, where they were pushed all the way by Monaco. They were back to their brilliant best in the round of 16 against Chelsea, cruising through what had looked like a tough challenge with a comprehensive 8-2 aggregate win. Luis Enrique's side have been irrepressible at times, producing performances reminiscent of their title-winning campaign, but occasional lapses in concentration and, however paradoxical it sounds, struggles in converting chances will need to be remedied.

Coach: Luis Enrique
The ex-Barcelona and Real Madrid player won nine trophies during a hugely successful three-year spell in charge of the Blaugrana then coached Spain to the EURO 2020 semi-finals and the 2021 Nations League final. He scooped a domestic double in his first season in Paris before steering them to their first Champions League title in a trophy-packed 2024/25 that also included Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France.

Key player: Ousmane Dembélé
After a mixed first term with Paris, the former Dortmund and Barcelona forward proved decisive with 35 goals and 14 assists in 53 games in 2024/25. He was one of the key players in the team's Champions League triumph and finished top scorer in Ligue 1 with 21 goals. Still only 28, Dembélé has also passed 50 caps for France.

Did you know?
Paris have won their last four UEFA two-legged ties against English teams. In last season's Champions League they eliminated Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal and they defeated Chelsea in this season's round of 16.

League phase: W5 D0 L3 F21 A12 (9th place)
Knockout phase play-off: 3-1agg vs Benfica
Round of 16: 5-1agg vs Man City
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Kylian Mbappé (82)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 1
Last season: Quarter-finals (L1-5agg vs Arsenal)
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1955/56, 1956/57, 1957/58, 1958/59, 1959/60, 1965/66, 1997/98, 1999/2000, 2001/02, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2021/22, 2023/24)

Why they can win the competition
Any dedicated follower of European football could accurately answer that question. Madrid can win this Champions League because it's what they do. This is their raison d'être. Everybody associated with the club – fans, staff, players, officials – feels the trophy calls out to them. Record 15-time winners across the lifetime of this competition, they are currently growing in strength, consistency and – look out, everyone – level of threat to their competitors.

How they play
Under Álvaro Arbeloa, there have been some outright changes and some gentle modifications. The regular formation is now 4-4-2, and the level of pressing and intensity without the ball has notably risen. Madrid now play at a higher tempo, they feel confident in their ability and stamina and, therefore, opponents will regularly find themselves feeling stormed as Los Blancos hit a 'power-play' spell in matches. The heavy influx of young academy players has added evident brio, energy and fun to the team's play.

UEFA's Real Madrid reporter, Graham Hunter: Closely reflecting their domestic form, this has been a campaign of ups and downs for Los Blancos. They've had to cope with a string of repetitive injuries to key players. On occasions, they've shrugged that off; other times, it has been a key factor in their performance level. Defeat at Liverpool was unquestionably the low point, while any victory over Juventus is sweet, but the match that epitomises their campaign was the 4-3 success at Olympiacos. Kylian Mbappé scored four goals and Madrid often looked imperious but, by the end, they were defending a slender lead in a seven-goal thriller. Knocking Manchester City out for a third consecutive season will only strengthen belief that they can go all the way once again and claim a 16th title.

Coach: Álvaro Arbeloa
Madrid announced Arbeloa as Xabi Alonso's replacement on 12 January. A decorated full-back who made 238 appearances for the club as a player, he also played in a Champions League final for Liverpool in 2007. Arbeloa had been in charge of Madrid's B team since June 2025, having spent his entire coaching career since 2020 in the club's youth academy.

Key player: Kylian Mbappé
After a first season of adaptation – which still yielded an impressive 44 goals across all competitions, seven in the Champions League – Mbappé has taken it up a level this year and is leading from the front. The 27-year-old's style and goals make him the standout man in an already star-studded line-up and he will hope to add to his vast trophy haul from Paris, which comes embellished with World Cup and Nations League medals with France.

Did you know?
Real Madrid have won their last nine UEFA two-legged ties against German opposition, and all their seven previous European Cup/Champions League quarter-final ties against them.

League phase: W5 D1 L2 F17 A11 (7th place)
Round of 16: 5-3agg vs Bodø/Glimt
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Francisco Trincão (69)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 18
Last season: Knockout phase play-offs (L0-3agg vs Dortmund)
Best European Cup performance: Quarter-finals (1982/83)

Why they can win the competition
The Lions are performing at their best in the Champions League mostly due to a very firm identity as a team that have showed consistency all over the season. They met and beat holders Paris in an impressive way and deployed a big heart to win by a landslide against the surprise side that was coming off five wins in a row in the competition in Bodø/Glimt. The underdog role suits them perfectly and Arsenal were recently eliminated, in the 2023 Europa League, by them so they know what to expect here. Sporting CP are a confident side pushed on at an impressive stadium that has witnessed five wins in five games in this season's campaign.

How they play
An established 4-2-3-1 with solid dynamics that work no matter the players. Rui Silva, Gonçalo Inácio, Maxi Araújo, Morten Hjulmand, Francisco Trincão and Luis Suárez are the backbone of Sporting CP and it's from these players that the team is built from. The identity of the team is seen in the way they play no matter what the opponent's name is and the way they can compete. You have to expect a competent side, capable of battling against anyone and with the audacity of daring to do something in each game.

UEFA's Sporting CP reporter, Carlos Machado: This league phase showed a more consistent, competitive Sporting, with a European maturity and confidence that helped them beat holders Paris and perform well against Bayern in Munich, where they led at one point. The team's identity, the dynamics of the 4-2-3-1, are more consolidated. Even with injuries to important players during the league phase, they have a belief, a drive, that they can do well and it was remarkable that they finished in the top eight by winning in Bilbao on Matchday 8. Even more remarkable was their extraordinary comeback against Bodø/Glimt in the round of 16, where they overcame a 3-0 deficit to win 5-3 on aggregate and progress to a first quarter-final in this competition since 1983.

Coach: Rui Borges
In his first full season at the helm, Rui Borges is fully implementing his vision and tactics after reversing the downward spiral that affected the team during the 2024/25 campaign. The 44-year-old has previously held the managerial reins at the likes of Académica, Nacional, Vilafranquense, Mafra, Moreirense and Vitória SC.

Key player: Francisco Trincão
The winger guarantees moments of magic and unpredictability, and is increasingly consistent with goals and assists. The team rely heavily on him to create attacking opportunities and unlock solid defences, with the former Braga, Barcelona and Wolves man having reached double figures for goals in each of his last three campaigns at Sporting CP.

Did you know?
In the round of 16 Sporting CP became just the fifth team in Champions League history to come back from a first-leg defeat of three goals or more to win.