UEFA Youth League quarter-finals start 17 March: Atleti-Club Brugge, Villarreal-Paris, Real Madrid-Sporting, Inter-Benfica

The UEFA Youth League quarter-finals will be played 17 and 18 March, deciding the four teams advancing to the knockout finals in Lausanne on 17 and 20 April.

All ties in the knockout phase are one-off games, which if level on 90 minutes will go to a penalty shoot-out.

Team guide

• The quarter-finals feature two former champions (Benfica and Real Madrid), another past finalist (Paris) and two further clubs that have reached the last four (Atleti and Sporting). Inter have never made it past the quarter-finals while Club Brugge and Villarreal are at this stage for the first time.
• This is the third time Spain have had three quarter-finalists after 2016/17 and 2017/18. The only other nation to manage the feat is England in 2013/14 and 2017/18.
• For the third year running, no club will be making the four-team finals two seasons in succession.
• All eight remaining teams emerged from the UEFA Champions League path: Benfica (2nd place in league table), Club Brugge (3rd), Real Madrid (4th), Villarreal (5th), Atleti (7th), Sporting (12th), Paris (13th) and Inter (14th).

Tuesday 17 March

Atlético de Madrid vs Club Brugge (14:00)

• Atleti have made the quarter-finals for the sixth time, though have only won one of those previous five ties, in 2021/22.
• Club Brugge are only the second Belgian club to reach the quarter-finals after Anderlecht, who beat Porto 5-0 in 2014/15 and Barcelona 2-0 in 2015/16 (though they were at home in both ties).
• These teams have met four times before in the competition, all in the group stage. Club Brugge won both games in 2018/19 while in 2022/23 the teams exchanged away victories.

Villarreal vs Paris Saint-Germain (16:00)

• Villarreal are the fourth different Spanish club to reach the quarter-finals after Atleti, Barcelona and Real Madrid.
• Paris are in their fourth quarter-final and have got through once, when going on to finish runners-up in 2015/16.
• These teams are meeting in the competition for the first time.

Wednesday 18 March

Real Madrid vs Sporting CP (14:00)

• The 2019/20 champions Madrid are into a record ninth quarter-final, two more than any other team, and hope to equal Barcelona's record of getting to a fifth semi.
• Sporting, the only remaining team unbeaten through the competition this season, are in their third quarter-final in five years and hope to now emulate their run to the 2022/23 semis.
• These teams met in the 2016/17 group stage, Madrid drawing 1-1 at home and winning 3-1 away.

Inter vs Benfica (16:00)

• Inter are in their third quarter-final, and second in a row, as they aim to reach the semis for the first time.
• Benfica, who are one goal away from equalling Chelsea's 2014/15 record of 36 in a Youth league season, are in their seventh quarter-final. They hope to equal Barcelona's record by reaching a fifth semi; they have previously made a joint-best four finals and were champions in 2021/22.
• These teams met in the 2023/24 group stage, twice drawing 1-1.