Bayern Munich and Barcelona are bringing red-hot form into the Champions League quarter-finals as Arsenal look to get back on track and Liverpool face a daunting task against PSG
PSG
Paris Saint-Germain are the defending champions(Image: AP)
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The Champions League quarter-finals have given us with some of Europe's finest battling it out as a number of final-worthy ties make up the last eight.
Arsenal remain the competition favourites and have won nine of the 10 games they have played in Europe this season, but their blip has seen them go from quadruple hunters to a team eyeing a double. Questions are being asked of the Gunners ahead of their clash with Sporting Lisbon.
Barcelona or Atletico Madrid await the winner of that tie as the two La Liga sides reignite their rivalry having only played each other at the weekend. The Catalans were beaten semi-finalists last season but have one of Europe's deadliest frontlines.
Defending champions PSG will square off with Liverpool once again - they beat them in the last 16 a year ago and will now hope to end their European hopes in the knockouts once again. They've made a habit of beating Premier League sides over recent years, downing Chelsea last month.
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich's clash represents the true heavyweight tie of the round. They have more than 20 European Cups between them and, since 2020, have won three of the last six Champions League titles.
Mirror Football has cast its eye over the eight quarter-finalists and devised a power rankings based on this season's exploits, current form and European pedigree.
8. Sporting Lisbon
To their credit, they've overachieved by getting this far and after the first leg of their last-16 tie it looked like game over. But Sporting recovered from 3-0 down against Bodo/Glimt as they proved that the Estadio Jose Alvalade isn't a place any side should enjoy going. They may take hope from Arsenal's current predicament, but Sporting themselves need two season-defining performances if they are to make a first ever Champions League semi-final.
Sporting Lisbon came back from the brink as they beat Bodo/Glimt
Sporting Lisbon came back from the brink as they beat Bodo/Glimt
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7. Liverpool
What a difference 12 months makes. The Reds are a side facing lack of effort accusations from their own players in the aftermath of their FA Cup loss at the weekend. PSG ended Liverpool's hopes 12 months ago in the last 16 and the Merseysiders will do well to stop a repeat. A number of their top performers have seen their levels drop significantly, none more so than Mohamed Salah. Europe represents Liverpool's only hope of a trophy this season, but that looks an incredibly tall order.
6. Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone serially gets Atletico to this point of the competition but its been nine years since he took his side to the semi-finals. Not much stock can be placed in them beating Tottenham in the last round, and losing the second leg to Igor Tudor's side is not a glowing endorsement. Atletico did dump Barcelona out of the Copa del Rey this season, thanks to a 4-0 win over the Catalans, but they did lose the return game 3-0 and may struggle to halt their firepower in the last eight when they square off in their all-La Liga tie.
Federico Valverde took centre stage in the last 16
Federico Valverde took centre stage in the last 16(Image: Getty Images)
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5. Real Madrid
Los Blancos are the greatest European outfit in history and do possess an intangible ability to secure results. They saw off City minus Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe in the last round, where Federico Valverde took centre stage. Alvaro Arbeloa, as well as he's done, is a man learning on the job at this level. A loss at the weekend to Real Mallorca dented their La Liga hopes and the Spanish giants face one of Europe's form teams.
4. Arsenal
They may well be favourites in the eyes of the bookies, and they do have the least dangerous team in the competition in the last eight, but Arsenal are a team with a lot of questions surrounding them. The manner in which Manchester City beat them in the Carabao Cup final will have caught the attention of other heavyweight sides.
Arsenal need to get back on track following successive cup defeats
Arsenal need to get back on track following successive cup defeats(Image: 2026 Catherine Ivill - AMA)
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Mikel Arteta will be looking to his top performers to help get the team on track and the Gunners can ill-afford anymore setbacks. They've won all but one of their Champions League games, but need to quash the narrative surrounding them at present.
3. PSG
The European champions, like they did last season, appear to be a coming force, timing their run perfectly. They were by no means sensational in the league phase, winning just four of their eight games. But the Parisians seemed intent on making a point given the way they dismantled Chelsea in the last 16. PSG have a sensational blend of gun attackers and players who know how to control a game, Vitinha being the greatest example. Luis Enrique is eyeing a third European title in a little over a decade and has a draw he will fancy.
2. Barcelona
Lamine Yamal and co were at their free-scoring best the last time they were in European action, hitting seven past Newcastle at the Nou Camp. If there's one thing this team has in abundance it is goals. As well as Yamal they have the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Marcus Rashford, who will fill in for the absent Raphinha over the coming weeks. Barcelona are no doubt hurting from their semi-final exit of 12 months ago and have a manager in Hansi Flick who knows what it takes to conquer Europe.
Bayern Munich and Harry Kane are eyeing a seventh European Cup
Bayern Munich and Harry Kane are eyeing a seventh European Cup(Image: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
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1. Bayern Munich
The German side have won two trebles since 2013 and Vincent Kompany will have his sights set firmly on a third. The Bavarians have continued with their Bundesliga dominance and have won a staggering 37 of their 43 games so far in all competitions this season. Harry Kane is two goals shy of hitting 50 by early April and the Englishman looks determined to add Europe's highest honour to his CV as he enjoys his best season to date. Bayern have that know how with a number of born winners in their squad - who will be hoping to end Real's hopes over the next fortnight.
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