8th April 2026
April 8 – The UEFA Champions League quarter-final action follows on from Tuesday night’s blockbuster clash between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, with two more heavy weight matchups.
Liverpool head to Parc des Princes tonight for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, against current champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Having come through their last-16 tie with Galatasaray 4-1 on aggregate, the step up in level is abundantly clear. There is also recent history here – Arne Slot’s side were knocked out by PSG on penalties in last season’s round of 16, and arrive in Paris on the back of a heavy FA Cup defeat to Manchester City that frankly exposed where this team is at.
It leaves Liverpool in an uncomfortable spot – with their Premier League title defence up in smoke, this competition has taken on added significance, both for the club and for Slot, whose position is under increasing scrutiny.
PSG, by contrast, have looked every inch the holders. They brushed aside Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate in the R16 and come into the tie as clear favourites.
It doesn’t get any easier in the next round: the victor will face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the semi-finals. After last night’s tie in Madrid, Bayern hold a narrow advantage thanks to goals from Harry Kane and Luis Díaz, though Kylian Mbappé pulled one back for the hosts to make it 14 goals for the Frenchman in the Champions League this season – he needs just three more to topple Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 17.
Also tonight, FC Barcelona will host Atlético Madrid at the revamped Spotify Camp Nou – now extended to over 60,000 capacity. The fixture carries echoes of their earlier cup meeting this season, when Atlético surged into a 4-0 first-leg lead before being pushed all the way in the return, though still progressing 4-3 winners.
Barcelona, under Hansi Flick, start as favourites this time, with the German boasting one of the strongest knockout records in the competition.
The winners will meet either Arsenal or Sporting CP in the semis. The Gunners carry a slim advantage from Lisbon after Kai Havertz’s late goal, though Sporting have already shown in this competition how quickly a tie can turn – having beaten Bodo Glimt 5-3 to overturn a 0-3 deficit in the round of 16.
That said, Arsenal – particularly at the Emirates – are a much tougher nut to crack, armed with arguably the best defence in world football and unafraid to grind out results if necessary.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [moc.l1775650347labto1775650347ofdlr1775650347owedi1775650347sni@g1775650347niwe.1775650347yrrah1775650347](javascript:;)