The last eight teams in this season’s UEFA Champions League are officially locked in after a thrilling finish to the round of 16, teasing another entertaining batch of games as teams inch closer to the May 31 final in Munich. This season’s quarterfinalists boast a lot of experience in the later stages of Europe’s top club competition, with the list including the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona. Some sides with less recent experience made the cut, too – Arsenal are in the last eight for only the second time in 15 years, while Aston Villa will compete in the quarterfinals for the first time in four decades. Despite the stacked field, each tie arguably has a clear oddsmakers’ choice – even if they are the slight favorites – but tight margins feel likely as each team eyes a spot in the semifinals.
As always, you can watch all the UCL action live on Paramount+
Here are the Champions League quarterfinal ties, ranked.
4. Barcelona vs. Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund may be last year’s finalists, but this season has not been particularly kind to them. Their European campaign has been a reprieve from their underwhelming Bundesliga campaign, but Dortmund feel like the clear underdogs against Barcelona. Hansi Flick has turned a chaotic team into a real contender for major titles in Spain and in Europe, currently making them the oddsmakers’ favorites to win the whole thing. The onus is on Barcelona to live up to the hype, of course, but with Lamine Yamal around and Raphinha in the form of his life, it’s hard not to predict a fairly straightforward outing for La Liga’s leaders. After all, Barca went to Dortmund and won 3-2 back in December.
3. Inter vs. Bayern Munich
This is a matchup that brings the classic prestige of the Champions League and just like the others, offers a chance for both sides to truly prove their worth as a contender for the whole thing. The pressure’s on Bayern Munich to bring the entertainment, though – they may be runaway favorites to win the Bundesliga but have been fairly inconsistent in the Champions League, which means a matchup against Inter will be a tough one. The Italian champions have been one of Europe’s most consistent teams this season and are starting to make a case as a dark horse contender to win the Champions League, and a tie against a vulnerable Bayern side could favor them.
2. Real Madrid vs. Arsenal
This is arguably the most attention-seeking tie of the bunch and not only because of Real Madrid’s star-studded roster. The intrigue of this matchup is that the Champions League remains Arsenal’s last chance to win a trophy this season, however improbable it might be, which means the Gunners could provide Real Madrid with a stiff test. The reigning champions seem to be peaking at the right time after an inconsistent league phase outing and might win this tie with few complications, but they will undoubtedly have to prove their worth first.
1. Paris Saint-Germain vs. Aston Villa
In another year, this might not be the most exciting knockout tie but please allow for an argument in both teams’ favor. After outplaying and eliminating Liverpool in the round of 16, Paris Saint-Germain have surprisingly emerged as the most fun team left in the Champions League, so it’s officially time to see how far they can go. It feels almost certain that they will keep the entertainment levels high in the quarterfinals, though they will encounter an Aston Villa side with their own selling points. Unai Emery’s side have been revitalized this winter after adding Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford to their books, making the English side an intriguing team to watch in their own right.
Plus, there’s just so much narrative behind this tie. Emery will face his former club, while he and his counterpart Luis Enrique were in charge for La Remontada, when Enrique’s Barcelona beat Emery’s PSG 6-1 to overcome a four-goal deficit from the first leg in the round of 16 back in 2017. Additionally, Asensio is on loan at Villa from PSG and may have a point to prove against his parent club. In the end, though, either the most fun team in the Champions League will advance or the competition will have its biggest upset of the tournament. For a neutral, that’s a win-win.
