Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid Secure UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final Berths

Bayern Munich crushed Atalanta 4-1 in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday, completing a 10-2 aggregate demolition to advance to the quarter-finals alongside Liverpool, Arsenal, and Atletico Madrid, as all four clubs secured their places in the last eight of Europe's premier club competition. Liverpool beat Galatasaray 4-0 on the night to progress 4-1 on aggregate, while Arsenal defeated Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 to advance 3-1 overall. Atletico Madrid survived a nervy 3-2 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur but held on to reach the quarter-finals 7-5 on aggregate. Real Madrid also advanced, beating a second Atletico side in a penalty shootout in a separate tie that ended in controversy.

The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League is the 71st edition of Europe's premier club football tournament, organized by UEFA, and the 34th season since the competition was rebranded from the European Cup. The final is scheduled to be played on May 30, 2026, at Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary. The quarter-final lineup now consists of PSG, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Sporting CP, and Arsenal, with the draw set to take place in Nyon.

Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany fielded what German media described as a second-string lineup and still overran Atalanta with authority, a result that drew widespread attention across the continent. Harry Kane, Bayern's captain and striker, scored in the tie and spoke with confidence after the final whistle. „At this stage there are no easy games. Looking at the quality and talent available there, they can certainly be considered one of the favorites for the title. But if we perform to our maximum, we can be a difficult opponent for anyone. We fear no one.” — Harry Kane via Süddeutsche Zeitung Kompany, 38, also addressed the quarter-final draw, noting the particular challenge posed by potential opponents Real Madrid and city rivals Atletico Madrid. „The special thing for me about this game is that Atlético has always shown over many years how difficult it is to play away there and how difficult it is to beat them in one game. But Real has this incredibly interesting aura in this competition. They have won this competition 15 times, and they know exactly what they are doing.” — Vincent Kompany via Süddeutsche Zeitung

Atletico survive Spurs fightback, Kane quote stirs quarter-final talk Atletico Madrid's path to the quarter-finals was far less comfortable, as Tottenham Hotspur fought back to win the second leg 3-2 at home, though the Spanish club's 5-goal cushion from the first leg proved decisive at 7-5 on aggregate. The New York Times described the night as one in which Tottenham rediscovered their pride under manager Igor Tudor, even as the result ultimately sent Atletico through. Atletico forward Julian Alvarez, the Argentine international, was central to the drama in the separate Real Madrid tie, where a VAR intervention disallowed his penalty after officials determined he had touched the ball with both feet during his run-up, a so-called double touch. The decision proved decisive, with Real Madrid advancing via the shootout. Kompany, who watched the Madrid derby after Bayern's own match concluded, called the moment involving Alvarez "really unlucky." „They explained that there was a touch from his standing leg. Very unlucky.” — Vincent Kompany via Süddeutsche Zeitung

Eight clubs set for Nyon draw, final bound for Budapest The full quarter-final lineup — PSG, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Sporting CP, and Arsenal — was confirmed ahead of the draw in Nyon. BBC Sport reported the draw live as clubs awaited their potential opponents for the next round. Arsenal's 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen featured goals from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice, according to web search results, sending the Gunners through 3-1 on aggregate. Liverpool's 4-0 dismantling of Galatasaray was equally emphatic, completing a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Kompany summed up the mood among the eight remaining clubs. „The quarterfinals in the premier class are something very special. We are one of the eight teams that are there. We have to enjoy it and be ready, no matter who we get.” — Vincent Kompany via Süddeutsche Zeitung