Champions League quarter-finals predictions, star players and youngsters to watch

Will Kylian Mbappe and Viktor Gyokeres be celebrating after the quarter-finals? Getty Images Share full articleThis is an updated version of an article that was first published after the quarter-final line-up was confirmed in March. The Champions League quarter-finals kick off this week, with the path to the final in Budapest on May 30 now clear. Real Madrid host Bayern Munich at the Bernabeu this Tuesday in the competition’s most-played fixture, while Premier League leaders Arsenal travel to Lisbon to face Sporting CP. Barcelona will play Atletico Madrid in an all-La Liga affair at the Camp Nou on Wednesday, before holders Paris Saint-Germain take on Liverpool at home in a replay of last season’s round of 16 tie, which Arne Slot’s side lost on penalties. So, which games are our writers most excited about and who do they think will be crowned champions at the end of next month? Oliver Kay: Obvious answer: Real Madrid vs Bayern. I was surprised by how well Madrid performed against Manchester City and I’m fascinated to see whether they can repeat that against a Bayern team who appear to be coming to the boil nicely. James Pearce: PSG vs Liverpool is going to be intriguing — the holders against the six-time winners. Their meeting at Anfield in the last 16 a year ago was an outstanding game. For Arne Slot’s Liverpool, it’s a revenge mission. Mario Cortegana: Madrid vs Bayern. Bayern are the most in-form team in Europe, while Madrid seemed dead once again — until they returned to their fearsome best in their convincing win against City. Thom Harris: There have been plenty of goals in recent meetings between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, including a 4-4 draw and the recent Copa Del Rey semi-final, in which Simeone’s side took a 4-0 lead into the second leg and nearly threw it away. It should be action-packed. Pol Ballus: There’s no debate: Bayern vs Madrid. The best team in Europe this season against the competition’s most successful club. Whoever wins, they will send a statement to the rest of the field. Jack Lang: PSG vs Liverpool — their two games last year were absolutely absorbing and we have the added factor of Liverpool trying to salvage their season. Amy Lawrence: Come on, everyone wants to watch boring Arsenal! Well, if not, it is hard to look beyond Real vs Bayern, which has all the classic feels. Kay: Premier League sides hold no fear for PSG, who beat City, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal en route to winning last season’s final in style, and who have already beaten Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea this time. Last season, they were a surprise package, having scraped through the league phase, whereas nobody will dare to underestimate them now. That brings its own pressure. Pearce: Liverpool will be underdogs, but if they play with the tempo and intensity they showed in the second leg against Galatasaray, they’ll have a chance. It came down to fine margins when the clubs met last year, with PSG advancing on penalties. The return to fitness of Alexander Isak after three months out will also be a timely boost. But the absence of Alisson, who performed heroics in Paris a year ago, could hurt them. The Brazil ‘keeper is out with another hamstring injury, so the Georgian Giorgi Mamardashvili will deputise. Cortegana: There was a lot of pessimism around Real Madrid after the round-of-16 draw — the bracket seemed particularly difficult — but morale has soared after eliminating City and there are seemingly no limits now. Harris: Atletico will have taken confidence from that Copa del Rey semi-final first leg drubbing of Barcelona, but will know they are unlikely to be so ruthless in front of goal once again — they also lost at home to them on Saturday in the league. They have serious firepower at their disposal, and while they might not be expecting to win the whole thing with — potentially — Arsenal to play next, they’ll be thinking: why not? Ballus: Barca have reasons to be optimistic. Simeone’s Atletico can be painful opponents, but Hansi Flick’s side have already learned their lesson this season in that Copa semi-final, when they realised they sometimes had to be more pragmatic. They then got the 2-1 La Liga away win over Atletico this weekend. Flick’s team can’t have any complaints about the draw, although they could face Arsenal in the semi-finals. That would be a whole different story. Seb Stafford-Bloor: Bayern will be respectful, but confident. Nobody has Real Madrid’s mythology in the Champions League, but Bayern have every right to see themselves as the better side. Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies remain injury doubts, at least for the first leg, but Kompany’s side will still pack quite a punch. Lang: Just reaching the quarter-finals counts as a significant achievement for Sporting, especially given they lost the first leg of their round-of-16 tie 3-0 against Bodo/Glimt. They will know they are underdogs against Arsenal. The question is whether the Portuguese side can leverage the psychological advantage of having nothing to lose. Lawrence: Arsenal have fresh memories of a 5-1 win at Sporting last season, so they won’t be intimidated. Unhelpfully, they have their most pivotal league game (Manchester City away) just after, but that’s the deal when chasing multiple trophies. Their draw is generous, but anything goes from semis onwards. Kay: I can’t take my eyes off PSG’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia when I watch him. Vitinha does a wonderful job in the way he sets the tone for Luis Enrique’s team, but Kvaratskhelia is the beguiling forward who creates and scores goals from nothing. Pearce: Dominik Szoboszlai. The Hungary captain is having an outstanding season for Liverpool and he has the added motivation of the final being in Budapest. He has become Liverpool’s talisman. Cortegana: Vinicius Junior. Real Madrid’s Brazil forward was the most decisive player against Benfica and City, and his impact in the knockout rounds of this competition is extraordinary at 25 years old. Harris: If Atletico are to cause a ripple, Julian Alvarez will be front and centre. The Argentina striker is a relentless presser from the front, carries the ball forward with power and authority, and looks increasingly sharp in front of goal. Ballus: Pedri. The Barcelona and Spain midfielder has a history of outstanding performances against Atletico in the past couple of seasons and is still returning to his best after recovering from a hamstring injury. Against Simeone’s entrenched defence, his wisdom in midfield could make the difference. Stafford-Bloor: Harry Kane. The last time Bayern faced Real Madrid in the semi-finals in 2024, Kane was not really fit and was rushed on to the pitch because of the tie’s importance. Two years on, the England captain is fitter, arguably in the form of his career and is comfortably Bayern’s most influential player. If he runs the game, they will win. Lang: Kane for me, too. He looked incredibly hungry in the second leg against Atalanta. Real Madrid’s defence is more vulnerable than City made it look — I expect Bayern to cause all sorts of problems, with Kane leading the charge. Lawrence: If Arsenal are to keep going, Declan Rice and Gabriel have to continue being their powerhouses. But Bayern and PSG have that extra Champions League nous, so it’s between Kane and the Ballon d’Or-winning Ousmane Dembele as the attacking leaders of their packs. Kay: What Pau Cubarsi is doing is pretty extraordinary. The Spain centre-back has only just turned 19 and is totally at home at the heart of Barcelona’s defence. He didn’t enjoy the first half against Newcastle United in the round of 16 second leg, but he is a serious talent with a great career ahead of him. Ballus: Keep an eye on Marc Bernal, too — another 18-year-old from La Masia, Barca’s famed academy, with sky-high potential. Some suggested he was the heir to Sergio Busquets, but he also has an incredible sense for goal despite being a holding midfielder. Pearce: Rio Ngumoha. Liverpool’s 17-year-old winger is unlikely to start either leg against PSG but could well make an impact off the bench. He’s quick and direct. Cortegana: Bayern’s attacking midfielder Lennart Karl. At just 18, he has registered four goals and two assists in the tournament, and this is a great opportunity to see him on the biggest stage. Lang: I really like watching Fermin Lopez. The 22-year-old doesn’t quite have the technical grace of Pedri or the great schemers of Barca’s past, but he just consistently makes things happen. He scores goals, creates space for others, appears in big moments… the very definition of an all-action midfielder. Stafford-Bloor: Aleksandar Pavlovic. The 21-year-old Bayern midfielder is still underestimated, but he relishes the big games and his metronomic passing always seems at its sharpest when the pressure is ratcheted up. Remember the performance he gave against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu last time? He was nerveless for a then 19-year-old. Harris: How about Sporting’s Goncalo Inacio? The 24-year-old is a strong, left-footed centre-back who can whip the ball through the lines and dominate aerial duels. He’ll be busy against Arsenal, but he is quickly emerging as a defensive leader who will be on the radar of Europe’s elite. Kay: Even as someone who is very ‘old man yelling at clouds’ about so many of the changes made to European football over the last couple of decades, I cannot find anything to dislike about this one. For one thing, it helps fans — and media outlets — plan travel. Stafford-Bloor: Fine, because having a clear bracket actually helps build anticipation. It also saves us from having to suffer through a draw after each round and everything that entails. Lawrence: I suspect the brackets are more interesting to those who don’t have a vested interest. If your team are involved, the excitement about who comes next or is avoided is a wonderful part of fandom. That is missed. Kay: Arsenal. For one thing, without wishing to disrespect Sporting, Mikel Arteta’s team have by far the most straightforward route to the semi-final. For another thing, they have a defensive solidity that means they won’t be torn apart the way City, Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle United were in the last round. But, at some point, they will have to show more as an attacking force. Pearce: I make Bayern favourites, but if Liverpool get past PSG, they’ll have a real chance. As erratic as they have been domestically this season, Slot’s side have beaten Real Madrid, Atletico and last season’s finalists Inter. Cortegana: It will be Bayern or Arsenal, but I give Real Madrid a much better chance now than in recent months. Harris: I echo the others. Bayern look pretty irresistible going forward and their constant rotations make them a nightmare to defend against, even for Arsenal. That would probably be my final, where the quality of Kane and Michael Olise will tell. Ballus: Bayern, and that has not changed from the last round. They’ve been the best team in the competition so far and have the perfect combination of a top-end squad and an exciting coaching staff led by Kompany who are hungry for success. Stafford-Bloor: It’s still Bayern. PSG have improved a lot in recent months and have found a menacing rhythm, and it’s hard not to be impressed by what Barcelona did to Newcastle. But with the Bundesliga basically won already and Bayern best-placed to survive these knockout rounds, I predict they’ll beat a jaded Arsenal in the final. Lang: After watching PSG huff and puff their way past Monaco in the punishment play-off round, I wasn’t too hot on them defending their Champions League crown. Now, though, they look to be relocating a bit of the swagger that made them so good last season. Granted, Chelsea were in an incredibly generous mood over two legs, but even the best teams need a jumpstart now and then. I expect Luis Enrique’s team to make a statement against Liverpool and they’ll be hard to stop from there. Lawrence: Assuming Bayern or PSG emerge from their brutal side of the draw, they have to be heavy favourites. If there is potential for an underdog, wouldn’t it be something to have a new winner (mentioning no names, ahem)? Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms