Eight teams will book their tickets to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League this week as the round of 16 comes to a close. The stakes vary for different teams across Europe, especially since some exited the first leg with sizable advantages while others have all to play for in the second leg. While Arsenal’s 7-1 win at PSV and Bayern Munich’s 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen will allow those two teams to feel like they already have a foot in the last eight, Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid and Barcelona’s 1-0 triumph at Benfica means those two join a host of European heavyweights that will have to be at their best this week to advance.
Ahead of another consequential round of games, here’s what you need to know.
How to watch
Paramount+ will have every minute of this week’s action including The Golazo Show, while CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network will once again offer supplemental coverage, as well as select matches on CBS Sports Network. Tuesday’s coverage begins on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network with Champions League Matchday, while CBS Sports Network and Paramount+ will have the UEFA Champions League Today pre- and post-match shows. On Wednesday, CBS Sports Network and Paramount+ kick off coverage with the UEFA Champions League Today pre-match, which later shifts to CBS Sports Golazo Network before the final slate of games begins. CBS Sports Golazo Network will close out coverage on both days with new editions of The Champions Club (also simulcast on YouTube) and Scoreline.
First leg scores
- Benfica 0, Barcelona 1
- Feyenoord 0, Inter 2
- Paris Saint-Germain 0, Liverpool 1
- Bayern Munich 3, Bayer Leverkusen 0
- Borussia Dortmund 1, Lille 1
- Club Brugge 1, Aston Villa 3
- PSV 1, Arsenal 7
- Real Madrid 2, Atletico Madrid 1
Round of 16 TV schedule
All times U.S./Eastern
Storylines for the round of 16
1. Paris Saint-Germain eye comeback at Liverpool
Liverpool’s first-leg advantage over Paris Saint-Germain is not necessarily a surprise, in theory – the Premier League leaders were the class of the league phase and finished in first place with relative ease, while PSG just about snuck into the knockouts after a difficult opening phase of the competition. Things are not so simple in this round of 16 tie, though, with Liverpool looking pretty vulnerable heading into their home leg.
The Reds’ one-goal lead naturally sets up for a competitive second leg, but especially so considering how the first leg went. A youth-focused PSG did all the right things last week in a completely dominant performance, boasting 70.1% of the ball and putting 10 of their 27 shots on frame while Liverpool took just two shots overall. The Reds’ Alisson, though, somehow came up with nine saves to keep his side in the game, allowing them to score off their lone shot on target – Harvey Elliot’s strike in the 87th minute.
As a result, it’s difficult to know which version of Liverpool will show up on Tuesday. It’s clear the fatigue of a long season has caught up with them, though they still have the incomparable Mfirst-legohamed Salah to keep their chances of advancing high. PSG will have plenty to play for at Anfield, though, and clearly, they also have all the tools they need to succeed.
2. Is it Real Madrid’s time to shine?
Real Madrid’s season of inconsistency means last season’s uncanny ability to win even in imperfect circumstances has not been equally as present this campaign, but they may have looked like their vintage selves in their 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid last week.
It was undoubtedly a closely contested game, with both sides having meaningful spells of possession and impactful goalscoring chances. Though Los Blancos’ early lead was canceled out by the half-hour mark, they snapped into form once Brahim Diaz restored their advantage early in the second half. Real Madrid found a way to suck the energy out of the game and stifle Atletico’s talented attack, calmly getting over the first leg finish line. A one-goal advantage means Atletico are still very much in this tie but if the first leg is anything to go by, Real Madrid might just be peaking at the right time.
3. Barcelona aim to reverse course
Barcelona may have a first leg advantage over Benfica, but last week’s outing was far from their best. They were outshot 26 to 10 by Benfica in the first leg but were helped by the fact that the opposition could not muster a very effective offensive performance – Benfica posted 1.75 expected goals, not much better than Barcelona’s 1.21. There’s room for improvement for both teams heading into the second leg but considering each side’s strengths, it sets up for a fascinating second leg in Barcelona.
Hansi Flick’s side will be without Pau Cubarsi after he picked up a red card just 22 minutes into the first leg, which complicated matters for them last week and could also cause issues in the second leg. While Flick’s team selection is usually fairly straightforward in attack, he will have some big calls in the back with Cubarsi’s absence, especially against the talented Vangelis Pavlidis, who has seven goals in the Champions League with Benfica this season.
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