The 2024/25 Champions League has been a thrilling ride so far, with some excellent matches having been played. The tournament has now arrived at the quarter-final stage, where the best of the best take each other on in the pursuit of glory and obtaining the status of being named the “Kings of Europe.” Here are the fixtures and what to expect during the next stage of the competition.
Quarter-Final Matchups
The quarter-final ties are as follows:
- Arsenal vs Real Madrid
First Leg: April 8, Emirates Stadium, London
Second Leg: April 16, Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid
- Bayern Munich vs Inter
First Leg: April 8, Allianz Arena, Munich
Second Leg: April 16, San Siro, Milan
- Paris Saint-Germain vs Aston Villa
First Leg: April 9, Parc des Princes, Paris
Second Leg: April 15, Villa Park, Birmingham
- Barcelona vs Borussia Dortmund
First Leg: April 9, Camp Nou, Barcelona
Second Leg: April 15, Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund
Team Insights and Match Previews
Arsenal vs Real Madrid: Arsenal enter the quarter-finals with momentum, having looked a class above in their Round of 16 tie against PSV. However, they face a huge challenge in the form of Real Madrid, a club known for their rich history in the Champions League. Real boast a squad replete with talent, including the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham, which is why it’s Real who are favourites to win this tie according to Champions League match betting.
Bayern Munich vs Inter: The fixture between Bayern Munich and Inter rekindles a classic European rivalry. Bayern, after a commanding 5-0 aggregate win over Bayer Leverkusen, aim to continue their dominance. Inter Milan dispatched Feyenoord 4-1 on aggregate and are seeking to assert their resurgence on the European stage. With both teams having strong defensive records, as proven, this could be a closely contested affair.
Paris Saint-Germain vs Aston Villa: Many people wrote PSG off after their 1-0 home reverse at the hands of Liverpool, only for the French outfit to overcome that, eventually defeating the Reds at Anfield on penalties. They face another Premier League outfit in Aston Villa, in the quarters, with Unai Emery’s side a bit of a surprise package in the Champions League this season. An intriguing battle awaits, especially as Villa have been performing well in the competition.
Barcelona vs Borussia Dortmund: Barcelona showed their class in the last round by eliminating Benfica 4-1 on aggregate, while Dortmund overcame Lille in a tightly contested tie. Interestingly, while it was a narrow aggregate win for Dortmund, they remain an attack-minded team, and so are Barcelona. This means that defences could go out of the window in this quarter-final tie, with both teams relying on what their attacking players can deliver, which will be good news for viewers.
Conclusion
There really are some excellent ties in the 2024/25 quarter-finals. Each of the ties will be competitive, especially in the first legs, but that could open the door for a more gung-ho and exciting approach from teams who are looking to recover from defeats in the return legs. As always, the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich will be expected to make the semi-finals.
