The UEFA Champions League roars back into action on Tuesday night with four high-stakes return leg clashes that promise drama, tension, and the very best of European football. Catch the action live on SuperSport.
Arsenal host Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea welcome French giants Paris SG, Manchester City lock horns once again with Real Madrid, and Sporting CP face the spirited challengers Bodø/Glimt.
It’s all or nothing at this stage of the competition, and with everything on the line, sparks are expected to fly live on SuperSport TV as Europe’s elite battle for a place in the next round.
SPORTING CP V BODØ/GLIMT (agg: 0-3)
With a three-goal deficit from the first leg, Sporting CP are facing what would be just the third time a Portuguese side have been eliminated by a Norwegian opponent in the knockout stages of a major European competition – previously União de Leiria v Molde (2003-2004 UEFA Cup) and Sporting CP themselves v Viking (1999-2000 UEFA Cup).
Bodø/Glimt have a 100 per cent record against Portuguese sides in European competition (3/3), with their first leg triumph over Sporting CP being the third different opponent they have beaten (also 3-2 v FC Porto and 2-1 v Braga in last season’s UEFA Europa League).
Sporting CP have won all three of their home matches against Norwegian sides in European competition and kept a clean sheet in all three; one of these was a 4-0 victory over Lyn in September 1971 (Cup Winners’ Cup).
Sporting CP have overturned a three-goal deficit to progress from a knockout stage tie in major European competition once previously, eliminating Manchester United in the 1963-64 Cup Winners’ Cup quarterfinals (lost 1-4 in the first leg, won 5-0 at home in the second leg).
Bodø/Glimt are looking to become just the second Norwegian team to reach the quarterfinal stage of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, after Rosenborg in the 1996-97 edition.
Sporting CP are currently on their longest winless run in the knockout stages of a major European competition (six games - D3 L3), and have failed to score in their last three matches. They last failed to find the net in four in a row in September 1982 (4).
Bodø/Glimt have won each of their last five games in this competition, and could equal the longest European Cup/UEFA Champions League winning streak by a team from outside of Europe’s big five leagues (England, Spain, Germany, Italy & France): 6-game streaks by Benfica (1990), Spartak Moscow (1995) and Ajax (2021).
Kasper Høgh has scored five goals for Bodø/Glimt in the UEFA Champions League this season – only two Danish players have ever netted more in a single edition of the European Cup/Champions League: Søren Lerby for Ajax in 1979-80 (10) and Bent Löfqvist for B1913 in 1961-62 (6).
Sporting CP’s Gonçalo Inácio has averaged 15.1 line-breaking passes per 90 in the UEFA Champions League this season; the second most by a defender (min. 500 minutes played), only behind Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck (18.3).
Bodø/Glimt’s Jens Petter Hauge has been directly involved in six goals in his last six UEFA Champions League appearances (4 goals, 2 assists), while only Fede Valverde (5) has more goal involvements than Hauge in the knockout stages of this edition (4 – 2 goals, 2 assists).
CHELSEA V PARIS SG (agg: 2-5)
Chelsea are winless in their last five UEFA Champions League games against Paris SG (D2 L3); their joint-longest winless run against an opponent in the competition (also 5 v Bayern Munich – April 2005 to September 2025).
Paris SG are unbeaten in their last five games against English teams in the UEFA Champions League (W4 D1), and could go six in a row without defeat against them in the competition for the first time here.
Paris SG are looking to progress from their fourth consecutive UEFA Champions League knockout stage tie against English opponents (previously v Liverpool, Aston Villa & Arsenal last season). Prior to last season, the Parisians had only progressed from two of their six knockout stage ties against English sides in the competition.
Chelsea hold a three-goal deficit in this tie, while only one team in UEFA Champions League history has gone on to eliminate the holders in the knockout stages after losing the first leg by as many as three goals: Deportivo de La Coruña versus Milan in the 2003-04 quarterfinals (lost 1-4 away, won 4-0 at home).
Chelsea have lost their last three games in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League, and have never previously lost four in a row. They conceded five goals in the first leg of this tie, already just two short of the most goals they have conceded in a two-legged knockout stage tie in the competition (7 v Bayern Munich in 2019-20, round of 16).
Paris SG have won 66.7 per cent of their UEFA Champions League knockout stage games under Luis Enrique (12/18). Of managers with 15+ KO stage matches with a team in the competition, this is the joint-highest win per centage by any team/coach duo, along with Barcelona under Luis Enrique (66.7 per cent - 10/15).
There were seven goals scored from just 18 shots in the first leg between Paris SG (5) and Chelsea (2). Of knockout stage matches with 5+ goals, only one game on record (since 2003-04) has had a higher combined shot conversion rate in the UEFA Champions League: 41.2 per cent between Manchester City and Schalke 04 in March 2019 (7 goals from 17 shots).
Paris SG have had more different goalscorers (excl. own goals) than any other team in the UEFA Champions League this season (13) – this is now their most different scorers in a single edition, overtaking the 12 from last season when they lifted the trophy.
Enzo Fernández has the most goal involvements for Chelsea (5) in the UEFA Champions League this season (3 goals, 2 assists), including scoring and assisting in the first leg against Paris SG. He also leads all Blues players in this edition for defensive line-breaking passes (12) and chances created (13).
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has averaged a goal (6) or assist (4) every 63 minutes in the UEFA Champions League this season (10 in 10 games); the best ratio by a Paris SG player with 5+ goal involvements in a single edition, ahead of Kylian Mbappé in 2022-23 (65).
MANCHESTER CITY V REAL MADRID (agg: 0-3)
Manchester City have lost three of their last four UEFA Champions League games against Real Madrid (W1), as many defeats as they suffered against them through their first 12 meetings in the competition (W4 D5 L3).
Real Madrid are looking to eliminate Manchester City from the UEFA Champions League knockout stages for a fifth time (previously in 2015-16, 2021-22, 2023-24 and 2024-25); only Bayern Munich have been eliminated by an opponent on more than five occasions in the knockout stages of the competition (7 v Real Madrid).
Pep Guardiola hasn’t seen his side progress from a UEFA Champions League knockout stage tie after losing the first leg since the 2014-15 quarterfinals with Bayern Munich (7-4 on aggregate v FC Porto), failing to advance in each of the five instances since then, and in all three with current club Manchester City.
Real Madrid have won the first leg of a two-legged knockout stage tie by 3+ goals on 36 occasions in major European competition – no side has ever eliminated them in the second leg in that scenario (35 attempts).
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola could fail to reach the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League for a second consecutive season (eliminated in the play-off round in 2024-25). Guardiola was only eliminated prior to the quarterfinals in one of his first 15 editions as a manager in the competition (2016-17 with Man City).
Álvaro Arbeloa could become the first Real Madrid manager to win each of his four UEFA Champions League knockout stage matches. Arbeloa is one of only two to win his first three, along with Carlo Ancelotti.
Real Madrid held Manchester City to just eight shots and 0.59 expected goals in the first leg of this tie, both the lowest totals for the Citizens in a UEFA Champions League game this season. Prior to last week, Real Madrid were averaging 15 shots faced and 1.51 xG against per game in the competition this term.
Along with scoring all three of his team’s goals in the 3-0 win, Fede Valverde completed more dribbles (4), won more duels (11) and made more tackles (4) than any other Real Madrid player in the first leg against Manchester City last week.
Erling Haaland didn’t attempt a shot in the first leg of this tie against Real Madrid; just the second time in his UEFA Champions League career where he hasn’t had at least one (also v Paris SG for Borussia Dortmund in March 2020), and first time in 38 games in the competition for Manchester City.
Real Madrid’s Thiago Pitarch – who was making his first start in the competition – completed all 18 of his passes under high-intensity pressure against Manchester City last time out. This was the most with a 100 per cent completion rate of any player across the first legs of this season’s round of 16.
ARSENAL V BAYER LEVERKUSEN (agg: 1-1)
Arsenal remain unbeaten against Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League (W1 D2), with their one victory over them coming on the only occasion they have hosted the German side: 4-1 at Highbury in February 2002.
When avoiding defeat away from home in the first leg, Arsenal have progressed from 17 of their 20 two-legged knockout stage ties in major European competition. The latest of those eliminations did come under Mikel Arteta, however, losing on penalties to Sporting CP in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 in 2022-23 (drew 2-2 away, 1-1 at home – lost 3-5 in a shootout).
Bayer Leverkusen have lost eight of their 11 away games against English sides in the UEFA Champions League, but have won on two of their three most recent trips (L1), including a 2-0 win at Manchester City in the league phase this season.
Arsenal have won 13 of their 16 home games under Mikel Arteta in the UEFA Champions League (D2 L1), with their only defeat coming against last season’s semifinals against eventual winners Paris SG (0-1 in April 2025). Indeed, Paris SG are the only visiting team who have kept a clean sheet across these 16 matches.
Bayer Leverkusen are looking to reach the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League for just the third time, and first since the 2001-02 edition when they finished as runners-up overall, losing to Real Madrid in the final (1997-98 the other season in which they reached the quarterfinals).
The only goal Bayer Leverkusen have conceded in their last four UEFA Champions League games was Kai Havertz’s penalty in the first leg last time out. They have never previously gone five consecutive games in the competition without conceding a non-penalty goal.
Bayer Leverkusen’s opener in the first leg was the 23rd opposition corner Arsenal had faced in the UEFA Champions League this season, and the first they have conceded from. Indeed, it was only the third time from the 23 corners that their opponent has managed a shot on the first attacking contact.
Declan Rice completed 96 per cent of his passes in the first leg against Bayer Leverkusen (73/76); the highest completion rate by an Arsenal midfielder in a UEFA Champions League knockout stage game since Abou Diaby v FC Porto in March 2010 (98 per cent - min. 50 attempted). Rice also made as many defensive line-breaking passes (2) as every other Arsenal player combined in the first leg of this tie (1 - Gyökeres and Zubimendi).
Only Arda Güler (29) has created more chances than Alejandro Grimaldo (26) in the UEFA Champions League this season. The Spaniard’s total is now the most by a Bayer Leverkusen player in a single edition on record (since 2003-04), overtaking Florian Wirtz’s 25 last season.
Arsenal right back Jurriën Timber has the most true tackles attempted without being dribbled past of any player in the UEFA Champions League this season (15). Meanwhile, left back Piero Hincapié has the highest duel success rate of any defender in this edition (77.3 per cent - min. 20), winning 17 of his 22 total duels so far.