Arsenal are the only English team remaining in this season’s Champions League after Liverpool were eliminated in the quarter-finals, although six of them have qualified for the tournament.
Paris Saint-Germain are the reigning champions (Image: Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images)
And now there are four. The 2026 Champions League quarter-finals will be history, with less than a handful of teams heading to Budapest.
The holders, Paris Saint-Germain, beat Liverpool to take the ticket first with a well-deserved 4-0 aggregate win from Anfield. Also on Tuesday, Atlético Madrid advanced to the semi-finals after a hard-fought clash with Barcelona, drawing 3-2 despite losing the second leg in their own backyard.
Two contrasting games were played on Wednesday. Arsenal led 1-0 from the first leg, narrowly winning a goalless draw with Sporting Lisbon at home, and will face Atlético in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid played a classic match. Two late goals earned Bayern a draw with PSG, with the winner almost certainly going into this year’s final at the Puskas Arena on Saturday, May 30th as favorites.
But who will lift the trophy when it’s all said and done? Here, Mirror Football ranks the four semi-finalists in our latest edition of the Power Rankings.
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4. Atletico Madrid
After benefiting from two red cards and some controversial refereeing decisions, will fate be on Atlético’s side? Diego Simeone’s side put in an efficient performance in the first leg and are looking within seconds of reaching the semi-finals for the fourth time in 12 years.
The good news is that unlike in 2014 and 2016, they are unlikely to lose to Real in the final. The bad news is that Arsenal will be facing a team that is of a higher level defensively than their previous opponents Barcelona and Tottenham.
It would be a dream send-off for Antoine Griezmann, who is set to join Orlando City this summer, and if he finally gets his ‘big years’, it would be a dream send-off. However, Atlético will have to take their domestic form into consideration, with their win against Barcelona last week their only win in six games.
Will this year be that year? It is no exaggeration to say that he will be entering the semi-finals as an outsider.
Who will win the Champions League? Let us know your prediction in the comments section.
Atlético Madrid keep on dreaming (Image: Ángel Martínez/Getty Images)
3. Arsenal
That was close. Arsenal no longer look like the team that beat both Bayern and Atlético along the way, finishing top of the table and making it smoothly into the knockout stages.
Whether due to fatigue or fear, Mikel Arteta’s side have stagnated since losing to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final. In particular, we are playing against Manchester City in what could be a title decider in the Premier League this Sunday. Arsenal beat Atleti 4-0 in October, but we must also remember that they beat PSG in the league last season and lost in the semi-finals.
Will history repeat itself? It will likely be a battle of attrition against a similarly defensive-minded side, but Arsenal are slight favorites to win, with home advantage especially in the second leg.
Arsenal are going through tough times (Image: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
2. Bayern Munich
After finishing second behind Arsenal, many predicted a final between the pair, but that could still easily happen. Vincent Kompany has taken Bayern to even greater heights this term, and their attack, led by Harry Kane at his peak, is terrifying.
The Bundesliga champions obliterated Atalanta in the round of 16, but the game against Real saw the cracks in their armor for the first time. Manuel Neuer may have been outstanding at the Bernabéu, but his mistakes on Wednesday were a reminder that he can no longer always be trusted.
Of course, they are still a great team with many winners and home advantage could be essential to defeating PSG. But like any other semi-final, it’s on a knife edge.
Harry Kane has scored 50 goals for Bayern Munich this season (Image: Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press Sports via Getty Images)
1.PSG
They went there, they did it, they got the T-shirt. PSG have waited 55 years to be crowned European champions, but it seems they have no intention of giving up the title easily.
Similar to last season, the French giants looked stronger at every stage as they grew leading up to the tournament. Chelsea and Liverpool were both ignored, but Bayern, who beat them in Paris in November, should be a tough test.
But Luis Enrique and his players have muscle memory, are near unstoppable at their best and know how to win the away second leg. It is understood that Ligue 1 wants to help PSG, so it is expected that the match against Lorient between the two leagues will be postponed.
It’s hard to tell, but Holder is our favorite at this stage. One thing is for sure: there will be plenty of drama along the way.
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