UEFA Champions League 2025-26: Preview and Schedule
In the Round of 16, leg 2 of 2, all clubs are waiting to perform for European glory. This week, the Champions League starts up on March 17, 2026. All teams are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to strengthen their positions. Several clubs are participating in the UEFA Champions League 2025-26 season.
Among the standout fixtures are Sporting CP vs FK Bodø/Glimt and Chelsea F.C. vs Paris Saint-Germain F.C. Other ties include Manchester City F.C. vs Real Madrid, Arsenal F.C. vs Bayer 04 Leverkusen, FC Barcelona vs Newcastle United F.C. In addition, Tottenham Hotspur F.C. vs Atlético Madrid and FC Bayern Munich vs Atalanta BC are also taking place in the league. Each club will battle to grab a better place in the next round and continue its pursuit of European glory.
Arsenal F.C. currently sits atop the UEFA Champions League standings with 24 points. Meanwhile, Arsenal is also competing in the English Premier League. Moving to FC Bayern Munich, they are playing in the Bundesliga campaign. FC Bayern Munich occupies second place in the Champions League standings. Tottenham have delivered strong performances in the Champions League and are in slightly weak form in the Premier League.
Elsewhere, FC Barcelona sits in 5th place with 16 points, and Chelsea F.C. is in 6th place in the Champions League. However, the clubs involved in the playoff qualifiers include Real Madrid, Inter, PSG, Newcastle, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, and Leverkusen. Other clubs competing in the tournament include Dortmund, Olympiacos, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Monaco, Qarabag FK, Bodø/Glimt, and Benfica.
Matchday Schedule
Sporting vs. Bodø/Glimt
Date: March 17, 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 01:45 p.m. ET | 10:45 a.m. PT | 11:15 p.m. IST
Venue: Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon.
Chelsea vs. PSG
Date: March 17, 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 04:00 p.m. ET | 01:00 p.m. PT | 01:30 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: Stamford Bridge in London.
Man City vs Real Madrid
Date: March 17, 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 04:00 p.m. ET | 01:00 p.m. PT | 01:30 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: Etihad Stadium in Manchester.
Arsenal vs. Leverkusen
Date: March 17, 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 04:00 p.m. ET | 01:00 p.m. PT | 01:30 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: Emirates Stadium in London.
Barcelona vs. Newcastle
Date: March 18, 2026 (Wednesday)
Time: 01:45 p.m. ET | 10:45 a.m. PT | 11:15 p.m. IST
Venue: Camp Nou in Barcelona.
Tottenham vs. Atletico Madrid
Date: March 18, 2026 (Wednesday)
Time: 04:00 p.m. ET | 01:00 p.m. PT| 01:30 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Liverpool vs. Galatasaray
Date: March 18, 2026 (Wednesday)
Time: 04:00 p.m. ET | 01:00 p.m. PT| 01:30 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: Anfield in Liverpool.
Bayern vs. Atalanta
Date: March 18, 2026 (Wednesday)
Time: 04:00 p.m. ET | 01:00 p.m. PT| 01:30 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: Allianz Arena in Germany.
Matchday Predictions
The Round of 16, leg 2 of 2, of the UEFA Champions League will take place on March 17-18, 2026. Several well-matched teams are set to face off in highly anticipated head-to-head clashes and significant matchups, with in-depth coverage here.
Chelsea vs. PSG
Date: March 17, 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 04:00 p.m. ET | 01:00 p.m. PT| 01:30 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: Stamford Bridge in London.
Predicted Lineups for Chelsea
Position
Players
Goalkeeper
Filip Jörgensen
Backs
Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Cucurella, and Reece James
Midfielders
Moisés Caicedo, Cole Palmer, and Enzo Fernández
Winger
Pedro Neto
Striker
João Pedro
Predicted Lineups for PSG
Position
Players
Goalkeeper
Matvey Safonov
Backs
Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho, Marquinhos, and Achraf Hakimi
Midfielders
João Neves, Vitinha, and Warren Zaïre-Emery
Wingers
Bradley Barcola, and Désiré Doué
Striker
Ousmane Dembélé
Previous Rivalry
In their most recent UEFA Champions League game, Chelsea faced PSG. Malo Gusto and Enzo Fernández scored the goal for Chelsea. On the other hand, Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored goals for PSG. In the end, Chelsea lost 5-2 to PSG. Chelsea is also competing in the English Premier League this season. They are currently in 6th place in the EPL standings with 48 points. In their last five games, Chelsea has registered one win, two draws, and two losses. This team will aim to come back strongly in their upcoming fixture.
Conversely, Paris Saint-Germain F.C. suffered a 3-1 defeat against AS Monaco in the recent Ligue 1 game. Bradley Barcola scored the only goal for PSG. Meanwhile, Maghnes Akliouche, Aleksandr Golovin, and Folarin Balogun were on target for Monaco. In their last five matches, they have recorded three consecutive wins and two losses. PSG will now look to improve their performance as they continue their campaign in both the domestic league and the Champions League.
The Pick: Chelsea
Arsenal vs. Leverkusen
Date: March 17, 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 04:00 p.m. ET | 01:00 p.m. PT | 01:30 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: Emirates Stadium in London.
Predicted Lineups for Arsenal
Position
Players
Goalkeeper
David Raya
Backs
Cristhian Mosquera, William Saliba, Gabriel, and Piero Hincapié
Midfielders
Martín Zubimendi, Declan Rice, and Eberechi Eze
Wingers
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli
Striker
Viktor Gyökeres
Predicted Lineups for Leverkusen
Position
Players
Goalkeeper
Janis Blaswich
Backs
Edmond Tapsoba, Robert Andrich, Jarell Quansah, and Alejandro Grimaldo
Midfielders
Aleix García, Exequiel Palacios, Ernest Poku, Malik Tillman, and Ibrahim Maza
Striker
Christian Kofane
Previous Rivalry
Arsenal F.C. has been in strong form in recent games. Several players are added to the injury list. Myles Lewis-Skelly, who is out with a knee injury. Mikel Merino Zazón and Leandro Trossard suffered broken ribs and hip injuries, respectively. Arsenal will have home-field advantage and will aim to secure a victory in their upcoming fixture.
By contrast, Bayer 04 Leverkusen find themselves in a challenging position in the Champions League standings. They are currently in 16th place with 12 points. However, the squad has been affected by several injuries. Eliesse Ben Seghir has an ankle injury, and Lucas Vázquez Iglesias is out with a calf injury. Loïc Badé and Mark Flekken are recovering from hamstring and cruciate ligament tear injuries, respectively.
The Pick: Arsenal
Barcelona vs. Newcastle
Date: March 18, 2026 (Wednesday)
Time: 01:45 p.m. ET | 10:45 a.m. PT | 11:15 p.m. IST
Venue: Camp Nou in Barcelona.
Predicted Lineups for Barcelona
Position
Players
Goalkeeper
Joan García
Backs
Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsí, Gerard Martín, and João Cancelo
Midfielders
Pedri, Marc Bernal, and Fermín López
Wingers
Lamine Yamal and Raphinha
Striker
Robert Lewandowski
Predicted Lineups for Newcastle
Position
Players
Goalkeeper
Aaron Ramsdale
Backs
Lewis Hall, Daniel Burn, Malick Thiaw, and Kieran Trippier
Midfielders
Joelinton, Sandro Tonali, and Jacob Ramsey
Wingers
Harvey Barnes and Anthony Elanga
Striker
William Osula
Previous Rivalry
FC Barcelona currently sits in first place in the La Liga standings with 70 points. In their last five games, they have registered four consecutive victories and one loss. This team is also participating in the UEFA Champions League, where they continue to face tough opposition. Barcelona have had their toughest performances in their recent form. In the Round of 16, Barcelona has a recent tie in performance and is heading into the decisive second leg. Additionally, FC Barcelona has home-field advantage and a slight edge in this upcoming game.
Newcastle United F.C., who compete in the English Premier League, are balancing their domestic campaign with European competition. In their most recent fixture, Newcastle suffered a 3-1 defeat against Manchester City F.C. They are currently sitting in ninth position with 42 points in the EPL standings. In their last five games, Newcastle has displayed mixed form, recording three straight wins and two losses.
The Pick: Barcelona
Man City vs Real Madrid
Date: March 17, 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 04:00 p.m. ET | 01:00 p.m. PT | 01:30 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: Etihad Stadium in Manchester.
Predicted Lineups for Man City
Position
Players
Goalkeeper
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Backs
Abdukodir Khusanov, Rúben Dias, Marc Guéhi and Nico O’Reilly
Midfielders
Rodri and Bernardo Silva
Wingers
Savinho, Antoine Semenyo, and Jérémy Doku
Striker
Erling Haaland
Predicted Lineups for Real Madrid
Position
Players
Goalkeeper
Thibaut Courtois
Backs
Dean Huijsen, Antonio Rüdiger, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Federico Valverde
Midfielders
Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Thiago Pitarch
Wingers
Vinícius Júnior and Brahim Díaz
Previous Rivalry
Manchester City F.C. is also participating in the UEFA Champions League as it continues its European campaign. A few players have been added to the injury list. Joško Gvardiol is out with a broken tibia injury, and he is questionable in the upcoming fixture. Mateo Kovačić has an ankle injury, and the rest of the squad prepares to face their opponent in the upcoming game.
Real Madrid currently sits second in the La Liga standings with 66 points. They have struggled to maintain the same level of performance in the Champions League this season. In their last five games, Real Madrid have won three and lost two. This team has major players added to the injury list, which is a disadvantage for their upcoming clashes.
The Pick: Man City
Final Thoughts
As the Champions League enters the round of 16, several clubs have already advanced. Some teams will be ready for a face-to-face tussle. The competition has now reached its decisive stages, where only the strongest sides will retain their place on their journey.