Real Madrid, Manchester City in clash of the titans at the Bernabeu
The 16th Champions League instalment of Real Madrid vs. Manchester City takes centre stage at the Bernabeu today, when both sides butt heads for the first leg of their last-16 tie.
This eagerly-anticipated fixture will become the first in the competition’s history to be played in the knockout stages in five consecutive campaigns.
Seeking to win a record-extending 16th European crown this season, Real Madrid were forced into the Champions League knockout round playoffs after finishing ninth in the League Phase, one place and one point behind Man City, after losing three of their final five fixtures.
Real Madrid return to the Bernabeu, where they have won four and lost just one of their five Champions League home games this season, scoring 12 goals in the process – though that solitary defeat was against Man City in December, losing 2-1 on matchday five of the League Phase.
The Spanish giants have, in fact, lost each of their last four UEFA games against English opposition, but they have been beaten in only three of their last 25 Champions League home matches (W19 D3) against all clubs. They should also take comfort from the fact that they have prevailed in 13 of their last 15 UCL last-16 ties, winning the first leg in 10 of their last 12 ties at this stage.
Guardiola is now gearing up for his 190th Champions League game as a manager, which will see the former Barcelona boss draw level with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Los Blancos should never be written off in any contest, especially in the Champions League, but we feel that Guardiola’s men may just do enough to take a slender advantage back to the Etihad Stadium for next week’s second leg.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Chelsea set to test their mettle against PSG
Chelsea will test their mettle against Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their last-16 tie at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night.
The two teams lock horns for the first time since the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final last summer when Cole Palmer inspired the West Londoners to a 3-0 victory in the United States.
Just like last season en route to lifting their first ever Champions League trophy, PSG missed out on automatic last-16 qualification this term and were forced to enter the knockout round playoffs after finishing 11th in the League Phase, winning just one of their final five matches (D2 L2).
PSG have experienced contrasting results in Ligue 1, with a narrow 1-0 away victory over Le Havre followed by a 3-1 home defeat to Monaco – their second league loss in as many months that has allowed second-placed Lens to reduce the gap at the summit to just one point with nine games left to play.
Instead of facing Nantes this weekend, PSG have been granted time off from Ligue 1 action to concentrate solely on their 14th successive last-16 tie in the Champions League, with Les Parisiens bidding to win a two-legged tie in Europe’s premier club competition for the sixth time in a row.
PSG head into their clash with Chelsea having lost only one of their last eight games against English opposition in UEFA competition (W5 D2) and have won their last three two-legged ties against Premier League sides, all in last season’s Champions League.
Chelsea are one of six English clubs competing in the last 16 of this season’s Champions League after finishing sixth in the 36-team League Phase standings, winning five, drawing one and losing two of their eight matches.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Bayer Leverkusen welcome Arsenal to the BayArena
Two Invincibles of the 21st century collide in the last 16 of the 2025-26 Champions League, as Bayer Leverkusen welcome Arsenal to the BayArena for Wednesday’s first leg.
The 2023-24 Bundesliga champions navigated a two-legged playoff with Olympiacos to set up a date with the Gunners, who were the dictionary definition of flawless in the league phase.
Always the bridesmaid and never the bride in all forms of continental competition – barring one UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994 – Arsenal laid down no fewer than eight early markers with eight straight wins in a dominant league-phase campaign.
Mikel Arteta masterminded successes against the likes of Atletico Madrid, long-time nemeses Bayern Munich and 2024-25 runners-up Inter Milan as the Gunners clinched first place unchallenged, with both the best offensive (23 goals scored) and defensive (four goals conceded) in the 36-team league phase.
As the knockout draw was also especially kind to Arsenal – who cannot meet any of Real Madrid, Liverpool, PSG, Bayern or Manchester City before the final – the expectation that 2026 will finally be the year of red and white ribbons on the Champions League trophy is only growing.
Still in pursuit of a never-before-seen quadruple, Wednesday’s visitors continue to face incessant criticism for their well-documented reliance on set-plays, but as long as the wins keep on flooding in, it matters little.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Bodo/Glimt set to continue fairytale journey against Sporting Lisbon
Norwegian upstarts Bodo/Glimt will continue their fairytale journey in the Champions League on Wednesday when they welcome Sporting Lisbon to Aspmyra Stadion for the first leg of their round-of-16 tie.
The Super Team once again defied the odds to eliminate last season’s runners-up Inter Milan in the playoffs, while the Portuguese visitors secured direct passage to this stage of the competition.
The standout surprise of this season’s European elite, Glimt have taken the competition by storm in their first foray into the Champions League proper, a journey that has already featured a series of giant-killing acts.
The Norwegian outfit produced a late surge to secure a rare playoff berth after going unbeaten in their final three league-phase matches, first drawing 2-2 at Borussia Dortmund before victories over Manchester City (3-1) and Atletico Madrid (2-1) lifted them to 23rd place in the 36-team table.
Having become the first Norwegian club to record four consecutive victories in the Champions League proper, as well as the first side from the country to win a knockout-phase tie in the competition, Glimt will certainly not sell themselves short of extending their remarkable run.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
