Champions League quarter-finals: Meet the teams

Three teams from Spain, two each from England and Germany, and one from France have secured their places in the last eight of this season's competition.

UEFA.com profiles the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League quarter-final contenders.

Arsenal (ENG)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 21
Group B: W4 D1 L1 F16 A4 (winners)
Round of 16: 1-1agg vs Porto (4-2 pens)
Quarter-finals: vs Bayern – 09/04 (h), 17/04 (a)
Last season: Europa League round of 16
Best European Cup performance: Runners-up (2005/06)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Bukayo Saka (48)

Campaign in ten words: Initially impressive at both ends but Porto pushed them hard.

UEFA.com Arsenal reporter: When Arsenal announced their return to the Champions League with a sparkling 4-0 victory over PSV on Matchday 1, it seemed they would cruise through the group stage. The Gunners were given a reality check by a battling Lens but recovered with two hugely impressive wins against Sevilla. Finishing in top spot landed them a tie against a tough Porto side; coming through that in the manner they did, on penalties, will give them invaluable momentum and experience.

Why Arsenal can win the competition
Arsenal have a well-balanced and settled side, with a front line that can eviscerate any opponent. Martin Ødegaard's footballing intelligence and leadership makes him the heartbeat of a team that play some exceptional stuff. At the same time, as the performance against Porto showed, the Gunners are not afraid to roll up their sleeves and graft and, in characters such as Gabriel, William Saliba and Declan Rice, they have considerable physical stature too. The perfect balance?

How Arsenal play
This season, Mikel Arteta has shown he has as much in common with Arsenal’s legendary manager of the 1980s and 90s George Graham as he does with his mentor Arsène Wenger. The arrival of Rice and the return of Saliba has given the Gunners a steely edge and the ability to win in the face of adversity. They no longer play with the abandon of last year but instead are considerably more solid, composed and therefore arguably more dangerous.

Coach: Mikel Arteta
Assistant to Pep Guardiola at Man City from 2016 to 2019, Arteta guided the Gunners to a 14th FA Cup title in his first season in charge. After eighth and fifth-placed Premier League finishes in 2021 and 2022 respectively, Arteta's team led the way for 248 days last term before ending as runners-up to Manchester City. They are right up there again this season, and back in the Champions League limelight.

Key player: Martin Ødegaard
After joining the club from Real Madrid in August 2021, Ødegaard was made captain for the final eight league games of the 2021/22 campaign before taking over as permanent skipper last term. Known for his incisive passing and playmaking abilities, he registered 15 goals and eight assists in the league last season to fuel the Gunners' title challenge.

Did you know?
No team has played as many Champions League knockout fixtures as Arsenal and not lifted the trophy.

Atlético de Madrid (ESP)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 13
Group E: W4 D2 L0 F17 A6 (winners)
Round of 16: 2-2agg vs Inter (3-2 pens)
Quarter-finals: vs Dortmund – 10/04 (h), 16/04 (a)
Last season: Group stage (fourth place)
Best European Cup performance: Runners-up (1973/74, 2013/14, 2015/16)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Antoine Griezmann (45)

Campaign in ten words: Qualified early from group but late in the last 16.

UEFA.com Atlético reporter: Following a disappointing European campaign last season, Atlético set out with a point to prove – which they certainly have. While on an impressive home streak, they have also finally won away in Europe for the first time since March 2021. Álvaro Morata and Antoine Griezmann have been in unstoppable form, both at the peaks of their careers. Coming from behind to claim a spirited triumph at home to Feyenoord and a draw at Celtic in the group stage, then a success on penalties against Inter in the round of 16, shows Diego Simeone's side have a resilient and determined character that cannot be questioned.

Why Atlético can win the competition
While it's been a roller coaster of a season for Simeone's team, where they have impressed the most this term is in the Champions League and especially at home. Metropolitano has become a fortress and Griezmann and Morata have become the competition's strongest attacking duo. But perhaps Atlético's biggest strength is what got them through to the quarter-finals – the mindset that means they never give up. That, together with a vibrant Metropolitano, have made them impossible to beat in Madrid and could lay the foundations for them to go all the way.

How Atlético play
Once known for their strong defensive capabilities, that's no longer what Atlético are about. With high-roaming full-backs in typically an attack-minded 5-3-2 formation, this season they have impressed in the offensive aspect of their game, despite showing vulnerability at the back. An ever-present injury list including key players has required much squad rotation from Simeone, and defensively is where the team has felt the bulk of the strain.

Coach: Diego Simeone
In more than 11 years at the helm, Simeone has coached Los Rojiblancos to two Europa League titles, two UEFA Super Cups and two Champions League finals. In 2021, he added a second La Liga title to show his powers remain undiminished.

Key player: Antoine Griezmann
In the third season of his second spell at Atlético, French forward Griezmann is arguably in the best form of his career. The 32-year-old scored 16 goals and provided 19 assists in all competitions for his team last season, and has again been prolific this term, once again becoming a crucial cog in Simeone's side.

Did you know?
Atlético are unbeaten in their last 17 Champions League knockout round matches in their own stadium (W10 D7) since a 3-2 defeat against Ajax in the 1996/97 quarter-finals.

Barcelona (ESP)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 12
Group H: W4 D0 L2 F12 A6 (winners)
Round of 16: 4-2agg vs Napoli
Quarter-finals: vs Paris Saint-Germain – 10/04 (a), 16/04 (h)
Last season: Group stage, Europa League round of 32
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1991/92, 2005/06, 2008/09, 2010/11, 2014/15)
Top Fantasy Football points-scorer: João Cancelo (48)

Campaign in ten words: Impressive return to last eight after three-year absence from knockouts.

UEFA.com Barcelona reporter: Barça make you sweat before you can reach a final verdict. The initial verve and thrills of their group campaign was a little undermined by losses to Shakhtar and Antwerp, but across the two Napoli matches they looked confident, enjoyable to watch and oozing youthful exuberance. Pau Cubarsí and Lamine Yamal have been utterly thrilling. But... it was tight!

Why Barcelona can win the competition
A couple of months ago Barcelona were a team that a few of the really in-form sides would have been happy enough to draw; not so now. Xavi Hernández has galvanised his men. There's confidence and intensity, and an 'all-for-one' spirit. Long-in-the tooth Champions League coaches, winning ones included, repeatedly say that 'it's all about your form in March and April; that's when you pick up momentum and make a run to the final'. It would still raise eyebrows if Barcelona were at Wembley on 1 June, but the Catalan giants do love a Champions League final there.

How Barcelona play
They get the ball to Lamine as often as possible – he's flying right now. Structurally, Xavi's men line up in a 4-3-3 or 3-4-3. Whether that stays the shape when they are enjoying lots of attacking possession is another story. Andreas Christensen's reinvention as a 'pivote' has been key, filling the controlling midfield role vacated by Sergio Busquets. Confidence has flooded back, so too patience and intensity. They have ridden a debilitating injury crisis and more options are nearing a return.

Coach: Xavi Hernández
He came, he saw, he conquered (La Liga last season), but still Xavi announced that he was going to walk away this summer. That jolted many, particularly his squad; they have reacted in both human and sporting terms. He won this trophy four times as a sublime midfielder and now, at least, the worst that will happen is that he steps away from his beloved club having steered them to the last eight. Any further and there'll be petitions for him to change his mind and stay.

Key player: Lamine Yamal
How remarkable that this category is a battle between a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old! Lamine is the former and while nobody wants to heap unnecessarily pressure on him, the hard fact is that he's ripping up the record books and becoming central to this team's identity, confidence and attacking threat. He is extraordinary. That's why he possibly pips Pau Cubarsí, who at this early stage could be the best defender this club has produced since Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué.

Did you know?
On Matchday 3, Barcelona became only the third club after Real Madrid and Bayern to win 200 matches in the European Cup (qualifying included).

Bayern München (GER)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 2
Group A: W5 D1 L0 F12 A6 (winners)
Round of 16: 3-1agg vs Lazio
Quarter-finals: vs Arsenal – 09/04 (a), 17/04 (h)
Last season: Quarter-finals (L1-4agg vs Man City)
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1973/74, 1974/75, 1975/76, 2000/01, 2012/13, 2019/20)
Top Fantasy Football points-scorer: Harry Kane (56)

Campaign in ten words: Kane's goals key as Bayern look to end quarter-final curse.

UEFA.com Bayern reporter: At the start of the season, Bayern made no secret of their ambition to progress beyond the quarter-finals, the end of the line for them in the Champions League for the past three seasons. Kane was brought in to provide the big-game mentality and world-class finishing that was missing in Europe last term. The England captain has delivered so far, and he is the reason many believe Bayern could yet end a campaign that may see them deposed as German champions by taking the biggest prize of the lot.

Why Bayern can win the competition
Bayern have had their ups and downs, but title-winning class is permanent; in Thomas Tuchel, they have a coach who boasts the same quality. To an extent, the pressure is off in Europe, with domestic travails dampening expectations. But, in Kane, the six-time European champions have an elite striker, the type of player who could fire them to title number seven.

How Bayern play
Tuchel has preached about "fast and fluid" football since arriving at the club last season, and that translates into sharp vertical passes out from the back and some incisive interplay in the final third. Kane has proved the perfect puzzle piece up front, not just because of his goalscoring, but also his ability to drop deep and link up the play, allowing Bayern to get the best out of the pace advantage they have against most sides in wide positions.

Coach: Thomas Tuchel
Impressed with Mainz and Dortmund before guiding Paris to a domestic treble and the Champions League final in 2019/20. Took over at Chelsea in January 2021 and led them to Champions League glory in a matter of months. Returned to Germany with Bayern in March 2023 and steered them home in the title race. Will depart at the end of the season.

Key player: Harry Kane
The England captain and the German giants have proved a match made in heaven. His record-breaking scoring rate has made Bayern's big-money move look like one of the bargains of the summer. Beyond his insatiable appetite up front, Kane has underlined his ability to link up play with an incredible range of passing, while helping to raise the game of every player around him and leading by example in all areas of the pitch.

Did you know?
On Matchday 1, Thomas Müller became just the third player in history to record 100 Champions League wins (in 143 games), after Cristiano Ronaldo (115 wins in 183 games) and Iker Casillas (101 wins in 177 games).

Dortmund (GER)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 11
Group F: W3 D2 L1 F7 A4 (winners)
Round of 16: 3-1agg vs PSV
Quarter-finals: vs Atlético de Madrid – 10/04 (a), 16/04 (h)
Last season: Round of 16 (L1-2agg vs Chelsea)
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1996/1997)
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Mats Hummels (54)

Campaign in ten words: Came on strong in group then ground out last-16 tie.

UEFA.com Dortmund reporter: Having missed out on winning the Bundesliga title in May, not many would have expected Dortmund to be the first team to qualify from the extremely tough Group F. Having suffered a setback at Paris (2-0) in the first match and drawn another blank at home against Milan (0-0), they really laid the groundwork for progression with back-to-back wins without conceding against Newcastle. Another mature performance at Milan ensured qualification with one game to spare while they also held their nerve under intense pressure from PSV in the last-16 return to reach the quarter-finals.

Why Dortmund can win the competition
BVB stumbled in the first leg in Eindhoven but, in the end, the Black and Yellows prevailed at home against PSV. Home advantage is a major factor in Dortmund as the Dutch league leaders will confirm after the second leg in front of more than 81,000 boisterous spectators. BVB have shown this season that they can beat any team so the end of their journey in this season's competition is not yet in sight.

How Dortmund play
Wary of a difficult task ahead, BVB set out with a counterattacking mindset and a back three for the first group match at Paris. They changed their set-up during that match, brought on a true No9 instead of two counterattacking forwards and their game improved right away. Since then, they have always opted for a formation with a back four and three central midfielders, with pacy wingers such as Donyell Malen, Karim Adeyemi or Jadon Sancho playing a decisive role. From that basic formation, Dortmund are capable of progressing the ball or pressing in different ways, and a three-player build-up is quite possible as well.

Coach: Edin Terzić
Terzić began his coaching career in Dortmund's academy in 2010. He had a spell as interim first-team boss during the 2020/21 campaign, when he lead BVB to victory over Leipzig in the German Cup final, before taking them within minutes of dethroning champions Bayern last season.

Key player: Julian Brandt
One of the Bundesliga's most consistent and impressive performers for several years, German international Brandt joined Dortmund after five-and-a-half seasons at Leverkusen. Now 27, the creative midfielder has completed four years at BVB, making at least 40 appearances every season and hitting double figures for goals last term. He wasn't fully fit in the last game against Eindhoven but will certainly play a decisive role again in the quarter-finals.

Did you know?
Dortmund have won nine of their previous ten UEFA competition ties when they have drawn the first leg away from home.

Man City (ENG)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 1
Group G: W6 D0 L0 F18 A7 (winners)
Round of 16: 6-2agg vs Copenhagen
Quarter-finals: vs Real Madrid – 09/04 (a), 17/04 (h)
Last season: Winners (W1-0 vs Inter)
Best European Cup performance: Winners (2022/23)
Top Fantasy Football points-scorer: Phil Foden (49)

Campaign in ten words: Formidable defending champions proving title will not be relinquished easily.

UEFA.com Man City reporter: There's no doubt City have already shown huge ambition and hunger to retain their Champions League title. A trademark show of consistently brutal firepower has brought three goals in all eight of their games so far, and they have qualified for the quarter-finals for a seventh consecutive season. Forwards Erling Haaland and Julián Álvarez have plundered 11 goals between them to this point, but it's City's team ethic which is the real star of the show.

Why Man City can win the competition
A manager in Pep Guardiola with a relentless will to win plus a squad that shares the same desire to be the best equals an unbeatable combination. City's urgency, fluency, domination of the ball and attacking end product is unrivalled anywhere in club football. And with players like Haaland, Rodri and Phil Foden at the absolute peak of their powers, City carry the threat of an unstoppable force. The trophy is theirs to lose.

How Man City play
Generally, they line up as a 4-1-4-1, but that's only the beginning of the story. Inverted full-backs, central defenders stepping into midfield and wingers darting inside and outside their markers – on-song City are a slick menace. Guardiola demands a lot from his players and they usually deliver, with Rico Lewis a case in point. Right-back Lewis has moved into midfield with ease during passages of play, a perfect example of the fluidity and versatility Guardiola demands from his stars.

Coach: Josep Guardiola
One of the most decorated coaches in the game, Guardiola won this competition twice at the Barcelona helm before ending his 12-year wait for a third triumph with City last season. Scooped three league titles apiece at the helm of the Catalan club and Bayern, and made it five Premier League winners' medals with City in 2022/23. Last season's historic treble was arguably the crowning glory.

Key player: Rodri
Whenever Rodri plays, City almost always win. The midfield anchorman has a level of skill, composure and authority that few possess in that role and it usually allows City to control games from the word go. With Kevin De Bruyne only recently back from long-term injury, Rodri's presence and performances have been vital in giving City a stable platform to dismantle opponents.

Did you know?
Haaland has played four home matches in the Champions League round of 16 and has scored a total of ten goals in those games.

Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 4
Group F: W2 D2 L2 F9 A8 (runners-up)
Round of 16: 4-1agg vs Real Sociedad
Quarter-finals: vs Barcelona – 10/04 (h), 16/04 (a)
Last season: Round of 16 (L0-3agg vs Bayern)
Best European Cup performance: Runners-up (2019/20)
Top Fantasy Football points-scorer: Kylian Mbappé (46)

Campaign in ten words: Recovered from group stage troubles as Mbappé spearheaded last-16 cruise.

UEFA.com Paris reporter: For the first time since the 2020/21 season, Paris have qualified for the quarter-finals of the Champions League. After a group stage campaign which included a chastening 4-1 defeat away at Newcastle, hopes of a deep run in this year's competition were tempered. Fast forward a couple of months, though, and following an expertly navigated round of 16 second leg against Real Sociedad, Parisian optimism is rising. As demonstrated in Spain, this outfit are tactically astute, and growing in stature with each passing game.

Why Paris can win the competition
It would be reductive to pin all hopes of a Paris win on Mbappé, but the side from the French capital possess arguably the best player in the world right now. Since arriving at the helm this summer, Luis Enrique has injected energy and youthful exuberance into the side. In Warren Zaïre-Emery, they boast one of the brightest midfield talents in the game, and collectively they're growing in maturity. Should they continue to evolve as a group, and key players remain fit, Les Parisiens will be a force to be reckoned with.

How Paris play 
Since arriving at the Parc des Princes, Luis Enrique has been keen to implement a system predicated on tactical flexibility. Nominally a 4-3-3, their approach soon moulds into a 3-4-3 when in possession. Lucas Hernández's positional nous on the left of their back four allows Achraf Hakimi the freedom to operate as an auxiliary midfielder. Another common switch involves Vitinha, who often occupies the berth on the left of the midfield three, moving wide to allow danger man Mbappé to roam into the central spaces.

Coach: Luis Enrique
The former Barcelona and Real Madrid player won nine trophies during a hugely successful three-year spell in charge of the Blaugrana, including two La Liga crowns and the 2014/15 Champions League. He led Spain to the UEFA EURO 2020 semi-finals and the 2021 Nations League final before succeeding Christophe Galtier at Paris last July.

Key player: Kylian Mbappé
Burst onto the European stage with Monaco in 2016/17 and has never looked back. A FIFA World Cup winner with France in 2018, he became the youngest player to reach 30 Champions League goals in 2021/22 at the age of 22 years and 352 days, taking the record from then team-mate Lionel Messi.

Did you know?
Mbappé took his tally to 45 Champions League goals in Paris's last-16 second leg, the second youngest player to reach the landmark at 25 years and 76 days; only Messi was younger at 24 years and 257 days.

Real Madrid (ESP)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 3
Group C: W6 D0 L0 F16 A7 (winners)
Round of 16: 2-1agg vs Leipzig
Quarter-finals: vs Man City – 09/04 (h), 17/04 (a)
Last season: Semi-finals (L1-5agg vs Man City)
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1955/56, 1956/57, 1957/58, 1958/59, 1959/60, 1965/66, 1997/98, 1999/2000, 2001/02, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2021/22)
Top Fantasy Football points-scorer: Jude Bellingham (55)

Campaign in ten words: Serene group stage progress but were sorely tested by Leipzig.

UEFA.com Real Madrid reporter: Madrid remain fun to watch, and report on. But the nerve-shredding and sensory overload moments which were unheralded themes of their otherwise perfect group qualification became more notable in the round of 16. Brahim Díaz's sumptuous goal in Leipzig was probably the standout moment of their progress to the last eight but, for once, Los Blancos owe at least as much to their goalkeeper, Andriy Lunin, as to any of their majestic outfield stars. The Ukrainian was stellar in both legs and, frankly, Madrid will be looking to restore their goal-threat in the quarter-finals.

Why Madrid can win the competition
Because they're Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti's side live and breathe the stress, the pride, the ambition, the Houdini acts and the majesty which any club needs in order to win this trophy. Surely few share the same all-consuming desire to win this trophy. And if there are some candidates across Europe in better form right now, don't discard the big guns in this squad – Vinícius Júnior, Bellingham, Toni Kroos (plus perhaps the returning Thibaut Courtois and Éder Militão, according to the Italian coach) – hitting their stride at just the right time.

How Real Madrid play
Vivaciously. If you had to state Los Blancos' current predominant formation, it would be 4-4-2. Ancelotti has a treasury of midfield talent and, until injuries intervened, he wanted to field as much of it as feasible. But rather than viewing four in midfield as a defensive measure (Madrid have largely used 4-3-3 since Ancelotti returned), the key is that Bellingham, alternating between the left side without the ball and the tip of the midfield diamond when Madrid are in possession, can attack the box and score. They are arguably the best counter/transition team in Europe.

Coach: Carlo Ancelotti
The man who led Madrid to La Décima in 2014 came back for a second spell in charge in summer 2021 and rewrote the history books by becoming the first coach to win the European Cup/Champions League four times. Also cruised to La Liga title in 2021/22, making him the first coach to win championships in Italy, England, France, Germany and Spain.

Key player: Jude Bellingham
The England international's move to Madrid was one of the most eye-catching of the summer, and after inheriting Zinédine Zidane's iconic No5 shirt, big things were expected of one of European football's most talented midfielders at the Santiago Bernabéu. What he has already produced has astonished even his biggest supporters.

Did you know?
Madrid have now won 37 of the 39 ties in which they have recorded an away first-leg win in UEFA competition.

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