Meet the Champions League quarter-finalists

League phase: W6 D1 L1 F16 A3 (3rd place)
Round of 16: PSV 9-3 agg (7-1 a, 2-2 h)
Quarter-final first leg: 3-0 vs Real Madrid h
Next: vs Real Madrid a, quarter-final second leg, 16 April
UEFA coefficient ranking: 12
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Declan Rice (58)
Best European Cup performance: Runners-up (2005/06)
Last season: Quarter-finals (L2-3agg vs Bayern)

UEFA.com Arsenal reporter Joe Terry: Aside from a 1-0 loss at Inter on Matchday 4, Arsenal's league phase performance was nigh on exemplary. Built on the tournament's second-best defence, the goals started to flow more freely at the other end after the 5-1 win away to Sporting CP, which was followed by 3-0 home victories over Monaco and GNK Dinamo. They continued that upward trajectory as their knockout phase campaign began with a remarkable 9-3 aggregate victory over PSV in the round of 16. But a memorable 3-0 quarter-final first-leg victory over Real Madrid was the best of the lot and put the Gunners in pole position to reach a first Champions League semis since the 2008/09 campaign.

Why they can win the competition
Arsenal have reserved their best performances for the Champions League this season, recording some notable scalps like the 2-0 win at home against a resurgent Paris and the jaw-dropping 7-1 victory away to PSV in the round of 16. That home triumph over Real Madrid will go down in the history books, and if they can finish the job off at the Bernabéu against the reigning champions, the boost in self-belief might just sustain them all the way to the trophy.

How they play
As a pupil of Arsène Wenger and an apprentice of Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta prizes possession, pace and creativity when attacking. The triumvirate of Ben White, Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard can be particularly devastating exploiting space on the right wing. Yet in their miserly defence, with the second fewest goals conceded in the competition, alongside their set-piece dominance, this Arsenal side also harks back to the George Graham era of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Coach: Mikel Arteta
Assistant to Guardiola at Manchester City from 2016 to 2019, Arteta guided Arsenal to their 14th FA Cup in his first season in charge. After eighth and fifth-placed Premier League finishes in 2021 and 2022, Arteta's men led the way for the bulk of the 2022/23 campaign and for much of the run-in last term, but were overhauled late in proceedings by the relentless Cityzens on each occasion.

Key player: Martin Ødegaard
The Gunners are strong all over the pitch, but it is captain and playmaker Ødegaard who really makes them tick going forward. Signed in January 2021, initially on loan from Real Madrid, the 26-year-old's vision and range of passing have won him plenty of admirers in north London, and he won the club's Player of the Season award in 2023/24 after contributing 11 goals and 11 assists in all competitions.

Did you know?
Arsenal's 7-1 first-leg win at PSV made them the first team to score seven goals in an away match in the Champions League knockout phase; Bayern's 8-2 win against Barcelona in 2019/20 was at a neutral venue.

League phase: W5 D1 L2 F13 A6 (8th place)
Round of 16: Club Brugge 6-1 agg (3-1 a, 3-0 h)
Quarter-final first leg: 1-3 vs Paris a
Next: vs Paris h, quarter-final second leg, 15 April
UEFA coefficient ranking: 47
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Morgan Rogers (62)
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1981/82)
Last season: Europa Conference League semi-finals

UEFA.com Aston Villa reporter John Atkin: The return to Europe's top table has been a long time coming for the Villans, but it has been worth the wait. Maximum points and three clean sheets from the first three games set the tone, with Jhon Durán's winner against Bayern lighting the touchpaper. Injuries and the challenge of competing at the highest level every three or four days lowered the trajectory as the league phase concluded, but the electric atmosphere at Villa Park has helped carry them from Pot 4 into the last 16. Winning home and away against Club Brugge has ensured that journey continued into the quarter-finals, though they face a tough task to progress any further following defeat to Paris in their first leg.

Why they can win the competition
When Unai Emery arrived at Villa Park in October 2022, the Birmingham side were flirting with relegation. The Basque duly guided them back into Europe, following that up with fourth spot to secure a maiden Champions League campaign. From Pot 4, Villa beat Bayern in their first league phase home game and finished in the top eight, then made light work of Club Brugge in the last 16. With an FA Cup semi-final to come, Villans have enjoyed so many pinch-me moments; why not a few more?

How they play
Villa have evolved into a 4-2-3-1 this season, but the high-pressing, possession-based approach is woven into the fabric of Emery's team. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez has an established back four in front of him, with Boubacar Kamara providing critical defensive ballast in midfield. Villa attack with guile and pace, often going through Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans in transition, feeding a hungry forward pack invigorated by the winter arrivals of Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford.

Coach: Unai Emery
The ex-Arsenal boss returned to English football in October 2022 with the Villans hovering above the Premier League relegation zone. Emery, a four-time Europa League winner with Sevilla and Villarreal who also claimed five major honours in two seasons with Paris, galvanised the Villa Park outfit into an eventual seventh-place finish. His side continued that run of form into midway through last season, keeping up with the division's pacesetters for much of the first half of the campaign before eventually claiming fourth spot.

Key player: Youri Tielemans
If Martínez, Kamara and Ollie Watkins are Villa's spine, then the Belgium playmaker is the English team's beating heart. Douglas Luiz left big velvet shoes to fill when he departed last summer and Tielemans has effortlessly slipped them on with style. Still only 27, the midfielder was just 16 when he made his Champions League debut, and Emery says that for all his technical ability it is his "mind and mentality" that make him stand out.

Did you know?
Ten of Asensio's 14 goals in the Champions League have come in the knockout phase.

League phase: W5 D0 L3 F22 A12 (10th place)
Knockout phase play-off: Sporting CP 3-0 agg (3-0 a, 0-0 h)
Round of 16: Lille 3-2 agg (1-1 h, 2-1 a)
Quarter-final first leg: 0-4 vs Barcelona a
Next: vs Barcelona h, quarter-final second leg, 15 April
UEFA coefficient ranking: 7
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Serhou Guirassy (86)
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1996/97)
Last season: Runners-up (L0-2 vs Real Madrid)

UEFA.com Dortmund reporter Matthias Rötters: Last season's finalists won four of their opening five games – their only defeat coming at the hands of 2023/24 winners Real Madrid – while only Barcelona found the net more often in the league phase. However, their hopes of securing a top-eight finish were dented by back-to-back defeats to Barcelona and Bologna and their domestic form has been mixed since the turn of the year. That inconsistency didn't filter in to their knockout phase campaign, though, securing a quarter-final spot after besting Sporting CP and Lille. However, a chastening 4-0 loss to Barça in the first leg means they'll need something of a miracle to make it to a second consecutive semis.

Why can they win the competition?
While it looks unlikely now, eternal optimists will believe BVB can still win the competition because they are a real Champions League team that can create football magic on any given night. Reaching the final last year has made the team more experienced – and even hungrier to make the final step a success. For the Black & Yellows, the Champions League is also like a holiday from everyday life in the league, where Dortmund have not always been convincing this season.

How they play
In front of keeper Gregor Kobel and the back four around Nico Schlotterbeck, Marcel Sabitzer and Pascal Gross act as an interface. When BVB win the ball, they switch quickly and try to bring speed players such as Karim Adeyemi or Julian Brandt into play. Up front, Serhou Guirassy, the joint-third-highest goalscorer of the current Champions League season, is waiting in the wings. Coach Niko Kovač has set a positive development in motion at BVB.

Coach: Niko Kovač
Kovač, who won the German Cup and Bundesliga as a Bayern player, was appointed to replace Nuri Şahin in January. He took the reins at Eintracht Frankfurt in 2016 when they were 16th in the table and won the German Cup with them in 2018. He joined Bayern after that success and won the double there the following season, before spells at Monaco, where he scooped the Coupe de France, and Wolfsburg.

Key player: Serhou Guirassy
An imposing striker with a quick turn of pace and an innate nose for goal, Guirassy has scored ten goals in the Champions League this season. The Guinea international failed to score against Lille in Dortmund's round of 16 tie, but he provided the assist for Maximilian Beier's decisive goal in the second leg.

Did you know?
Guirassy made it 12 goals in his first 13 appearances in the Champions League proper in the first leg against Sporting CP. Only Erling Haaland (18 goals) scored more in his first 13 appearances.

League phase: W6 D1 L1 F28 A13 (2nd place)
Round of 16: Benfica 4-1 agg (1-0 a, 3-1 h)
Quarter-final first leg: 4-0 vs Dortmund h
Next: vs Dortmund a, quarter-final second leg, 15 April
UEFA coefficient ranking: 9
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Raphinha (119)
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1991/92, 2005/06, 2008/09, 2010/11, 2014/15)
Last season: Quarter-finals (L4-6agg vs Paris)

UEFA.com Barcelona reporter Graham Hunter: When Barcelona began the campaign going down to ten men and losing at Monaco, not even the most optimistic fan, perhaps even coach or player, would have predicted that seven confident wins would follow in their remaining league phase games. For the club, and their debutant coach Hansi Flick, the most crucial things were the points total and ensuring qualification for the knockout phase. But for any neutral who adores flowing, daring football, the wins against Bayern, Dortmund and then that nine-goal carnival in Lisbon against Benfica will live long in the memory. A gritty round of 16 first-leg victory against the same opponents shows this Barça side can also win ugly when required, before Raphinha and Lamine Yamal displayed their class in the return with starring performances to seal quarter-final progression. The duo were back among the goals once again in the scintillating 4-0 win over Dortmund in the first leg which has left them with one foot in the semis.

Why they can win the competition
There’s a famous poster of two seagulls, wings extended, appearing to float in the sky, which states Virgil's ideology that: 'They can because they think they can'. This applies to Spain's league leaders. Anyone can plainly see that they are bursting with talent, have sufficient pockets of experience and are well-coached. But, even above the sublime performances from Barça's two wingers, Yamal and Raphinha, it is the squad's unity of spirit and absolute conviction that they can do this which are most significant.

How they play
Under Hansi Flick, Barcelona are really easy to analyse and understand tactically/strategically – just hard to defeat even when you do understand them! The team shape is always 4-2-3-1, and the most identifying idea is their hugely high offside line – the defence playing 50 metres, or more, advanced from their own goal line. The attitude is always to press and harass opponents into making mistakes in areas where they cannot afford to do so. Front-foot football beautifully executed.

Coach: Hansi Flick
A thoughtful and considered coach, Flick was largely employed in behind-the-scenes roles until he was appointed interim Bayern boss in 2019. He immediately guided the club to a German Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League treble, winning the UEFA Men's Coach of the Year award. After further domestic success the next season, Flick sought a new challenge in charge of Germany's national team but left that position following a group stage exit at the 2022 World Cup. Flick became the third German coach in Barcelona's history after joining in May.

Key player: Lamine Yamal
Following a triumphant and record-breaking EURO 2024 with Spain, teenager Yamal has cemented his status as one of the most exciting players in the world. He became the youngest-ever player to appear in the Champions League knockout stage when fielded in the round of 16 first leg against Napoli last season aged 16 years 223 days, and he has broken several other international records since. A generational talent.

Did you know?
This is the first time two Barcelona players (Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha) have scored six goals or more in a Champions League campaign since 2015/16 (Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi).

League phase: W5 D0 L3 F20 A12 (12th place)
Knockout phase play-off: Celtic 3-2 agg (2-1 a, 1-1 h)
Round of 16: Leverkusen 5-0 agg (3-0 h, 2-0 a)
Quarter-final first leg: 1-2 vs Inter h
Next: vs Inter a, quarter-final second leg, 16 April
UEFA coefficient ranking: 3
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Harry Kane (80)
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1973/74, 1974/75, 1975/76, 2000/01, 2012/13, 2019/20)
Last season: Semi-finals (L3-4agg vs Real Madrid)

UEFA.com Bayern reporter James Thorogood: With this season's showpiece in Munich, Bayern have made no secret of their desire to contest another Champions League final on home soil like they did in 2012. After becoming the first side ever to score nine goals in a single game at Europe's top table, against GNK Dinamo on Matchday 1, the Bavarians couldn't quite produce the consistency needed to stay among the pacesetters; away losses to Aston Villa, Barcelona and Feyenoord took their top-eight hopes out of their hands, Bayern eventually finishing 12th. They left it late to beat Celtic in their knockout phase play-off, Alphonso Davies scoring the decisive goal in the 94th minute of the second leg, and comfortably defeated domestic rivals Leverkusen for the first time in six attempts with a convincing 5-0 aggregate win in the last 16. They've been left with it all to do in the quarter-finals, however, after a 2-1 first-leg loss at home against Inter.

Why can they win the competition?
Beyond their world-class ensemble, Harry Kane's goalscoring prowess and a winning mentality forged by an insatiable hunger for silverware, Bayern have the extra source of motivation as they chase another Finale da Hoam. Their first Champions League final on home soil ended in penalty shoot-out heartbreak against Chelsea but, while they are still a work in progress in Vincent Kompany's debut season, there have been plenty of performances to suggest that Finale da Hoam 2.0 could deliver a seventh European title.

How they play
Kompany's approach is shaped more by his history playing on the streets of Belgium than the reputation he forged during his glittering career. Initiated by front-foot defending that carries inherent risk, the Belgian demands an intense, normally high press off the ball. In possession, Bayern are fluid in flooding the final third with a style of play aimed at fashioning chances for the likes of Kane, Jamal Musiala or Michael Olise to change games with individual quality.

Coach: Vincent Kompany
An inspirational centre-back who won four English titles with Manchester City, Kompany accepted his first full-time head coach role at Anderlecht in 2020 before heading back to England two years later to take charge of Burnley. In his first term at Turf Moor, his side cruised to the Championship crown, amassing 101 points in a mightily impressive campaign. Although the Clarets were relegated from the Premier League the next season, Bayern had been suitably impressed and Kompany was installed as their new coach last May.

Key player: Harry Kane
Kane immediately hit the ground running in Munich following his 2023 switch from Tottenham, finishing as the top scorer in the Bundesliga in his debut season with a remarkable 36 goals in 32 games, while he added a further eight in the Champions League to finish as joint-top scorer. The England captain will now be desperate to win an elusive first trophy with the Bavarians.

Did you know?
Bayern became the second club to reach 300 Champions League games when they triumphed away to Shakhtar on Matchday 6.

League phase: W6 D1 L1 F11 A1 (4th place)
Round of 16: Feyenoord 4-1 agg (2-0 a, 2-1 h)
Quarter-final first leg: 2-1 vs Bayern a
Next: vs Bayern München h, quarter-final second leg, 16 April
UEFA coefficient ranking: 6
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Stefan de Vrij (59)
Best European Cup performance: Winners (1963/64, 1964/65, 2009/10)
Last season: Round of 16 (D2-2agg vs Atlético de Madrid, L2-3 pens)

UEFA.com Inter reporter Paolo Menicucci: Simone Inzaghi's Inter have established themselves among the European elite in recent years and they confirmed their solidity by conceding only one goal in eight league phase games before managing yet another clean sheet in the round of 16 first leg win over Feyenoord, going on to progress 4-1 on aggregate. The 3-5-2 system with Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco pushing on the flanks is well-oiled, much like the attacking partnership between Marcus Thuram and captain Lautaro Martínez. Even though the goals did not come aplenty in the league phase (four 1-0 victories) – a contrast to Serie A where the Nerazzurri scored 55 in their first 21 games – they saw off Feyenoord in clinical fashion before a fantastic performance in Munich saw them defeat Bayern 2-1 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.

Why can they win the competition?
Inter have been playing with the same system for a few years under Inzaghi now and everything seems established regardless of who is playing in the starting XI. Thuram has grown, particularly since joining Inter, and seems the perfect partner for Martínez in attack. After reaching the final in 2023, Inzaghi's men have everything it takes to go all the way this term.

How they play
Inter play a 3-5-2 system with a solid back three in front of the experienced Yann Sommer, limiting opponents to only two goals in their first ten games in the competition. Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco push hard on the respective flanks and Hakan Çalhanoğlu dictates the tempo for the Nerazzurri from his deep-lying playmaker role. Nicolò Barella is another leader in the midfield while Henrikh Mkhitaryan brings a lot in terms of international experience. Martínez and Thuram complement each other perfectly in attack.

Coach: Simone Inzaghi
A Serie A and three-time Coppa Italia winner as a player with Lazio, the 48-year-old also brought a domestic cup to Rome as a coach. He took over from Antonio Conte at Inter in summer 2021, winning the domestic Super Cup and Coppa Italia in his first campaign at the helm. He retained both those trophies and reached the Champions League final in 2022/23, and added a Serie A title last season.

Key player: Lautaro Martínez
The Argentina forward finished as Serie A top scorer in 2023/24 for the first time with 24 goals in 33 appearances in the division, the third campaign in a row he had registered more than 20. Best known for his relentless work rate, intelligent positioning and ice-cool finishing, Martínez continues to lead from the front as captain of the Nerazzurri.

Did you know?
Inter's run of five clean sheets in this league phase was their longest streak without conceding in their European Cup/Champions League history.

League phase: W4 D1 L3 F14 A9 (15th place)
Knockout phase play-off: Brest 10-0 agg (3-0 a, 7-0 h)
Round of 16: Liverpool 1-1 agg (aet, 4-1 on penalties) (0-1 h, 1-0 a)
Quarter-final first leg: 3-1 vs Aston Villa h
Next: vs Aston Villa a, quarter-final second leg, 15 April
UEFA coefficient ranking: 5
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Achraf Hakimi (88)
Best European Cup performance: Runners-up (2019/20)
Last season: Semi-finals (L0-2agg vs Dortmund)

UEFA.com Paris reporter Alex Clementson: Paris struggled to hit top gear in the league phase. While wins over Girona and Salzburg boosted their challenge, their campaign became fraught with jeopardy after a dramatic late defeat at home to Atleti on Matchday 4. Luis Enrique's men have no problem fashioning chances, but converting them was their downfall until a remarkable comeback against Manchester City. After a commanding dismantling of Brest in the knockout phase play-offs, that same lack of clinical edge was on show again as Paris missed numerous chances in a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their round of 16 tie with Liverpool. But they dug deep to recover at Anfield, winning 1-0 on the night before keeping their cool to triumph on penalties, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma the hero with two great saves. They showed their class again with a 3-1 quarter-final first-leg win over Aston Villa, and will now be firm favourites to reach the final four.

Why they can win the competition
Because they are arguably the in-form team in Europe right now. Luis Enrique's men have cantered to the Ligue 1 title, and have been equally irrepressible on the continent since their 3-0 drubbing of Salzburg on Matchday 6. Their gargantuan two-legged tie with Liverpool in the last 16 had it all, but their victory was ultimately vindicated. The Parisians left Anfield that night empowered and emboldened by the conviction that they might finally have found the right formula to win the Champions League.

How they play
Fashioning chances has never been a problem for Paris, but converting them had previously been their downfall. With that seemingly remedied, Luis Enrique has succeeded in devising one of Europe's most multi-faceted sides. Marrying metronomic midfielders, capable of recycling possession and probing stoic structures out of place, the Parisians also boast the athleticism and explosivity that the modern game necessitates. Somewhat overlooked, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho and Nuno Mendes provide the defensive foundations for those further forward to flourish.

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 title. He led Spain to the EURO 2020 semi-finals and the 2021 Nations League final before succeeding Christophe Galtier at Paris in 2023, winning a domestic double and making it to the Champions League semi-finals in his first campaign.

Key player: Vitinha
The crucial ingredient that makes Paris tick, Vitinha is an elegant creative midfielder who also has a knack for popping up with important goals, as shown by a strike in each leg of the 6-4 aggregate win against Barcelona in last season's quarter-finals. He was included in the 2023/24 Champions League Team of the Season and will again play a crucial role for Paris in the knockout phase.

Did you know?
Paris became the first team to have seven different goalscorers in a Champions League match (Matchday 1 to final) in their 7-0 success against Brest.

League phase: W5 D0 L3 F20 A12 (11th place)
Knockout phase play-off: Man City 6-3 agg (3-2 a, 3-1 h)
Round of 16: Atleti 2-2 agg (aet, 4-2 on penalties) (2-1 h, 0-1 a)
Quarter-final first leg: 0-3 vs Arsenal a
Next: vs Arsenal h, quarter-final second leg, 16 April
UEFA coefficient ranking: 1
Top Fantasy Football points scorer: Vinícius Júnior (68)
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, 2023/24)
Last season: Winners (W2-0 vs Dortmund)

UEFA.com Real Madrid reporter Graham Hunter: An atypical performance from the reigning champions in the league phase. They rarely fail to score in this tournament but did so, twice, in consecutive away defeats to Lille and Liverpool. Moreover, Los Blancos hadn't lost at home in the Champions League group stage/league phase since 2021, but Milan broke that record on a dramatic Bernabéu night. Madrid's thrilling win at Atalanta and five-goal dispatching of Salzburg emphasised that the holders still brim with character and quality, a notion they only reaffirmed as they bettered Man City and Atleti on their way to the quarter-finals. They've been left with an uphill battle after falling to a 3-0 first-leg defeat to Arsenal, but if any team can recover from a losing position in this competition, it's Madrid.

Why they can win the competition
You could almost lose count of how many times this phrase has been written at this same stage of a Champions League season. Real Madrid can win the competition because… that’s what they do! This is a club which believes that competing in, then winning, the Champions League is their raison d'être. They live, breathe, sleep and eat the idea that their fans require them to become European champions every single season. That kind of confidence, that mindset becomes habit-forming and triumphant.

How they play
An upheaval season for Los Blancos. Significant departures, the much-heralded arrival of Kylian Mbappé plus a seven-competition workload. Thus, constant refinement in Madrid's tactical ideas. They vary between systems: 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2. No team consistently scores quicker or more dazzling box-to-box counterattack goals. Coach Carlo Ancelotti repeatedly demands more intensity and tactical balance between defence and attack. Nevertheless, the European champions can actually win even if only one of those two departments is working brilliantly.

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 before adding a fifth last term. The first coach to win championships in Italy, England, France, Germany and Spain when he led the side to the La Liga title in 2021/22, his trophy haul as Madrid boss now stands at 15, one ahead of Miguel Muñoz's previous club record.

Key player: Vinícius Júnior
Scorer in both the 2022 and 2024 Champions League finals, Vinícius Júnior has shown he is a man for the big occasion plenty of times already in his relatively young career. Boasting pace, trickery and skill in abundance, the Brazilian forward is close to unstoppable when playing at his very best.

Did you know?
Mbappé has scored 11 goals in his last seven Champions League knockout phase matches in Spain.