Season review
Champions League 2025/26 knockout stage: the road to Budapest
Relive the 2025/26 Champions League knockout stage: round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and the PSG vs Arsenal final in Budapest.
This guide talks about results. Watch the replays first if you want them spoiler-free.
Spoiler warning: this review gives away every result of the 2025/26 Champions League knockout stage, including the final. If you would rather watch first, start with the PSG vs Arsenal final replay and come back afterwards. Paris Saint-Germain won the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League, beating Arsenal on penalties in Budapest after a 1-1 draw. This review of the Champions League 2025/26 knockout stage follows the competition round by round, and links the replay of every tie that is in our archive.
Champions League 2025/26 knockout stage: how it worked
Clubs ranked 9th to 24th in the league phase played two-legged play-offs in February 2026. Their eight winners joined the top eight from the league phase in the round of 16. Atlético de Madrid, Leverkusen, Bodø/Glimt, Newcastle, Atalanta, Galatasaray, PSG and Real Madrid came through the play-offs. The other eight round of 16 sides were the league phase top eight.
| Round | First legs | Second legs |
|---|---|---|
| Knockout phase play-offs | 17 and 18 February | 24 and 25 February |
| Round of 16 | 10 and 11 March | 17 and 18 March |
| Quarter-finals | 7 and 8 April | 14 and 15 April |
| Semi-finals | 28 and 29 April | 5 and 6 May |
| Final | 30 May, Puskás Aréna, Budapest |
The play-offs
The play-offs are not in the archive, but they set up everything that followed. Aggregate scores in February:
| Tie | Aggregate | Went through |
|---|---|---|
| Atlético de Madrid v Club Brugge | 7-4 | Atlético de Madrid |
| Leverkusen v Olympiacos | 2-0 | Leverkusen |
| Inter v Bodø/Glimt | 2-5 | Bodø/Glimt |
| Newcastle v Qarabağ | 9-3 | Newcastle |
| Atalanta v Borussia Dortmund | 4-3 | Atalanta |
| Juventus v Galatasaray | 5-7 | Galatasaray |
| PSG v Monaco | 5-4 | PSG |
| Real Madrid v Benfica | 3-1 | Real Madrid |
Bodø/Glimt knocked out Inter, and Galatasaray beat Juventus 7-5 over two legs, with the second leg going to extra time. Paris and Real Madrid both had to come through this round before facing Chelsea and Manchester City.
If you want to know how that bracket is built, read our guide to the Champions League league phase and knockout format.
Round of 16: Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern roll on
The eight round of 16 ties ended like this, with the aggregate score shown:
| Tie | Aggregate | Went through |
|---|---|---|
| Sporting CP v Bodø/Glimt | 5-3 | Sporting CP |
| Arsenal v Leverkusen | 3-1 | Arsenal |
| Chelsea v PSG | 2-8 | PSG |
| Manchester City v Real Madrid | 1-5 | Real Madrid |
| Barcelona v Newcastle | 8-3 | Barcelona |
| Bayern Munich v Atalanta | 10-2 | Bayern Munich |
| Liverpool v Galatasaray | 4-1 | Liverpool |
| Tottenham v Atlético de Madrid | 5-7 | Atlético de Madrid |
Only the second legs of five of these ties are in the archive, so those are the ones we link. The other three produced two of the round's best stories. Sporting CP lost the first leg 3-0 in Norway, then beat Bodø/Glimt 5-0 after extra time in Lisbon to go through 5-3, reaching the quarter-finals for the first time since 1982/83. PSG beat Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate, and Arsenal beat Leverkusen 3-1, with Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice scoring in the second leg.
Manchester City vs Real Madrid
Real Madrid took a 3-0 lead to the Etihad and won the second leg 2-1 to go through 5-1 on aggregate. Vinícius Júnior scored both goals, and Erling Haaland had levelled for City before half-time. Watch the Manchester City vs Real Madrid replay.
Barcelona vs Newcastle
After a 1-1 draw in the first leg, Barcelona won 7-2 in the return, 8-3 overall. Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski both scored twice, and Anthony Elanga got both for Newcastle. Here is the FC Barcelona vs Newcastle replay.
Bayern Munich vs Atalanta
Bayern had won the first leg 6-1 away, and the second leg finished 4-1 for them, a 10-2 aggregate. Harry Kane scored twice, one from the penalty spot. Watch Bayern Munich vs Atalanta.
Liverpool vs Galatasaray
Liverpool lost the first leg 1-0 in Istanbul, then won 4-0 at Anfield. Dominik Szoboszlai, Hugo Ekitiké, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah scored. The Liverpool vs Galatasaray replay is in the archive.
Tottenham vs Atlético de Madrid
Atlético led 5-2 from the first leg and survived a second-leg defeat: Tottenham won 3-2, with Xavi Simons scoring twice, but went out 7-5 on aggregate. See the Tottenham vs Atlético Madrid replay.
Quarter-finals: Bayern win a classic in Munich
Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich
The tie of the round. Bayern won the first leg 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu, with Luis Díaz and Harry Kane scoring before Kylian Mbappé replied in the 74th minute. It was Bayern's first win at the Bernabéu in 25 years.
The second leg was wilder still. Arda Güler scored inside the first minute, Aleksandar Pavlović levelled in the sixth, and Güler struck again from a free-kick before Kane made it 2-2. Mbappé put Real Madrid 3-2 up at half-time. Then Díaz scored in the 89th minute and Michael Olise in added time to make it 4-3 in Munich and 6-4 on aggregate. Watch both legs: Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich and Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid.
Sporting CP vs Arsenal
A tight tie, decided by one goal. Kai Havertz scored a late winner as a substitute in Lisbon, and the second leg at the Emirates finished 0-0, so Arsenal went through 1-0. Replays: Sporting CP vs Arsenal and Arsenal vs Sporting CP.
PSG vs Liverpool
Paris won both legs 2-0, 4-0 on aggregate. Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored in Paris, and Ousmane Dembélé scored twice at Anfield. Watch PSG vs Liverpool and Liverpool vs PSG.
Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid
Atlético won the first leg 2-0 after Pau Cubarsí was sent off in the 44th minute, and Julián Álvarez curled the free-kick in a minute later. Barcelona won the second leg 2-1, but Atlético went through 3-2 on aggregate. Here are FC Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid and Atlético Madrid vs FC Barcelona.
Semi-finals: a nine-goal thriller and an Arsenal winner
PSG vs Bayern Munich
The first leg in Paris finished 5-4 to PSG, the most goals ever scored in a Champions League semi-final match, according to UEFA. It was also the first semi-final with five goals in the first half. Kvaratskhelia and Dembélé scored twice each, João Neves also scored for Paris, and Kane, Olise, Dayot Upamecano and Díaz replied for Bayern.
The return in Munich ended 1-1, and PSG went through 6-5 on aggregate. Watch both: PSG vs Bayern Munich and Bayern Munich vs PSG.
Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal
Viktor Gyökeres and Julián Álvarez were on target in a 1-1 first leg in Madrid. In London, Bukayo Saka scored just before half-time to give Arsenal a 1-0 win and a 2-1 aggregate victory, and their first final since 2006. Replays: Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal and Arsenal vs Atlético Madrid.
The road to Budapest: PSG and Arsenal
The two finalists took different routes to the final:
| Round | PSG | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
| Play-offs | Beat Monaco, 5-4 on aggregate | Skipped (league phase top eight) |
| Round of 16 | Beat Chelsea, 8-2 | Beat Leverkusen, 3-1 |
| Quarter-finals | Beat Liverpool, 4-0 | Beat Sporting CP, 1-0 |
| Semi-finals | Beat Bayern Munich, 6-5 | Beat Atlético de Madrid, 2-1 |
The aggregate scores show two different routes. Paris scored 23 goals in their four ties, while Arsenal scored six and conceded two in their three.
The final: PSG vs Arsenal in Budapest
Havertz put Arsenal ahead after six minutes at the Puskás Aréna. Paris equalised in the 65th minute when Dembélé scored from the penalty spot, and the game stayed 1-1 through extra time.
In the shoot-out, Paris scored four of their five penalties. Nuno Mendes was saved by David Raya, but Eberechi Eze sent his kick wide and Gabriel fired over, and Paris won 4-3. UEFA says PSG are the first side to retain the trophy since Real Madrid in 2018, and it was the first final decided on penalties since 2016. Luis Enrique became the first Spanish coach to win back-to-back European Cup or Champions League titles. Relive it in the PSG vs Arsenal final replay.
Watch Champions League replays
Every tie above is in the Champions League replays archive. You can follow the finalists on the PSG and Arsenal team pages, and the two clubs that fought the best ties of the stage on the Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid pages. The new season is already under way, and our Champions League 2026/27 league phase replays page lists every game so far with no scores shown.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the 2025/26 Champions League final?
Paris Saint-Germain won the 2025/26 final on penalties after a 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on 30 May 2026. Kai Havertz scored for Arsenal in the sixth minute and Ousmane Dembélé equalised from the penalty spot. Paris won the shoot-out 4-3.
Did PSG retain the Champions League in 2026?
Yes. Paris Saint-Germain won the competition for the second year running, beating Arsenal in the Budapest final. UEFA says they became the first team to retain the trophy since Real Madrid in 2018. Their coach, Luis Enrique, became the first Spanish coach to win back-to-back European Cup or Champions League titles.
Who did Bayern Munich beat in the 2025/26 quarter-final?
Bayern Munich beat Real Madrid 6-4 on aggregate. They won the first leg 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu on 7 April 2026, then won a seven-goal second leg 4-3 in Munich on 15 April. Luis Díaz and Michael Olise scored in the final minutes in Munich to settle the tie.
Which teams reached the 2025/26 Champions League semi-finals?
Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Atlético de Madrid reached the semi-finals. Paris beat Bayern 6-5 on aggregate, and Arsenal beat Atlético 2-1 on aggregate. That set up a Paris vs Arsenal final in Budapest, where Paris won on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
How does the Champions League knockout stage work?
After the league phase, teams ranked 9th to 24th play two-legged knockout phase play-offs, and the winners join the top eight in the round of 16. Every tie from there is over two legs except the final, which is a single match at a neutral stadium. Level ties go to extra time and then penalties.
