What a magnificent set of quarterfinals we’ve seen in this season’s UEFA Champions League. We know the results — Bayern Munich beat Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid beat Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain beat Liverpool and Arsenal beat Sporting CP — but the numbers behind each tie are quite fascinating.
We start with one that shows how wildly different the four quarters were, before By The Numbers drill down match-by-match:
-
10 goals / 9.5 xG – Bayern-Real Madrid
-
5 goals / 5.5 xG – Atlético-Barcelona
-
4 goals / 5.6 xG – Liverpool-PSG
-
1 goal / 3 xG – Arsenal-Sporting
Bayern Munich 4 – 3 Real Madrid (6-4 on aggregate)
14
This is the 14th time Bayern Munich have made the UCL semifinals, breaking a tie for second most in the UCL era with Barcelona (13) (Real Madrid lead with 17).
It’s also the first time Bayern have eliminated Real Madrid in the UCL Knockout stages in their last five pairings.
2
This is just the third time that Real Madrid have lost both legs of their quarterfinals in European Cup history – after Arsenal last season and Inter Milan in… 1966/67.
2
Bayern are just the second team to trail 3+ times and still win a UCL match, following Manchester United in April 2003, who also did so in the quarterfinals against Real Madrid (you remember that game – Ronaldo hattrick for Madrid, angry-David-Beckham-off-the-bench brace for United).
Interestingly, this is the first time Real Madrid have lost an away UCL game after leading at half time for the first time since April 9, 2013 vs Galatasaray (a run of 27 games without defeat).
4
Real Madrid are now on a 4-game winless streak in all competitions, the club’s longest since Sept.-Oct. 2018 (5) under Julen Lopetegui, who was fired at the end of October 2018 after a 5-1 loss to Barcelona.
5
Harry Kane has now scored (3) or assisted (2) in each of his last five UCL games against Real Madrid; the longest streak by a player against the Spanish side in the competition’s history.
2-1-3
Kylian Mbappé is the UCL golden boot leader (15). But did his return to fitness after an injury break disrupt the team’s form? Real Madrid’s record in the 6 games since Mbappé returned reads: W2 D1 L3. In the five games he did not play from Feb 25 to Mar 14, that record was W4 L1.
10
Mbappé is the first player to score 10 (or more) away goals in a single European Cup season
43
Michael Olise has 43 goal contributions in all competitions this season, 3rd most among players on teams from the top 5 European leagues (Harry Kane has 56, Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé has 45)
1/10
Real Madrid have been eliminated by a German opponent for the first time since 2013 Semifinals vs Borussia Dortmund. They had won/advanced in its last 10 UCL KO Stage ties vs German clubs.
68
Kylian Mbappe now has 68 career UCL goals, the 2nd most of any player before turning 28 years old (Messi – 76).
0
Real Madrid fielded a starting XI without any Spaniards for the first time in their UCL history.
Arsenal 0 – 0 Sporting CP (1-0 on aggregate)
2
Arsenal have reached the UCL semis in back-to-back seasons, after having only made two previous European Cup/Champions League semi-finals before this (2005-06 and 2008-09).
3
This would be the 3rd time Arsenal progress in UCL KO stage winning 1-0 on aggregate, the most of any team all-time.
0.93
Arsenal 0-0 Sporting CP had the lowest combined xG of any game in the UCL this season
11
English clubs have now won the last 11 two-legged UCL ties against Portuguese opposition, since Benfica‘s 3-0 aggregate victory against holders Liverpool in the 2005-06 Round-of-16
Atletico Madrid 1 – 2 Barcelona (3-2 on aggregate)
6/7
Barcelona are going to miss out on the UCL semifinals for the 6th time in the last 7 seasons. They have, of course, not won the title since 2015.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid are reaching the UCL semis for the first time since 2017
4
This will be the fourth European Cup semifinal for Atletico under Diego Simeone (2013-14, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2025-26). That is one more than the club reached prior to Simeone’s arrival (1958-59, 1970-71, 1973-74).
3
Barcelona have 3 straight reds for “professional fouls” this season in all competitions, tied with Chelsea for the 2nd-most in all competitions for clubs from the top 5 leagues (Lille have 4).
24
At an average age of 24 years and 347 days old, Barca named their youngest ever starting XI for a UCL knockout stage match.
9
Ademola Lookman has 9 goal contributions since joining Atleti (6G, 3A); only Julián Alvarez, with 11, has more in that span for the club.
15
Barcelona have conceded in each of its last 15 UCL matches, the first Spanish club to go 15 games without a cleansheet in the competition.
44
Barca have also conceded 44 goals in the UCL since the start of last season, most of any club in that span
18
At 18 years and 275 days old, Lamine Yamal is the youngest player to record 20 goal contributions in UCL history (11 goals, 9 assists).
He is also now the youngest player to record 10 or more goal contributions in a single season (6 goals, 4 assists), breaking Erling Haaland‘s record set in 2019-20 (19years, 212 days old)
Liverpool 0 – 2 PSG (0-4 on aggregate)
3
This is just the third time Liverpool have failed to score in both legs of a European Cup KO Stage tie — after the 1978-79 first round vs Nottingham Forest, and the 2005-06 Round of 16 against Benfica
2
PSG are just the second defending UCL champion in the last 6 seasons to reach the semifinals, and the first since 2022-23 Real Madrid (who were eliminated in the semis by Man City).
PSG are also he first French club to reach the UCL Semifinals in 3 straight seasons.
21
Liverpool had 21 shots against PSG tonight, their most attempts without scoring in a UCL game since their 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the final in May 2022 (24 shots).
(Stats courtesy ESPN Global Sports Research)
