Champions League quarterfinal preview, betting tips and team news

Bet on the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal matches at Housebets.com.

The second leg of this season’s Champions League quarterfinal matches takes place this week, on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

The first leg delivered some expected results and shocking ones, but there is still a lot to play for in the second leg. There is no place for hiding, though, as we are now in win-or-go-home time. 

With that said, let’s take a look at what to expect from the four matches this week. 

Borussia Dortmund vs Barcelona 

Of the four games we have this week, this is the one that is most likely a forgone conclusion because Dortmund are only playing for pride. 

The Black and Yellow’s hopes of playing in the semifinals were over in the first leg after suffering a 4-0 loss against Barcelona. 

It would take divine intervention and a monumental collapse from Barcelona for Dortmund to overturn the four-goal deficit. However, Dortmund can still salvage some pride by ensuring they give their fans something to cheer for. 

As for Barcelona, Hansi Flick’s men look unstoppable right now and remain on course to win the treble for the third time in their history. The Catalan giants remain unbeaten in 2025 and look like the team to beat in this year’s Champions League. 

The way they beat Dortmund easily in the first leg should scare the rest of the team. Also, with their front three (Raphinha, Lewandowski and Yamal) firing on all cylinders, Barca will go into their game hoping to replicate the damage they did in the first leg. 

They come into this game on the back of a 1-0 win over Leganes in the league, maintaining their four point lead at the top. 

Although Flick may be tempted to ring some changes because of the comfortable first leg lead, it should still not stop Barca from getting the job done. 

The Spanish giants are the betting favourites for this one, with Flick’s men priced at 1.87 against Dortmund’s 3.95 at Housebets. However, over 2.5 at 1.41 may be the best pick. 

Aston Villa vs PSG 

The second of Tuesday’s games will see Aston Villa take on Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park. Villa are the surprise package of this year’s Champions League, but if their run is to continue, they will have to overturn a 3-1 first leg defeat. 

Villa did start well at Parc des Princes as Morgan Rodgers put them ahead. But goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia turned the match around for PSG. 

It would have been an acceptable result for the Villans if they had kept it at 2-1. However, Nuno Mendes’ strike in the 92nd minute put PSG in a comfortable position coming into the second leg. 

Nonetheless, Villa can still believe because PSG have blown bigger leads in the past. Overturning a two goal deficit can be a little bit difficult, but it is doable. However, Villa will need to start fast and be aggressive right from the start. 

They did score three goals in their league game against Southampton on Saturday, and that is a good omen going into a big game on Tuesday. Unai Emery will also have almost a full squad going into the match, with only Leon Bailey set to miss the encounter. 

But while Villa will go into the match full of belief, PSG will also feel confident in their chances. 

Luis Enrique’s men will come into the clash with a host of their first XI fully fresh, having won the Ligue 1 title already. Les Parisens have been dubbed the biggest underachievers in the Champions League, but this year could be their year. 

They already made a big statement by knocking out Liverpool in the round of 16, and that should give them confidence going into a tricky game against Villa. 

Enrique’s men should have no problem approaching the match with confidence as they are the odds favorite. The French champions are backed at 2.08 to get the win, while Villa are priced at 3.25, as per odds from Housebets. 

Over 2.5 goals, which is the most likely outcome, is priced at 1.60. 

Real Madrid vs Arsenal 

There is no bigger game this week than Real Madrid’s clash against Arsenal. In fact, you could even argue that there is no bigger sporting event this week than what is set to take place at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night. 

Arsenal stunned football fans as they put three goals past Real Madrid in the first leg of their clash last Tuesday. Although the win itself did not come as a surprise, it was the dominance that surprised a lot of people. 

Although two of Arsenal’s goals came from Declan Rice’s brilliant free kicks, Mikel Arteta fully deserved their win as they were brilliant from start to finish. 

In fact, the only disappointment for the Gunners fans is that it was not more than three. That was the extent of Arsenal’s dominance. Nonetheless, with three goals in the bag, Arsenal will feel confident in their chance of getting the job done at the Bernabeu. 

Although they played another disappointing draw against Brentford in the Premier League last weekend, Arteta will not be bothered because Liverpool have basically secured the league title. 

With the league gone, expect Arsenal to play with the same intensity they played with at the Emirates last week. However, the worrying news for Arsenal is that Thomas Partey, who was one of their best players last week, is a fitness doubt for the game. But the good news is that Bukayo Saka should be fit to start. 

Arsenal may be in a very good position to qualify, but everyone knows you can never write Real Madrid off in a Champions League competition. This is their competition, having won it 15 times.

The Bernabeu has also witnessed many great comebacks, and there is a feeling that we could witness another on Wednesday night. 

Real Madrid face a tall order on Wednesday night as they will need to score more than three goals against an Arsenal side yet to concede three goals in a single game since they beat Luton Town 4-3 in December 2023. 

However, Carlo Ancelotti’s men have the acquisition to do it, with Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., and Rodrygo all set to play on Wednesday night. 

Real Madrid are the favourites, priced at 1.70 to get the win. Meanwhile, Arsenal are priced at 4.60. While they might not qualify, a Real Madrid win seems like the best option here. 

Inter Milan vs Bayern Munich 

Inter Milan’s game against Bayern Munich is the most balanced of the four matches, despite Inter’s 2-1 first leg lead. The Nerazzuri picked up a win away from home and will be confident of getting the job done at home. 

But considering how the first leg played out, Bayern are also capable of walking into San Siro and turning the tie around. It will not be easy, though, as Inter are one of the teams with no major flaws. 

Despite Inter’s strength, Bayern will still feel they can turn it around. However, their 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund last week does not help their cause. 

As for Inter, they come into the game on the back of a 3-1 win over Cagliari and go into Wednesday’s game with no major injury issue. 

Inter are the slight underdog, though. Simone Inzaghi’s men are priced at 2.66 while Bayern are priced at 2.55. This is indeed one of the games that is difficult to call.