Football Mar 16, 2026

Champions League last 16: What does each English team need to do in order to qualify for the quarter-finals?

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
Champions League last 16: What does each English team need to do in order to qualify for the quarter-finals?

Six matches, four losses - no wins. Every single English team has work to do to qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals.

No wins from any of the first legs leaves Premier League participation in the latter stages of Europe's top competition hanging on the edge.

Manchester City, Chelsea and Spurs all have to produce miracles to overturn their three-goal deficits against top-quality opposition. Liverpool also have to complete a comeback at Anfield, while Arsenal and Newcastle cannot afford to lose their second legs.

Your Site' football writers go through what each team needs to do to gain access to the Champions League last eight...

The games just keep getting bigger and bigger. After the comedown of Saturday's dramatic, emotional, energy-sapping win over Everton, Arsenal have to pick themselves up again.

The Gunners are back in Champions League action knowing this time if they slip up, they are out. And that would be the first major disappointment of the season.

Mikel Arteta does not just have to balance his squad in terms of workload but he also has to work out which combinations work best. There is a feeling that Arteta doesn't quite know his best forward line yet.

What does he do on the right wing? Noni Madueke was Arsenal's best player off the bench in the first leg with Leverkusen, so is he preferred in that role? And what would that mean for Bukayo Saka, who tends to start at least one game on the bench when they have a three-game week? He's started two games in the last six days...

Up front is a good dilemma for Arsenal too. The Gunners seem to play better with Kai Havertz up front but does Viktor Gyokeres deserve a crack after coming off the bench to net against the Toffees?

And with Sunday's Carabao Cup final lurking around the corner, Arsenal cannot afford extra-time, nor any last-minute injuries due to fatigue.

So Arteta has to get his combinations right… and does he risk Max Dowman again?
Sam Blitz

Liam Rosenior hasn't given up hope. "I've seen teams come back from three goals down in the Champions League at home many times," he said.

In fact, it's only happened four times in 51 such fixtures. But Rosenior's confidence is rooted in the openings Chelsea created in Paris, where they carved out four 'big chances' to PSG's two.

To repeat that attacking threat and capitalise on it this time, Cole Palmer will be key. The England ace was on the fringes in Paris and, with just one goal in his past five games, is not at his best. But Chelsea need him to produce something special if they are to make Rosenior's response a reality.

The consensus, of course, is far more pessimistic about Chelsea's prospects. Their season-long problems around chance conversion, giving up strong positions in games and discipline in the big moments limit this side.

The ease with which Newcastle scythed through to score their winner at Stamford Bridge on Saturday was also a reminder that Chelsea's three-goal gap in this tie could easily stretch before it is closed.

The defending champions PSG - given the weekend off by Ligue 1, as is customary in France - will be chomping at the bit to rub further salt in the wounds of a side which hurt their pride in the Club World Cup final. Chelsea need to be near-perfect.

Peter Smith

If Manchester City are going to become the first side to overturn a three-goal deficit in a knockout tie against Real Madrid in 36 instances of teams trying, they better get the creative juices flowing. Forget the first leg, that is gone, now Pep Guardiola needs his big hitters to produce something special.

City were arguably ok defensively at the Bernabeu a week ago, undone by a one-in-a-lifetime performance from Federico Valverde. The scoreline suggests the gulf was much greater than it was in reality, just that Real were far slicker and sharper with the work they did in the final third.

Guardiola has surely got to accept that his offensive set up was wrong. City had dominance, completing over double the number of passes Real managed in the opposition half, but lacked incision. They had no urgency, no rhythm. Erling Haaland finished the game with an xG value of zero.

That can be addressed with the invention of Rayan Cherki in behind Haaland, and Nico O'Reilly must surely step into midfield from full back. That should also allow Antoine Semenyo the chance to get closer to the big Norwegian. He must get adequate service at the Etihad on Tuesday, else City's European exit is inevitable.
Laura Hunter

Liverpool firstly need to start fast in their crucial Champions League showdown with Galatasaray, pressing their opponents from the off and making life difficult by getting the home faithful roused under the Anfield lights.

While an early goal will be the objective, patience on the night will also be crucial against dangerous opponents who have both the European experience and quality of players to be able to defend deep and then try and catch the Reds on the counterattack.

If Liverpool do manage to get ahead, one thing Arne Slot's side must not do though is start to "sleepwalk" during the game, as Jamie Carragher has criticised the team for doing on numerous occasions this season, because an away goal will more than likely end their European dream for this season.

The Reds will ultimately need to produce the complete display at both ends of the pitch - including conceding no more stoppage-time goals - in order to overcome the Turkish champions on Wednesday night and make the last eight of Europe's premier club competition.

The only problem is that as Carragher alluded to while commentating on Sunday's limp home draw with Tottenham Hotspur: "I cannot think of one match all season where Liverpool have put in the perfect performance in both attack and defence and been three or four nil up, every game has been a struggle."

Reds supporters will be desperate that comes on Wednesday night….
Rich Morgan

Tottenham were undone by a number of slips and errors at Atletico Madrid last week so the first place would be - don't make any more mistakes.

A hard ask for anyone, let alone a team shot of confidence and likely still reeling somewhat from Tuesday's dismal evening in Madrid where they lost 5-2 in the first leg.

What will have helped was a late draw at Liverpool, although again, this did not come without error, especially Guglielmo Vicario's blunder for the Reds' opener.

All eyes will be on the goalkeepers again after a horrible few days for the Spurs stoppers, but the truth remains though that Vicario is Spurs' undisputed No1.

Then, providing that they can keep Atletico from adding any more to their three-goal lead, Tottenham need to - at the very least - score three goals to level and four to win.

They did already score twice against Atletico who, for their part, are not the most defensively-minded side, although they did keep a clean sheet against Getafe at the weekend.

So near-perfection at either end - easy, right?
Charlotte Marsh

Eddie Howe billed the first leg as "the biggest game" in Newcastle's history, so this is an equally huge, historical game for the club. They were gutted to have conceded a last-gasp penalty at St James' Park but at 1-1 this tie is very much alive. A glorious night beckons.

Anthony Gordon hit back at his critics on and off the pitch at Chelsea on Saturday, scoring in a win which boosts the Magpies' morale for the trip to Barcelona. But his speed and directness on the counter-attack will also be crucial at the Spotify Camp Nou.

Barcelona, beaten only once at home this season, thumped Sevilla 5-2 on Sunday and will dominate possession and territory. It doesn't need saying that this remains a huge challenge for the visitors, even with the scores level. But Hansi Flick's high-line will play to the strengths of Howe's Newcastle.

Joelinton's minutes have been managed for this night, while Sandro Tonali can put transfer speculation to one side to join the Brazilian in a high-energy midfield to disrupt Barca's technicians.

If Newcastle can deliver the intensity required over 90 minutes with and without the ball to write their names in the club's folklore.

Peter Smith

Tags:

football news

Share this article

Related Posts

Gary Neville: Arsenal face '10 more weeks of pain' - but Gunners will win title ahead of Manchester City

Gary Neville: Arsenal face '10 more weeks of pain' - but Gunners will win title ahead of Manchester City

Gary Neville thinks Arsenal will still edge Manchester City to the Premier League crown but warned Gunners fans they face "10 weeks of pain" en route...

Chelsea: Gary Neville predicts Liam Rosenior's side to still finish in the top-five despite slipping to sixth after Arsenal defeat

Chelsea: Gary Neville predicts Liam Rosenior's side to still finish in the top-five despite slipping to sixth after Arsenal defeat

Gary Neville believes that Chelsea will have enough to finish in the top five, which should be enough to claim a Champions League place next season.Th...

Mason Mount: Manchester United star attracting Premier League interest - Paper Talk and transfer gossip

Mason Mount: Manchester United star attracting Premier League interest - Paper Talk and transfer gossip

The top stories and transfer rumours from Monday's newspapers...PREMIER LEAGUEManchester United may be confronted with the prospect of Mason Mount's d...

Benjamin Sesko's form is symbolic of Manchester United's revival under Michael Carrick - Hits and misses

Benjamin Sesko's form is symbolic of Manchester United's revival under Michael Carrick - Hits and misses

Little embodies the resurgence of Manchester United under Michael Carrick than the form of Benjamin Sesko.Half of the forward's goals this season hav...

Danny Röhl believes Rangers aren't out of Scottish Premiership title race but Kris Boyd backs Hearts after Celtic draw

Danny Röhl believes Rangers aren't out of Scottish Premiership title race but Kris Boyd backs Hearts after Celtic draw

A defiant Danny Röhl believes Rangers are not out of the Scottish Premiership title race, but Your Site' Kris Boyd is now backing Hearts for the top s...

Erling Haaland injury: Pep Guardiola unsure on when Man City striker will return and complains about fixture schedule

Erling Haaland injury: Pep Guardiola unsure on when Man City striker will return and complains about fixture schedule

Pep Guardiola admits he is not sure when Erling Haaland will return from injury after the Manchester City striker missed his team's win over Leeds on...