Champions League set for Budapest
UEFA’s knockout phase is moving toward a Champions League final on May 31 in Budapest, with two Premier League clubs still in the mix as second‑leg quarter‑finals approach. ( | ).
Budapest is now the fixed point in this season’s Champions League: the final is set for Saturday, May 30, at Puskás Aréna. (uefa.com) The quarter-final second legs start Tuesday, April 14, with Atlético Madrid hosting Barcelona and Liverpool hosting Paris Saint-Germain. On Wednesday, April 15, Arsenal host Sporting Clube de Portugal and Bayern Munich host Real Madrid. (espn.com | uefa.com) Two Premier League clubs are still alive going into those return games, but they are in different positions. Arsenal carry a 1-0 lead over Sporting after Kai Havertz scored late in Lisbon, while Liverpool trail 2-0 after losing the first leg in Paris. (uefa.com | espn.com) The bracket is already mapped out from here. The winners of Atlético Madrid against Barcelona and Liverpool against Paris Saint-Germain will meet in one semi-final, and the winners of Arsenal against Sporting and Bayern against Real Madrid will meet in the other. (uefa.com | nbcsports.com) That leaves England with two possible routes to Budapest. Liverpool need a comeback at Anfield just to stay in the field, while Arsenal are one result away from joining Europe’s final four. (espn.com | uefa.com) This is the second season of the competition’s expanded format, which replaced the old group stage with a single 36-team league table. UEFA says the league phase ran from September 16 to January 28, and the knockout phase began on February 17. (uefa.com) The semi-finals are scheduled for April 28-29 and May 5-6, leaving the finalists more than three weeks to prepare for Budapest. All knockout matches are listed by UEFA with 21:00 Central European Time kickoffs unless otherwise stated. (uefa.com | uefa.com) For Budapest, this will be a first. UEFA says Puskás Aréna hosted the Europa League final in 2023, but the city has never staged a European Cup or Champions League final before this season. (uefa.com) By Wednesday night, the tournament will be down to four clubs, and the path to Budapest will stop looking hypothetical. The only thing left after that is two semi-finals and one final on May 30. (uefa.com | uefa.com)
