Official Uefa Champions League Podcast

Some of the world’s best footballers put on a spectacular show on Wednesday night as the semi-final line-up for this season’s UEFA Champions League was confirmed.   In Germany, Bayern and Real Madrid played out an all-time Champions League classic, both displaying the strength of their attacking talent in a second leg where the momentum shifted with breathtaking regularity. After five goals in the first 45 minutes left the tie level on aggregate at half-time, it was Luis Díaz and Michael Olise who had the final say - both scoring late in the second half to send Bayern through to the last four with a 4-3 win on the night and a 6-4 aggregate victory. We hear from UEFA Player of the Match Michael Olise on the podcast.Meanwhile in London, defences were on top as Arsenal and Sporting played out a hard-fought 0-0 draw, with the Gunners progressing courtesy of their 1-0 first leg win. Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice shares his thoughts after the match.We review all the action and preview the semi-final contests as th

It was a tense Tuesday night in the UEFA Champions League as this season’s first two semi-finalists were confirmed.   At Anfield, Liverpool set out to overturn a two-goal first leg deficit and did all but score in an impressive display against the defending champions. Ultimately though, Paris progressed, scoring two late counterattack goals through Ousmane Dembele, to win 2-0 on the night and 4-0 on aggregate. We hear from Paris goalkeeper Matvéi Safónov and the Liverpool manager Arne Slot. Meanwhile in Madrid, Atleti and Barça played out a pulsating end-to-end encounter with Atleti eventually squeezing past their Spanish rivals 3-2 on aggregate. Barça started in style, scoring twice within the first 25 minutes, with clinical strikes from Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres, to level the tie at 2-2. However, Atleti responded with an Ademola Lookman goal to make it 1-2 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate - and Diego Simeone’s side hung on for a famous quarter-final victory.  We analyse all of the action and look ahe

The quarter-final first legs concluded on Wednesday with two statement 2-0 wins.At the Parc des Princes, Paris Saint-Germain powered past Liverpool, thanks to Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia strikes in either half. It was an ominous display from the defending champions who could have scored more, but as it stands Liverpool are still alive in the tie ahead of next week’s second leg at Anfield. We hear from the Liverpool manager, Arne Slot, and captain, Virgil van Dijk.   Meanwhile in the all-Spanish last-eight affair, ten-man Barcelona were beaten 2-0 at home by Atleti, courtesy of strikes from Julián Alvarez and Alexander Sørloth – we hear from the Norwegian striker. Barça had their chances but ultimately Pau Cubarsí’s sending-off at the end of the first half proved costly and the Catalans now have it all to do in next Tuesday’s second leg in Madrid. 

The quarter-finals kicked off on Tuesday with two fascinating first leg ties. It was a UEFA Champions League classic in Madrid, with Bayern overcoming the 15-time champions, 2-1, in what was a pulsating end-to-end knockout stage encounter. Goals from Luis Díaz and Harry Kane put Bayern in control but a 74th-minute Kylian Mbappé strike has given Real Madrid hope going into next week’s second leg in Munich.  In the night’s other last eight match-up, Arsenal left it late to edge Sporting CP 1-0 in Lisbon, Kai Havertz netting an added-time winner to put the Gunners in control ahead of next Wednesday’s second leg in north London. We hear from their satisfied manager, Mikel Arteta.   We discuss all the action as well as look ahead to Wednesday’s mouth-watering quarter-final first legs, with Atleti travelling to neighbours Barcelona and defending champions Paris welcoming six-time winners Liverpool to the Parc des Princes - Barca coach Hansi Flick and Paris boss Luis Enrique share their thoughts. 

The round of 16 ties ended in style with 23 goals across Wednesday’s four matches as Barcelona, Bayern, Liverpool and Atleti emphatically secured their spots in the last eight. Barca started the goal spree in the early kick-off, scoring seven against Newcastle at Camp Nou to run out 7-2 winners on the night and 8-3 victors on aggregate. It was a scintillating performance from Hansi Flick’s side with the front three of Raphinha, Yamal and Lewandowski all on the scoresheet – we hear from the Polish striker after he became the oldest player to score in a UEFA Champions League knockout match. At Anfield, Liverpool recovered from a 1-0 first leg deficit to storm to a 4-0 home win over Galatasaray to progress 4-1 on aggregate and set up another knockout match-up with Paris Saint-Germain. We get the thoughts of their manager Arne Slot and striker Hugo Ekitike. In Munich, Bayern ran out comfortable 4-1 winners over Atalanta to go through 10-2 on aggregate. Harry Kane bagged another two goals and the UEFA Player of t

We now have our first four Champions League quarter-finalists. The evening started with an incredible comeback in Lisbon as Sporting CP overturned a three-goal first leg deficit to beat Bodø/Glimt 5-0 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate. The Portuguese champions levelled the tie in normal time with goals from Gonçalo Inácio, Pedro Gonçalves and Luis Suárez, before Maximiliano Araújo and Rafael Nel settled matters in extra time. Elsewhere, Real Madrid and Paris progressed to the last eight after pressing home their healthy three-goal first leg leads. The 15-time champions won 2-1 at the City of Manchester Stadium to secure a comfortable 5-1 aggregate victory – a double from Vinícius Júnior proving the difference on the night. In West London, Paris powered their way to a superb 3-0 win at Chelsea - Kvaratskhelia, Barcola and Mayulu all putting their names on the scoresheet - to seal a comprehensive 8-2 aggregate triumph. In Tuesday’s other last 16 tie, Arsenal ran out 2-0 winners in North London to progress 3-1

There were statement wins across Europe as the Round of 16 continued on Wednesday.At the Bernabéu, Federico Valverde scored a superb first half hat-trick to put Real Madrid in control of their tie with Manchester City. On the show, his team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold and City’s Bernardo Silva share their thoughts after the first leg.Paris and Bodø/Glimt will also take three-goal leads into their return legs after convincing home wins over Chelsea and Sporting respectively. Paris winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia reflects on his two goals and his side’s strong performance.Meanwhile, Leverkusen and Arsenal remain level after a 1-1 draw in Germany. Arsenal’s Noni Madueke gives his reaction to the contest.

The Round of 16 kicked off with an enthralling early match up in Istanbul as Galatasaray edged past Liverpool 1-0 in an end-to-end encounter that saw both sides have a goal disallowed. We get reaction from Liverpool’s manager Arne Slot and captain Virgil van Dijk plus Gala’s match-winner, Mario Lemina.The evening’s late kick-offs treated us to 16 goals across the three matches. Our commentary game took place at St James’ Park where Newcastle and Barcelona played out a pulsating 1-1 draw with an injury time Lamine Yamal penalty rescuing the Catalans. We hear from Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and their goalscorer Harvey Barnes.Elsewhere Bayern and Atletico took control of their last 16 ties against Atalanta and Spurs respectively thanks to a flurry of early goals. Bayern scored three goals in the opening 25 minutes to run out eventual 6-1 winners in Bergamo, while in Madrid, there were five goals in the opening 26 minutes as Atletico ended up 5-2 victors over Spurs. We’ll review all the action and look ahead t

On a night of high drama, Galatasaray saw off an inspiring comeback from Juventus to secure their spot in the round of 16. The Italian side had clawed back a 3-goal first leg deficit to send the match to extra time with the score 5-5 on aggregate after 90 minutes. Victor Osimhen and Baris Alper Yilmaz then scored the crucial goals for the team from Türkiye to complete a 7-5 victory in the tie.In Italy, Atalanta completed a remarkable turnaround against Dortmund after losing the first leg 2-0. The team from Bergamo won 4-1 on the night, 4-3 on aggregate, with the winning moment in the tie coming courtesy of a Lazar Samardzic penalty deep into second half stoppage time.The two most recent champions of the UEFA Champions League are also safely through. Real Madrid secured a 3-1 aggregate victory with a 2-1 second leg win over Benfica, whilst Paris’ 2-2 draw with Monaco was enough to see them progress 5-4 on aggregate. Paris coach Luis Enrique reflects on his side’s performance on the podcast, as does Real Madri

History was made in the UEFA Champions League this evening, with Bodø/Glimt becoming the first ever Norwegian side to win a knockout phase tie in the competition. Kjetil Knutsen’s side travelled to Milan with a 3-1 first leg lead and completed the job in style with a 2-1 win at Stadio San Siro to progress against Inter 5-2 on aggregate. We hear from the scorer of their first goal and UEFA Player of the Match, Jens Petter Hauge. In Madrid, Atleti saw off Club Brugge 4-1 on the night, and 7-4 on aggregate, after an Alexander Sorloth hat-trick – we hear from the heroic Norwegian. Newcastle progressed 9-3 on aggregate against Qarabag after a 3-2 second leg home win – we hear from Jacob Murphy and POTM Sandro Tonali. And in Germany, Leverkusen drew 0-0 with Olympiacos to progress 2-0 on aggregate thanks to their first leg victory in Greece – we get the thoughts of their defender and POTM Alejandro Grimaldo. We dissect all the action and look ahead to Wednesday’s play-off second legs, including a superbly poised t

It was a night to remember in Norway as Bodø/Glimt recorded a 3-1 victory against Inter in their knockout phase play-offs first leg. We get reaction from goalscorer Jens Petter Hauge. Elsewhere, Newcastle shone against Qarabag, winning 6-1 in Azerbaijan. We hear from four-goal hero and player of the match, Anthony Gordon. Plus, get reaction to the night’s other matches as Club Brugge and Atletico played out an epic 3-3 draw, while Leverkusen won 2-0 at Olympiacos. 

The knockout phase picked up where the League phase left off with 15 goals across Tuesday’s four matches. The surprise of the night saw Galatasaray recover from 2-1 down at half-time to beat Juventus 5-2 in Istanbul to put the Turkish side in pole position going into next week’s second leg in Turin. We hear from their UEFA Player of the Match, Gabriel Sara.  Elsewhere holders Paris and 15-time winners Real Madrid fought their way to narrow first leg away wins. Paris had to come back from a 2-0 deficit to overcome fellow French side Monaco while Madrid edged their way to a 1-0 win against Benfica thanks to a superb Vinicius Jnr second half strike. We hear from Paris’ match-winner Désiré Doué. In the night’s other match, 1997 champions Borussia Dortmund recorded a comfortable 2-0 home win over Atalanta - Player of the Match Serhou Guirassy was the difference-maker with a goal and an assist and we hear from the in-form Guinean striker. We analyse all of the action and look ahead to Wednesday’s knockout phase pl

The final night of the League Phase ended in sensational fashion as Benfica goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, scored a stoppage time header against Real Madrid to squeeze his side into the top 24 on goal difference only – we discuss the last gasp drama and hear from the heroic shot-stopper.  In the race for the top 8, Sporting and Chelsea scored late winners to qualify, whilst Barcelona and Manchester City also secured victories to progress straight to the Round of 16 – we hear from Joao Pedro, Marcus Rashford and Rayan Cherki. In our featured commentary game holders Paris and Newcastle played out a hard fought 1-1 draw, a result which saw both sides just miss out on a top 8 finish – we hear from Newcastle’s Player of the Match, Dan Burn. As well as Benfica’s heroics, Bodø/Glimt, Olympiacos and Club Brugge all registered crucial victories to seal a place in the top 24 and the knockout phase of this season’s competition. The unlucky clubs to drop out were Marseille, PSV and Athletic Club. Elsewhere, Arsenal, Bayer

The goals were flowing once again on the penultimate night of League Phase action with 29 goals across the nine matches. At the top of the table, Bayern secured their passage through to the last 16 with a comfortable 2-0 home win over Union SG - Harry Kane with both goals and we hear from the Englishman. There were impressive 3-0 wins for both Liverpool and Newcastle, against Marseille and PSV respectively, to move both clubs into the coveted top 8 with just one round to go – we hear from Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and Newcastle goalscorer Harvey Barnes. Elsewhere Barcelona, Chelsea and Juventus also recorded crucial victories to keep their top 8 hopes alive, whilst Galatasaray and Atleti played out a 1-1 draw and Athletic Club won 3-2 in Atalanta. We hear from Hansi Flick, Moises Caicedo and Victor Osimhen. However, the shock of the night came in Baku where Qarabag scored a stoppage time winner to beat Frankfurt 3-2 and move into the top 24 and in sight of the knockout phase play-offs – we hear from

The League Phase rolled into 2026 in style with 32 goals across Tuesday’s nine matches. Arsenal made it seven out of seven in Milan, beating Inter 3-1 to solidify top spot and confirm their passage into the last 16 - we hear from their delighted manager Mikel Arteta as well as UEFA Player of the Match and scorer of two goals Gabriel Jesus. In Madrid, Real hit six to see off Monaco and move up to second in the league standings, with Mbappe, Bellingham and Vinicius Jnr all on the scoresheet.The shock of the evening took place in Norway where Bodø / Glimt beat ten-man Manchester City 3-1 - we get reaction from their Coach Kjetil Knutsen and Player Of the Match Jens Petter Hauge. Another surprise result took place in Lisbon where holders Paris Saint-Germain were beaten 2-1 by Sporting thanks to a last-minute winner from Colombian striker Luis Suárez. Elsewhere there were important wins for Spurs, Olympiacos, Club Brugge and Ajax, while Copenhagen and Napoli drew 1-1 to leave both sides on the cusp of the top 24.

Matchday 6 concluded with compelling matches across Europe. Manchester City and Real Madrid played out another classic encounter, with the visitors edging it thanks Erling Haaland’s first half penalty. They’re now assured of a place in either the knockout phase play-offs or round of 16, something also secured by Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night following their goalless draw with Athletic Club. Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle were also held, while Juventus, Benfica, Copenhagen and Ajax picked up eye-catching wins on the final night of UEFA Champions League action in 2025. Arsenal end the year in top-spot thanks to their 3-0 victory over Brugge, as they maintain their perfect record in the league phase.

Many of Europe’s biggest clubs made their move as Matchday 6 got underway. There were no draws in any of Tuesday’s nine games with wins for Bayern, Barcelona, Liverpool, Atletico, Tottenham, Marseille, Olympiacos, Atalanta and Monaco – leaving the League Phase table fascinatingly poised.  In our featured commentary in Milan, Liverpool struck late to sink Inter, thanks to a Dominik Szoboszlai penalty. Elsewhere in Italy, Atalanta came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 and move up to third in the table, their in-form midfielder Charles De Ketelaere once again the match-winner. And in Germany, Bayern booked their passage through to the knockout phase with a 3-1 win over Sporting, inspired once again by 17-year-old sensation Lennart Karl – we hear from their goalscoring defender Jonathan Tah.  There were dramatic 3-2 away wins for Atleti and Marseille at PSV and Union SG respectively – we get reaction from Marseille manager Roberto De Zerbi. Marcus Rashford shares his thoughts after Barcelona recovered from an ea

The goals continued to flow on Matchday 5 with an incredible 42 goals across Wednesday’s 9 matches. The top two met in North London with the home side coming out on top in a pulsating encounter. Julien Timber opened the scoring for the Gunners before Bayern’s 17-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl equalised. However, second half goals from Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli secured a statement 3-1 win for Arsenal to put them top of the League Phase table and the only side with a 100% record. Elsewhere there were staggering scorelines across Europe: defending champions Paris beat Spurs 5-3 at the Parc des Princes; PSV fired four past Liverpool at Anfield; Mbappe scored all four of Real Madrid’s goals as they won 4-3 at Olympiacos; Atalanta and Sporting both registered comfortable 3-0 wins against Frankfurt and Club Brugge respectively; Atleti left it late to beat Inter in Madrid; and in the early kick offs Copenhagen edged past Kairat 3-2 and Cypriot side Pafos earned another point, drawing 2-2 with Monaco to

There was drama across Europe as Matchday 5 started with a bang in the Champions League. At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea turned on the style to overcome 10-man Barcelona 3-0, thanks to a superb performance from teenage sensation Estêvão. In Norway, Juve edged a five-goal thriller thanks to an injury time winner from Jonathan David – we hear from their Player of the Match, Kenan Yildaz. However, the shock of the night came in Manchester as Leverkusen beat the 2023 champions 2-0, and we hear from the scorer of their superb opener Alejandro Grimaldo.  Benfica registered their first win of the League Phase, seeing off Ajax 2-0 in Amsterdam, and we get reaction from their manager Jose Mourinho as well as Swedish defender Samuel Dahl. And Napoli secured a crucial home win against Qarabag, inspired once again by their Scottish goalscoring midfielder Scott McTominay. Elsewhere there were win crucial wins for Dortmund, Marseille and Union SG and Slavia Praha and Athletic Club played out a 0-0 draw. We’ll review all of

The UEFA Champions League table continued to take shape on Wednesday as Inter maintained their perfect start to the competition with a 2-1 victory over Kairat Almaty. Galatasaray enhanced their hopes of a top 8 finish thanks to a hat-trick from Victor Osimhen against Ajax as he earned the UEFA Player of the Match award for a third game in a row. Manchester City end the matchday in 4th after their 4-1 win against Dortmund. There were also wins for Atalanta, Leverkusen and Newcastle, while Pafos recorded their first Champions League victory against Villarreal.