2026 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Predictions
Football's greatest club competition resumes with enticing matchups featuring Europe's elite.
Real Madrid and Manchester City resume hostilities in their annual Champions League battle, while Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea renew their acquaintances from last year's World Club Cup Final.
So, who's moving on to the quarterfinals?
The B/R Football Staff featuring Leo Collis and Nick Akerman provide their predictions for each tie.
Got your opinion on the Round of 16? Submit your thoughts now in the comments section of the B/R app.
Galatasaray vs. Liverpool
1 of 8
There is still time for redemption for Liverpool in the FA Cup and in Europe, but the Merseysiders have been dreadful this season–and Galatasaray could soon make it worse.
The Süper Lig leaders have already beaten the Reds this season, securing a 1-0 home victory in the second gameweek of the League Phase. At the time, it was a shocking result. Five months on, it doesn't look so unusual.
Victor Osimhen scored the lone goal of that game, and up against a creaking Reds back line, he should find the net again with ease.
One factor in Liverpool's favor is the lack of away fans at Anfield, and the partisan atmosphere should pile the pressure on Gala in the second leg. However, it might be too late by then, with the damage being done in Istanbul.
Prediction: Gala sap Liverpool's confidence at home, and the Reds don't recover
- Leo Collis
I definitely agree that Galatasaray will beat Liverpool in the home leg. However, I think Arne Slot's side will dig in and sort things out at Anfield.
Liverpool seem to have settled in front of their own fans, putting up some really impressive high-scoring wins recently. Since the end of January, Anfield has witnessed the Reds beat Qarabag 6-0, Newcastle 4-1, Brighton 3-0 and West Ham 5-2. Only Man City escaped with a dramatic win.
Gala conceded five across two legs against a Juventus team that played much of the 180 minutes with 10 men. Liverpool possess far more attacking talent than the Old Lady, particularly if Florian Wirtz is back to dictate play through the middle.
I'm going to go with things being tense after the Istanbul leg and then fans wondering what they were worried about by the conclusion of the Merseyside match.
Prediction: Liverpool to ease through after losing the first leg.
- Nick Akerman
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Chelsea
2 of 8
These two teams last met in the 2025 Club World Cup final, with Chelsea claiming a 3-0 victory and the biggest share of the $1 billion prize pot.
However, despite the riches on offer, the game was basically a glorified pre-season friendly. PSG will be taking the UCL round-of-16 much more seriously as they seek to defend their title.
The French side might not be at their terrifying best of last season, but they are still a menacing proposition. Even if Fabian Ruiz remains unavailable, a midfield pairing of Vitinha and João Neves is formidable and will dictate the play.
There are injury concerns for Ballon d'Or-winner Ousmane Dembelé, too, but if he's back, he and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will have a lot of fun up against a Chelsea back line that still hasn't figured out its best selection.
The Blues are, frankly, unreliable, veering between excellence and awkwardness from one fixture to the next. Liam Rosenior is doing reasonably well in the biggest managerial role of his young career, but he hasn't got a handle on squad discipline, with nine red cards brandished to players this season.
Despite injuries and regular squad rotation, PSG is a lot more comfortable and has a more experienced manager on board. That should give them enough to topple Chelsea in both legs, although it won't be a blowout.
Prediction: PSG win both legs narrowly
- Leo Collis
We can call this one the Jekyll-and-Hyde derby.
Both teams are playing with entertaining inconsistency; one minute, they look great, the next, there are obvious issues to exploit. That should mean we're in for a thriller.
Will we get the PSG that walloped Marseille 5-0 or the PSG that lost 3-1 to Rennes the week after? What about the Chelsea that drew with Burnley or the team that walloped Aston Villa 4-1? The old cliche feels suitable: This is likely to be a game of two halves.
I didn't think I'd side with Chelsea here, but I'm leaning towards a big result for Rosenior. His players are buying into the commitment levels he so obviously demands. There's a quiet resilience about the squad, having beaten Napoli and West Ham 3-2 in recent times.
Both Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer are in excellent form, and I think the midfield setup has what it takes to stop PSG's heart from doing what they usually do. Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi are the two best full-backs in the world, though they've looked more gettable this season. Their willingness to attack is an obvious avenue for the English side to exploit.
I think one goal will separate the teams in a high-scoring affair. I'm going with Chelsea getting it done during the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
Prediction: Chelsea to sneak through by one goal.
- Nick Akerman
Bodø/Glimt vs Sporting CP
3 of 8
Unbelievably, Norway's Bodø/Glimt–23rd-place finishers in the League Phase–are in the Champions League round of 16, and they might even be favored to qualify for the quarterfinals.
They are on a stunning UCL run featuring victories over Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, and Internazionale, the latter in two different legs. As a reward, they've been given one of the kindest draws at this stage of the competition.
Sporting qualified for this stage via some last-second heroics from Alisson Santos in the League Phase's climactic matchday, allowing Os Leões to skip the knockout playoff.
That might be a blessing in disguise, as Bodø have been able to build momentum against top sides, while Sporting have had to settle for tuning up against lackluster Primeira Liga opponents.
The Portuguese side will not fancy a bitterly cold spring trip to Scandinavia for the first leg, so things could really be working out in Bodo's favor.
Prediction: Bodø/Glimt sensationally qualify for the quarterfinals
- Leo Collis
A likely tie with Arsenal awaits the winner of this one. That would be a stunning prize for Bodo, who continue to impress with their confident brand of football.
The Norwegians need to be winning after the first leg, as the trip to Portugal is a difficult one to navigate in front of a crowd that is used to seeing their team come out on top. I think Bodo will just about squeak the first leg before coming unstuck in the second.
Luis Suarez's recent form is enough for me to tip this in favour of the more experienced club. He has an incredible 22 goals in his last 21 matches across all competitions, including big goals against Porto, PSG, and Brugge. He is Sporting's x-factor and the most likely route to victory.
Prediction: Sporting to progress
- Nick Akerman
Atlético Madrid vs Tottenham Hotspur
4 of 8
There aren't many kind ways to describe Tottenham Hotspur's current state.
The club is well and truly in a domestic relegation fight, and the club's interim manager has decided to fight a lack of confidence with a series of withering putdowns. It's a bold strategy.
Despite overperforming in the UCL League Phase, there's little to suggest Spurs can pull something out of the bag to defeat an admittedly out-of-sorts Atlético Madrid.
The side from the Spanish capital has reached the Copa del Rey final, but there is a chasm between their position in third in La Liga and top spot. Silverware could still be in Los Rojiblancos' future, but it doesn't look like it will be in the Champions League.
Still, they should get past Spurs with victories in both legs, as the London side simply doesn't have the fighting qualities needed to go up against a team managed by Diego Simeone.
Prediction: Maybe give these games a miss, but Atleti will make it through
- Leo Collis
Spurs really don't need these games right now.
Every ounce of energy should be going into surviving the ridiculous Premier League relegation battle that could see them going from Europa League champions to the Championship in the space of a year. This team needs to work harder than ever before and to stop thinking it's too good to suffer such a fate.
Having to play a Diego Simeone team twice alongside such a challenge is exhausting to even think about.
Granted, this is an inconsistent Atletico. They smashed an impressive Club Brugge side 7-4 on aggregate in the last round and will feel Spurs represent opponents of a similar quality. Just the organisation and the belief in the Simeone system should prove enough, as Spurs' season withers away to potential catastrophe.
Prediction: Atletico to progress.
- Nick Akerman
FC Barcelona vs. Newcastle United
5 of 8
On paper, picking the winner of this fixture is easy.
La Liga leaders Barcelona should have no trouble against the side sitting 12th in the Premier League, and the Blaugrana also came out on top when they met in this season's UCL League Phase.
But Newcastle won't be as easy to topple as those facts would suggest, and a raucous St. James' Park crowd will be well up for a visit from the Catalans.
The Magpies are more than capable of causing an upset in the home fixture, but back at the Camp Nou, Barça will turn on the style.
With attacking quality available in the starting XI and from the bench, the Blaugrana will use that firepower to overcome a slight first-leg deficit.
Prediction: Barcelona progress on aggregate
- Leo Collis
I think this could be the tie of the round. Both teams are brilliantly chaotic and capable of beating anyone. As Leo suggests, St. James' Park is an intimidating place to visit, and it will have a bearing on things.
Early momentum for the Magpies would see the crowd energise the players that have used this competition as an exciting getaway from a Premier League campaign that may not yield further European football. If Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes are up for it, we're going to see some brilliant one-on-one battles.
Barca also flaunt the same penchant for scything football. There's so much incredible pace and energy across both teams that we're likely to see wingers playing the pivotal role. Numbers will get forward, spaces will open and I'm confident we'll see plenty of goals.
I think Barca will have too much, but this may be closer than many people anticipate.
Prediction: Barcelona to get through a real scrap.
- Nick Akerman
Real Madrid vs. Manchester City
6 of 8
The headline fixture of the round is a tough one to call, with both sides far from their peaks despite the wealth of talent available to each.
Real Madrid's season hasn't been completely disastrous, but it has gone quite badly. Los Blancos were knocked out of the Copa del Rey in the round of 16, are trailing Barcelona in La Liga, and finished just ninth in the UCL's League Phase.
They've sacked a manager, dealt with a frustrating number of injuries, and have had to placate the moods of a couple of star players.
Meanwhile, Manchester City keep shooting themselves in the foot in the Premier League title race by losing games they would typically win at a canter.
Manager Pep Guardiola is looking increasingly lost during an uncharacteristic trophy drought. Just when it looks like he's got the players performing to his exacting standards once more, they habitually drop points soon after.
With all that said, there really isn't much of a favorite to pick. While that might be the case whenever these sides might, on this occasion, it's because of difficult form rather than dominance.
Prediction: Score draws in both games, City win on penalties.
- Leo Collis
I actually don't think this one will be that close. Man City's control in midfield and cutting forwards have the potential to rip through Madrid's structure, which is looking far too frantic under Álvaro Arbeloa.
Getafe had no issue creating chances during their recent 1-0 win in the Spanish capital. Benfica could have scored multiple times in the last round. The Portuguese side didn't even really need to excel to put pressure on Thibaut Courtois' goal. Man City will take control of the ball and push Los Blancos around the pitch. They'll get plenty of chances, too.
Add in some frustrating injury issues for Kylian Mbappe, and this could be a difficult one for the team that is so synonymous with this competition. This season's Madrid is not a good one. They also appear easier to beat over two legs than the English side.
Prediction: Man City to advance comfortably.
- Nick Akerman
Bayern Munich vs. Atalanta
7 of 8
Atalanta is the last remaining Serie A side in the competition. That's more an indictment of the state of Italian football than it is a notable achievement for the side from Bergamo.
La Dea is just seventh in the nation's top flight and will have little hope against the German giants.
Bayern are customarily cruising at the top of the Bundesliga, and they only lost once in the League Phase, finishing second.
Harry Kane is scoring at a rate of 1.2 goals per game in all contests, and provided he's injury-free, he shouldn't have much trouble continuing that form.
Atalanta will put up a fight, but there's no chance of an upset here.
Prediction: Bayern Munich will win comfortably across both fixtures.
- Leo Collis
Leo laid it out very well.
I don't see a team consisting of Harry Kane and Michael Olise, in their form, struggling to overcome the side that lost to 10-man Sassuolo earlier this month.
Atalanta overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit to beat Dortmund 4-3 on aggregate in the last round. As remarkable as that is, Dortmund are exactly the type of side to throw away a healthy lead. The Italians were buoyed by the feeling that there's a chance, a notion that Vincent Kompany's side has rarely offered opponents this campaign.
Bayern have lost just two games all season across the Bundesliga and Champions League. They aren't about to add to it.
Prediction: See above for Leo's prediction and copy and paste here.
- Nick Akerman
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Arsenal
8 of 8
This won't go well for Bayer Leverkusen.
Having barely gotten past Olympiakos in the knockout playoffs, the omens don't look good for a meeting with Arsenal.
Bayer sits sixth in the Bundesliga and could only finish 16th in the League Phase. Arsenal, meanwhile, are on top of the Premier League and finished the UCL's first stage with a perfect record.
This has all the signs of a European thrashing.
The Gunners were top scorers in the League Phase, spreading the goals among the squad. That will be frightening for Bayer, who won't quite know where to look when trying to keep the London side at bay.
Arsenal are on course for a historic trophy haul after going the last six years without a major title. Bayer will not stand in their way at this stage of their UCL pursuit.
Prediction: Arsenal thrashing Bayer in both legs
- Leo Collis
I actually think Arsenal will win this competition.
Mikel Arteta's team are the best in Europe right now, built on terrific balance, with leaders across the pitch. The greatest compliment I can pay them is the Gunners are so well-coached that they rarely look different when a big name is injured. Their corner routines might not be winning fans, but it's mighty effective.
Arsenal are of course way more than that. This season feels like the culmination of a long project that should yield multiple trophies. Leverkusen just don't have the firepower to compete across two legs and are likely to bow out having made little impact on the Gunners' run to the final.
Prediction: Arsenal to easily progress
- Nick Akerman
.jpg?w=480 "PATRIOTS-VRABEL")
.jpg?w=600 "Cardinals May Be Bluffing Pick")