Champions League 2026 Bracket Update After Quarterfinals Leg 1 on Tuesday

Bayern Munich put the world on notice with a brilliant 2-1 Champions League win over Real Madrid on Tuesday in a dramatic start to this season's quarterfinal first leg ties.

Competition favorites Arsenal also stole a late winner in a tough battle against Sporting, with Kai Havertz's last-minute finish earning an invaluable 1-0 victory for Mikel Arteta's team.

Goals from Luis Diaz and Harry Kane ignited the anger of the Madrid crowd on a night where the pressure ramped up on Alvaro Arbeloa in the dugout. Kylian Mbappé halved the deficit with a goal that may prove crucial when the two sides meet again next week.

It looked to be 90 minutes of frustration for Arsenal before Havertz came off the bench to prove his value after a season laden with injury. Martin Zubimendi previously saw his excellent finish ruled out for offside as Sporting proved it is no pushover.

Champions League Quarterfinal Leg 1 Results

Real Madrid 1-2 Bayern Munich

Sporting 0-1 Arsenal

Wednesday's Quarterfinal Leg 1 Fixtures

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Liverpool

Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid

Diaz opened the scoring for Bayern just before halftime, lethally skipping beyond a sleeping Trent Alexander-Arnold to slot beyond Andriy Lunin from Serge Gnabry's assist. Twenty two seconds after the break, Kane made it 2-0 with a typically brilliant finish from the edge of the box.

It could have been worse for Los Blancos, with Dayot Upamecano's early sitter cleared off the line.

However, Mbappé latched onto a brilliant Alexander-Arnold assist with 20 minutes to go, completely changing the mood. Madrid were clearly second best again after losing to Mallorca on the weekend.

One goal also changed the mood over in Portugal, where Arteta will have been mighty relieved to escape with a morale-boosting win after Arsenal lost the League Cup final and exited the FA Cup in its last two matches.

Sporting rarely loses at home, and put Arsenal under pressure early when Maxi Araujo's shot cannoned off David Raya's post. Arteta watched his team grow into the match, though, before Zubimendi's finish was chalked off due to Victor Gyokeres standing in an offside position.

Havertz has been something of a forgotten man this campaign. He is often a man who delivers big moments when fit, and so it proved ahead of next week's return leg at the Emirates Stadium.

On Wednesday, holders Paris Saint-Germain welcome Liverpool to the Parc des Princes. The two teams met in the Round of 16 last season, with both sides winning 1-0 away from home, before PSG advanced with a memorable penalty shootout victory. 

For many, this performance was the moment Luis Enrique's team was finally taken seriously en route to winning a maiden Champions League trophy.

La Liga leaders Barcelona also take on Spanish rival Atletico Madrid in a re-run of its 2-1 domestic victory over Diego Simeone's side this past weekend.

Next week's return legs swap days, with PSG, Liverpool, Barca and Atletico the first to seal their fates.