The 2025 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 is upon us, and after the inaugural season of the next UCL format, we are finally in a familiar spot with the Round of 16 draw and the bracket going forward. So, who takes home the biggest prize in European football this year? Here are our Champions League picks and predictions following the Round of 16 draw.
The UCL Round of 16 draw
The UCL Round of 16 matchups are as follows:
- PSV Eindhoven (NED) vs Arsenal (ENG)
- Real Madrid (SPN) vs Atletico Madrid (SPN)
- Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) vs Liverpool (ENG)
- Club Brugge (BEL) vs Aston Villa (ENG)
- Benfica (POR) vs Barcelona (ESP)
- Borussia Dortmund (GER) vs Lille (FRA)
- Bayern Munich (GER) vs Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
- Feyenoord (NED) vs Inter Milan (ITA)
These teams will now play a two-legged fixture with the side scoring more aggregate goals going through to the next round. The first legs will be on March 4 and 5 while the second legs kickoff on the 11th and 12th of March.
The 2025 Champions League Round of 16 is highlighted by two matchups intra-country matchups. Bundesliga foes Bayern Munich and Leverkusen faceoff while intra-city La Liga rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid do battle.
Each team has played their opponent twice already domestically this season, with every match ending in a 1-1 or 0-0 draw.
Our UCL prediction and picks here are that Bayern Munich bests Leverkusen while Real Madrid’s all-gas, no-breaks approach that worked so well against Manchester City runs out of steam against a stout Atleti.
Outside of that, the Round of 16 is where the pretenders and the upstarts finally reach the end of the road. So, we’ll say goodbye to PSV Eindhoven, Club Brugge, Benfica, Lille, and Feyenoord here.
That leaves the best continental matchup on the board as Ligue 1’s PSG and the Premier League’s Liverpool square off. And while the Parisians are in good form and comfortably atop their domestic league like usual, Liverpool is a buzzsaw right now, having lost just one game in England all season. That means the Reds move on.
Champions League quarterfinal predictions
If the 2025 UEFA Champions League picks and predictions above come true, that means the quarterfinals will look like this.
- Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid
- Liverpool vs Aston Villa
- Barcelona vs Borussia Dortmund
- Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan
With eight powerhouse clubs here, it really is anyone’s trophy to win. But no matter who comes out on top, what we know is that if this is the lineup, we should have some incredible matches on April 8,9,15, and 16.
Here we get another domestic rivalry with Liverpool and Aston Villa going at it. Villa will give a valiant effort, but they are still in the FA Cup as of late February and sit in ninth on the EPL table. They simply aren’t built for the continental grind, and Liverpool most certainly is.
After Villa, Inter Milan might be the weakest team left in this semifinal bracket. Bayern Munich should make relatively light work of them, while Barcelona is also the stronger side, having already beat Borussia Dortmund once in the earlier round of the Champions League.
The most intriguing matchup in the semis is Arsenal against Atletico. The Gunners essentially crashed out of the Carabao and FA Cups in the same week in early January but have since righted the ship.
Atleti will be a tough task for Mikel Arteta’s bunch, but now, with just two competitions to focus on (and maybe one if the EPL is indeed out of reach), they’ll get this job done.
Champions League semifinals picks
On April 29 and 30 and May 6 and 7, the UEFA Champions League semifinal will look like this:
- Arsenal vs. Liverpool
- Barcelona vs Bayern Munich
In the EPL battle, there is a case to be made that maybe Liverpool focuses on the Premier League trophy more than the UCL one, but the fact is that the Merseyside unit is simply better than its London-based counterpart this season.
The Gunners did play their rivals to the north to a 2-2 draw the last time out, but when the chips are down this season, give me Liverpool.
In the Spain vs. Germany matchup, Barca simply has too much firepower up front with the ageless Robert Lewandowski, Raphina, and Lamin Yamal. As good as Harry Kane, Leroy Sane, and Kingsley Koman have been this year, they just can’t keep up.
This sets up a classic, yet somehow new, Spain/England finals showdown.
Who wins the 2025 UEFA Champions League Final?
On May 31, Barcelona will take on Liverpool in Munich, Germany, with the UEFA Champions League trophy up for grabs.
Liverpool has taken on Barcelona’s rival Real Madrid three times with hardware on the line, and Blaugrana has faced English sides Manchester United and Arsenal in the final, but despite all their success — five titles in eight appearances for Barca and six titles in 10 appearances for The Reds — these two teams have never met in a Champions League or European Cup Final.
In their first year taking over for Xavi and Jurgen Klopp, respectively, Hansi Flick and Arne Slot will have their squads in the European final, which would be an incredible feat.
Like most UCL Finals, this will come down to the biggest stars showing up and coming through on the biggest stage. This year, it is Lewandowski who fits that bill best, and will score the game-winner as Barca ties Liverpool with six European crowns.
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