This week sees the return of the Champions League, featuring eight top teams including two from England in the quarter-final lineup.

Aston Villa is set to compete against Paris St-Germain, the team that eliminated Liverpool via penalty shootout in the round of 16, while Arsenal will go up against the current champions, Real Madrid.

In the remaining quarter-finals, Inter Milan will be up against Bayern Munich, while Borussia Dortmund will square off with Barcelona.

Highlights from each Champions League match can be found on sport.bangjo.co.id iPlayer and the sport.bangjo.co.id Sport website and application.

Route to the final

How are the teams from England performing?

Liverpool suffered their first setback under manager Arne Slot as they were beaten 4-1 on penalties by PSG at Anfield.

Before a late surge improved their performance, the French champions appeared likely to exit the tournament during the league stage. They ultimately secured the 15th spot in the rankings and seem to be peaking at just the right time.

PSG is set to play against the 1982 European champion team, Aston Villa, in the quarter-finals.

This marks Villa's first European Cup or Champions League quarter-final appearance since 1983.

The English Premier League club Arsenal was virtually guaranteed their spot after securing a dominant 7-1 victory against PSV in the initial match. The subsequent game concluded with a score of 2-2.

In the recent knock-out phase playoffs, Manchester City was defeated by Real Madrid.

When will the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final take place?

The initial matches for the quarter-finals are set for April 8 and 9, followed by the return fixtures exactly seven days after those dates.

The semi-final matches will be held on April 29 and 30 for the first-leg games, followed by the second-leg encounters on May 6 and 7. The final is scheduled for May 31 at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

Could a Clásico final occur?

Yes.

Barcelona and Real Madrid have not faced each other in a Champions League final or European Cup final previously.

However, as they are positioned at opposite ends of the bracket, they would only face each other in the finals if both progress through their respective quarter-finals and semi-finals.

Another rematch of last year’s final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund could occur as well.

Nonetheless, a completely English final cannot happen because Aston Villa would face Arsenal in the semifinals if both reached that stage.

In what ways can nations secure additional spots in the upcoming season’s Champions League?

Every nation’s league receives a coefficient score according to the performance of their teams in UEFA’s three principal male club tournaments: the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.

Points are acquired via match outcomes — two for securing a victory and one for a tie.

The total points obtained by clubs from the same domestic league are summed and then divided by the count of teams from that league participating in European competitions.

If the Premier League were allocated 100 points, those points would be divided among the seven English clubs participating in European competitions, resulting in an English coefficient of approximately 14.29.

In this season, additional points have been introduced for teams participating in the Champions League, providing an advantage to leagues like those of Germany and Italy where multiple clubs qualify for the competition.

The nations whose coefficients place them in the top two of the ranking chart secure another berth in the upcoming season's Champions League.

These positions go to the squads finishing just below the usual allotment for the Champions League in their respective leagues.

In the Premier League, the first four teams secure their spot in the Champions League through their league ranking, which means an extra berth would be awarded to the team finishing fifth.

The additional places for the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League went to Bologna from Serie A, which came in fifth place, and Borussia Dortmund from the Bundesliga, also finishing in the fifth position.

Who tops the coefficient chart? Is it possible for England to secure a fifth Champions League position?

Despite Liverpool trailing behind Manchester City in their exit from the Champions League, England still leads the coefficient chart.

As well as Arsenal and Aston Villa in the Champions League, Manchester United and Tottenham are both still in the Europa League, with Chelsea in the Conference League quarter-finals.

Italy ranked second overall but had a tough period in February as AC Milan, Atalanta, and Juventus all suffered defeats in the playoff rounds, which restricted Serie A’s chances of earning additional points.

Spain ranks third in the standings, however, Germany’s chances seem challenging as both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have been placed in the same portion of the UEFA Champions League bracket.

Paris Saint-Germain stands as the sole representative of France in the UEFA Champions League after Lille was eliminated in the round of sixteen, and both Monaco and Brest were knocked out during the playoff phase. In the Europa League, Lyon remains the lone additional French team still competing in Europe.

What regarding the UEFA Europa League champions?

England might have seven teams participating in the Champions League next season.

The victors of both the Europa League and the Champions League earn a place.

Previously, each league was limited to having a maximum of five clubs participate in the Champions League. This restriction has now been eliminated.

In this season, any team winning the Europa League or Champions League that does not secure a spot in the Champions League through their domestic league ranking will enter the Champions League.

Should Aston Villa clinch victory in the Champions League but fail to secure a top-five position in the Premier League, this would grant additional spots for English teams.

Additionally, Manchester United and Tottenham, who find themselves in the lower portion of the Premier League standings, have advanced to the quarter-finals of the Europa League. If either of these teams wins the tournament, they will secure their place in next season’s top-tier European competition representing England.

What’s going on with the Europa League and Conference League?

The UEFA Europa League has advanced to the quarter-final stage, and there’s still a chance for a wholly British finale as Tottenham finds itself positioned in the upper portion of the draw, alongside Rangers and Manchester United in the lower section.

Europa League quarter-finals

• Tottenham (England) v Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany)
• Bodo Glimt from Norway faces off against Lazio from Italy
• Rangers (Scotland) v Athletic Club (Spain)
• Lyon (France) v Manchester United (England)

Chelsea are the clear favourites to win the Conference League and have a two-legged quarter-final against Polish side Legia Warsaw.

Conference League quarter-finals

• Real Betis (Spain) vs Jagiellonia Bialystok (Poland)
• Celje (Slovenia) vs Fiorentina (Italy)
• Chelsea (England) v Legia Warsaw (Poland)
• Djurgården (Sweden) versus Rapid Wien (Austria)

The first-leg matches will take place on April 10th, with the second-leg encounters scheduled for April 17th.

Catch the best moments from all UEFA Champions League matches starting at 10 PM on Wednesday via sport.bangjo.co.id iPlayer and the sport.bangjo.co.id Sport site and application.

There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day broadcast on sport.bangjo.co.id every Wednesday, airing from 22:40 to 00:00.

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