2024/25 Champions League: Round of 16 Second Leg Preview

Three Premier League clubs have the opportunity to secure themselves a place in the Champions League Quarter Finals by securing victory on aggregate in the second leg of the Round of 16 this week.

We are now entering the latter stages of this season’s UEFA Champions League, and the Round of 16 is set to conclude this week with a total of eight enthralling matches set to be played from Tuesday 11th March to Wednesday 12th March 2025. The winners will secure themselves a place in the Quarter Finals.

Amazingly, 10 of the 16 clubs that remain in this season’s competition are ex-winners of this competition in the years gone by. These clubs are as follows: FC Barcelona (5 Wins), Benfica (2 Wins), Liverpool (6 Wins), Inter Milan (3 Wins), Feyenoord (1 Win), Bayern Munich (6 Wins), Borussia Dortmund (1 Win), Aston Villa (1 Win), Real Madrid (15 Wins), and PSV Eindhoven (1 Win).

The other clubs – Paris Saint Germain, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, Club Brugge, Atletico Madrid, and Arsenal will all be looking to progress and potentially win their maiden Champions League title.

Here, we are going to be taking a look ahead at the Round of 16 Second Leg ties to come this week, with a particular focus on the three Premier League Clubs that remain in this season’s competition as of the time of writing – Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Liverpool.

Liverpool vs. Paris Saint Germain (1 – 0) – Anfield, 20:00 KO – Tuesday 11^th March 2025

The first leg of this UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie between Arne Slot’s Liverpool and French Champions Paris Saint Germain saw the two clubs go head to head in the Capital of France, Paris, at the iconic Parc des Princes back on 5^th March. It will be an 8pm kick-off in the second leg on Tuesday 11^th March 2025.

On the night, the hosts were dominant with no less than 28 attempts on goal with 65% possession compared to just 35% for the Reds. However, what matters is the scoreline, and the away side scored their goal from just two attempts on goal, with academy product Harvey Elliott scoring what turned out to be the winning goal in the latter stages of the intense contest in the second half (87’) in what was a tense 1 – 0 victory for Liverpool on that incredible night.

Slot’s Liverpool will feel confident that they can claim their place in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League last eight by taking their one goal advantage from Paris to Merseyside when they welcome Luis Enrique’s PSG to Anfield for the second leg of their Round of 16 tie.

The winner of this game will be going toe to toe with either Unai Emery’s Aston Villa or Nicky Hayen’s Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals.

Aston Villa vs. Club Brugge (3 – 1) – Villa Park, 20:00 KO – Wednesday 12^th March 2025

We now make the trip down south to Birmingham, with Unai Emery’s Aston Villa taking on Nicky Hayen’s Club Brugge in what is the second and the final leg of their 2024/25 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie in the Second City on Wednesday 12^th March 2025 in what is an 8pm kick-off.

Villa currently hold a 3 – 1 lead going into the second leg. In the game against Brugge in the first leg at the Jan Breydelstadion, it was the visitors Aston Villa who took the lead within the opening five minutes of the game through forward Leon Bailey who scored thanks to a superb finish into the bottom corner from within the penalty area (3’).

The hosts were then quickly able to score their equalising goal thanks to a superb, low, and powerful finish from their left back Maxim De Cuyper (12’). Villa then re-took the lead thanks to a spectacular own goal from Brugge defender Brandon Mechele (82’), before a calm and clinical penalty kick from Paris Saint Germain loanee Marco Asensio sealed a hugely significant 3 – 1 victory for Unai Emery’s Aston Villa in the first leg, going in to the second leg in B6 on Wednesday 12^th March. The game will kick-off at 8pm BST.

If Villa do get through into the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals, they will encounter either Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain, or fellow Premier League Club Liverpool, led by their Dutch Head Coach Arne Slot.

Arsenal vs. PSV Eindhoven (7 – 1) – Emirates Stadium, 20:00 KO – Wednesday 12^th March 2025

Finally, the final English club still participating in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League is Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, who are looking to confirm their place in the Quarter Finals with victory against PSV over two legs, with the second set to be taking place at the famous Emirates Stadium in North London on Wednesday 12^th March in what is going to be an 8pm kick-off.

The Gunners can most certainly already consider themselves Champions League Quarter Finalists already, with the club already 7 – 1 up on aggregate following an incredible first leg game in Eindhoven at the Philips Stadion back on 4^th March.

Jurrien Timber (18’), Ethan Nwaneri (21’), Mikel Merino (31’), Martin Odegaard (47’, 73’), Leandro Trossard (48’), and Riccardo Calafiori (85’) were all on the score sheet for Arsenal, with the Gunners having a commanding lead ahead of the second leg. Noa Lang has been the only goal scorer for PSV against Arsenal, with their sole goal in this tie coming from the penalty spot in the latter stages of the first half (43’).

In the Quarter Finals, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal will be coming face to face with either Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid of their Spanish Capital rivals Real Madrid, led by their Head Coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Other Fixtures:

FC Barcelona vs. Benfica (1 – 0) – Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, 17:45 KO – Tuesday 11^th March 2025.

Inter Milan vs. Feyenoord (2 – 0) – San Siro, 20:00 KO – Tuesday 11^th March 2025.

Bayer Leverkusen vs. Bayern Munich (0 – 3) – BayArena, 20:00 KO – Tuesday 11^th March 2025.

Lille vs. Borussia Dortmund (1 – 1) – Stade Pierre Mauroy, 17:45 KO – Wednesday 12^th March 2025.

Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid (1 – 2) – Estadio Metropolitano, 20:00 KO – Wednesday 12^th March 2025.

The second Madrid derby in as many weeks between Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid most certainly stands out with Los Blancos holding the narrow 2 – 1 advantage over their fierce rivals as things currently stand heading into the second leg.

The tie between reigning German Champions Bayer Leverkusen and 6 time UEFA Champions League winners Bayern Munich seems all but over with the Bavarians leading Leverkusen 3 – 0 following their first leg triumph in Munich.

Inter Milan look like they have one foot in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals thanks to a two goal lead against their Dutch counterparts Feyenoord, and they two will face each other once again in the second leg at the epic and historic stadium that is the famous San Siro in Milan in the second leg.

It is all to play for between FC Barcelona and fellow European heavyweights Benfica in Catalonia, with the Blaugrana only holding what is a slender one goal advantage, with them currently leading 1 – 0. This is also the case between Lille and Borussia Dortmund, with the two clubs from France and Germany respectively going head to head at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in the second leg with the score level at 1 – 1 following the first leg in Germany last week.

Excitement and anticipation are building ahead of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League Second Leg ties finally getting underway this week in the latest matchday of European Football’s Premier Club Cup Competition.

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