Galatasaray beats Liverpool; Barcelona and Real face key Champions League ties

Galatasaray stuns Liverpool in Champions League round of 16 opener

Barcelona faces key away tie at Newcastle; Real Madrid hosts Manchester City

BlaugranaNews EditorialMarch 10, 20261 min read

So what

The round of 16 has already delivered surprises, shaping high-stakes rematches that could define the top contenders and exciting quarterfinal clashes.

The Champions League round of 16 has kicked off with an unexpected result as Galatasaray edged Liverpool 1-0 in the first leg. Liverpool now faces a tough challenge to overturn the deficit at Anfield.

Barcelona will then play a crucial away match against Newcastle, while Atlético Madrid hosts Tottenham in a significant fixture at home. A highly anticipated encounter is set for Wednesday as Real Madrid welcomes Manchester City, in what is being called the new European classic.

Potential quarterfinal matchups are emerging: winners of Atlético-Tottenham and Barcelona-Newcastle could meet, while Real Madrid’s victor against Manchester City would face the winner of Bayern Munich versus Atalanta.

These ties will not only decide which teams advance but also intensify the competition and anticipation in Europe’s premier club tournament. The upcoming second legs will be decisive in shaping the path to the trophy, with the early surprises adding extra excitement to the race.