On Tuesday, April 9, four contenders, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich will kick off the quarter-finals of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League season. Los Blancos will host reigning European champions City at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium while the Gunners will welcome the Bavarians to the Emirates Stadium. The following day, the other four UEFA Champions League aspirants, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and Barcelona will take to the field, hoping to carve up an advantage in the first leg. The German side will welcome the Spaniards to Signal Iduna Park whereas the Parisians will host the Blaugrana at the Parc des Princes.
As we brace ourselves for an action-packed round of fixtures, let us take a quick look at the most successful teams at this stage. Here are the five teams that have won the most quarter-final ties since the competition’s facelift in 1992:
#5 Juventus: 7 Wins
Italian powerhouse Juventus have qualified for 12 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in the tournament’s current format, progressing to the semi-finals on seven occasions.
The Bianconeri, who have not won the competition since the 1994-95 season, last reached the quarter-finals in the 2018-19 campaign. They faced Dutch high-fliers Ajax in the last eight that season, losing 3-2 on aggregate. The Old Lady could not qualify for the Champions League in 2023-24 but are poised to make a return next season.
#4 Chelsea: 8 Wins
The only English Premier League team to make this list, Chelsea have an impressive eight UEFA Champions League quarter-final wins to their name. The Blues have qualified for 12 QFs since the 1992-93 season.
The two-time UEFA Champions League winner lost to Real Madrid the last two times they qualified for the quarter-finals in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. Their last win in this round came in 2020-21, as they beat Porto 2-1 on aggregate to proceed to the semi-finals. In the last four, they beat Real Madrid before besting Manchester City in the final.
#3 Barcelona: 11 Wins
In third place, we have La Liga powerhouse Barcelona, who will participate in their 19th UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie this year. They have a decent record in this round, having progressed to the semi-finals in 11 of their last 18 attempts.
Barcelona, who will need to produce a phenomenal performance to beat in-form PSG this year, last played in the quarter-finals in the 2019-20 season. Against Bayern Munich, Barca suffered a historic 8-2 defeat in a COVID-enforced one-legged quarter-final despite fielding their strongest possible XI. It marked the worst-ever defeat in Lionel Messi’s illustrious career.
#2 Bayern Munich: 12 Wins
Including the 2023-24 season, German giants Bayern Munich have qualified for the quarter-finals an impressive 22 times — more than any other team in Europe. However, they have not always converted their chances, leading to an underwhelming 12 quarter-final tie wins so far. No team have lost more quarter-final ties than the German powerhouse.
Bayern Munich reached the quarter-finals in the 2022-23 season but were thoroughly outclassed by the formidable Manchester City. The Cityzens beat them 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium and held them to a 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena, comfortably progressing to the last four with a 4-1 aggregate scoreline.
#1 Real Madrid: 16 Wins
To no one’s surprise, Real Madrid, the most successful team in the UEFA Champions League, are the most dominant outfit in the quarter-finals. Since 1992, Los Blancos have qualified for the quarter-finals 20 times, including the 2023-24 season. If they manage to overcome Manchester City this year, they will have qualified for 17 semi-finals.
The 14-time European champions’ most recent quarter-final win came in the 2022-23 season. They faced Premier League giants Chelsea in that round and comprehensively outclassed them over two legs, securing a 4-0 aggregate win.
