At 3 AM on March 18th (Vietnam time), three English clubs, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Arsenal, will play the second leg of the 2025/26 Champions League Round of 16 against very strong opponents: PSG (Chelsea lost 5-2 in the first leg), Real Madrid (Manchester City lost 3-0 in the first leg), and Leverkusen (Arsenal drew 1-1 in the first leg). Given their head-to-head records in the first leg, Arsenal has the sole chance of progressing to the next round.
Chelsea failed to recover from their 2-5 defeat to PSG in the first leg of the 2025/26 Champions League round of 16, as The Blues went on to lose to Newcastle at home in the 30th round of the Premier League. This defeat further hampered Liam Rosenior's pursuit of a top-four finish.
While Chelsea had to play continuously, PSG had enough rest for minor injuries and fatigue from the first leg to disappear. On the road in this season's Champions League, Luis Enrique's team has also performed impressively, winning 3, drawing 1, and losing only 1.
The chances of the English team progressing further are almost impossible. An early exit from the Champions League to focus on a top-four finish in the Premier League is the most realistic option for Chelsea during this crisis.
It's very difficult for Man City (in blue) to catch up with Real Madrid at this stage (Photo: RM)
To have any hope of surviving and securing a place in the semi-finals, Pep Guardiola's men need to win by at least three goals at home at the Etihad Stadium in the return match.
Experts predict that Manchester City will likely only beat Real Madrid by a margin of 1 or 2 goals, thus being eliminated in the Round of 16 of the Champions League. The Madrid team is regaining its top form with three consecutive wins recently. More importantly, they always show great composure when competing in Europe's most prestigious competition.
Arsenal's last chance in the Premier League rests entirely on their side. A 1-1 draw away from home will be a good boost as Arsenal will play at home against a relatively weak opponent from the Bundesliga. Arsenal have a much higher chance of reaching the quarter-finals than Leverkusen.
