Champions League LIVE: Bayern beat Real Madrid away, Arsenal edge Sporting late on

It is the quarter-finals and thus the business end of the UEFA Champions League. Over Tuesday and Wednesday, the first legs will be played out, and we will be halfway to discovering who the 2025/26 semi-finalists will be. Follow all the drama live with us as the best eight teams in Europe go to battle.

Tuesday's highlights

? Bayern Munich are many people's favourites to win the Champions League this season, and they put themselves in a good position to advance to the semi-finals with a well-earned 2-1 away win over Real Madrid on Tuesday evening; Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe both scored in the match

? In the other quarter-final first leg on Tuesday, Arsenal edged Sporting 1-0 thanks to a very late winner from Kai Havertz to take a narrow lead into next week's second leg at the Emirates in London

Tuesday's results

Real Madrid 1-2 Bayern Munich

Sporting CP 0-1 Arsenal

Key updates to keep you informed:

23:25 CET - That’s all from the Champions League for today, but be sure to tune in again tomorrow as the quarter-final first legs continue with Barcelona hosting Atletico Madrid and PSG taking on Liverpool in Paris - two incredibly tasty matchups!

22:55 CET -?That’s full-time in Madrid, and Bayern?will take a 2-1 lead back to Munich for next week’s second leg in the quarter-finals.

Real Madrid won’t be happy with the result, but Kylian Mbappe’s goal at least reduced the deficit to one and brought them back into the tie. Bayern might even come to rue not putting it to bed this evening; they had the chances to!

Over in Lisbon, the other match is over as well, with?Arsenal edging Sporting 1-0 thanks to Kai Havertz's late winner. The Gunners will take the tie to London in the driving seat.

22:52 CET - Kai Havertz has scored very late on to give Arsenal a 1-0 lead over Sporting in Lisbon! With barely a minute to go in the match, that could prove vital.

22:34 CET -?Real Madrid are back in it! It's 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu thanks to Kylian Mbappe, who has slotted home Trent Alexander-Arnold's perfectly angled low cross to breathe some life into the tie for Los Blancos. Game (very much) on.

Incredibly, that is Mbappe's 14th goal in the Champions League this season.

22:25 CET -?It looked as though Arsenal had taken the lead over Sporting in Lisbon, but Martin Zubimendi's goal has been ruled out for offside, meaning it is still goalless in Portugal.?

It hasn't been a match of many chances, but the Gunners might muster another one. They've favoured going down the right side heavily today, as illustrated below.

22:05 CET -?We are back underway in Madrid, and before the match in Lisbon has even kicked off, Bayern have doubled their lead over Real almost immediately, and who else but?Harry Kane!

The Englishman has arrowed in a well-placed shot from the edge of the area after being fed by Michael Olise. That's Kane's 11th goal in the Champions League this season.

2-0 feels like a long way back for Real now... but there is plenty of time in the tie, it must be said.

21:49 CET -?The half-time whistle has blown in both quarter-finals, which are finely poised at the break.

Bayern are very much worthy leaders at the Bernabeu, but Los Blancos have threatened on the break, while Sporting are more than holding their own against Arsenal.

21:42 CET -?Bayern open the scoring! Luis Diaz has stroked home a through ball from Serge Gnabry to finish off a lovely move and give the German champions a richly deserved lead!

21:34 CET -?Arsenal are dominating the ball in Lisbon, but it's the hosts who have looked more threatening so far, having four efforts to their opponents' one.

21:20 CET -?It's been a fast start in the Spanish capital, with Dayot Upamecano having an effort cleared off the line and Manuel Neuer being forced into two good saves at the other end.

It's early days, but Bayern are looking stronger.

21:00 CET -?The 2025/26 Champions League quarter-finals are underway!

20:40 CET -?Tonight is a night all about strikers.

In Madrid, all eyes will be on Kane and Kylian Mbappe, perhaps the two biggest names in football without a Champions League title to their name. Can Kane step up and show that he can deliver for Bayern even on the biggest of stages? And can Mbappe end a two-month goal drought at club level and banish any doubts as to whether he can lead the line effectively alongside Vinicius Junior?

Over in Portugal, Gyokeres will be looking to bite the hand that fed him at his former stomping ground, while Luis Suarez - his replacement at Sporting - will be the danger man for the hosts, having scored 33 goals already for his club this season.

20:00 CET -?Arsenal are fielding a much stronger side than the one that was knocked out of the FA Cup at the weekend, with William Saliba, Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres all coming into the starting XI.

Sporting's suspended captain Morten Hjulmand is replaced by 19-year-old Joao Simoes in midfield.

19:50 CET -?Kick-off for tonight's games is getting ever closer, and the lineups are now in, with the big news being that Harry Kane is starting for Bayern having previously been an injury doubt.

18-year-old Thiago Pitarch starts ahead of Jude Bellingham for the hosts, playing his 10th match of senior football.

18:00 CET -?Good evening and welcome to a fascinating night of Champions League quarter-final action! Whilst Real Madrid's clash against old foes Bayern Munich is the headline match, Sporting CP vs Arsenal has plenty of intrigue too.?

Expect fireworks in Madrid, given the history between the two clubs in this competition. Their most recent meeting came in the 2023/24 campaign at the semi-final stage, with Real coming out on top over two legs.

They met in Madrid in the first leg that season too and ultimately it was Real's 2-1 victory at the Bernabeu that decided the tie. Therefore, Vincent Kompany will be desperate to avoid defeat tonight and given his side's impressive form and Alvaro Arbeloa's domestic troubles, he will fancy his chances.?

Over to Lisbon, and although Arsenal are the favourites, Sporting will look to Arsenal's poor form as a reason for optimism, as well as the fact that they have won their last three matches in all competitions. Mikel Arteta's side will be desperate to respond though, after a difficult few weeks for the club, and a quarter-final first leg win would be the perfect way to do that.?

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