Official UEFA Champions League Podcast

Matchday 1 concluded with a thrilling night of action across Europe! Marcus Rashford shone for Barcelona as his brace secured a 2-1 win over Newcastle. Head Coach Hansi Flick shares his thoughts on the forward’s Player of the Match performance, whilst we also hear from Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon. Manchester City’s Erling Haaland scored his 50th UEFA Champions League goal in a 2-0 victory over Napoli, becoming the fastest player to reach the milestone in the competition’s history. City midfielder Phil Foden and boss Pep Guardiola reflect on the win. Sporting and Club Brugge both scored 4 goals in wins over Kairat Almaty and Monaco respectively, whilst Frankfurt began their league phase campaign with 3 points by beating Galatasaray 5-1.  Elsewhere, Copenhagen and Leverkusen shared the spoils in an entertaining 2-2 draw. Copenhagen’s Player of the Match Jordan Larsson analyses the game at Parken.

Champions Paris Saint-Germain kicked off their title defence in style dispatching Atalanta 4-0 at the Parc des Princes, with goals from Marquinhos, Kvaratskhelia, Mendes and Ramos. At Anfield, Liverpool left it late again to grab all three points, with defender Virgil van Dijk heading in an injury time winner to seal a 3-2 victory over Atleti. While in Munich, Bayern saw off Chelsea 3-1, thanks to another brace from their top scorer Harry Kane. We hear from the UEFA Player of The Match in all three matches, Paris winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and Bayern match-winner Harry Kane, as well as Reds defender Andy Robertson. Elsewhere, Inter overcame Ajax 2-0 in Amsterdam, Marcus Thuram with both goals, and we hear from one of the Italian side’s new signings, defender Manuel Akanji. While in the evening’s early kick offs, Bodø/Glimt came back from 2-0 down to earn a hard-fought point at Slavia Praha and Olympiakos were impressively held 0-0 at home by Cypriot Champions League debutants Pafos - we get reaction from their defender and POTM Derrick Luckassen. Plus. we look ahead to the final night of Matchday 1 action, with another six games taking place across Europe on Thursday evening, including our featured commentary match Newcastle v Barcelona and Man City v Napoli with the thoughts of Pep Guardiola.

The 2025/26 League Phase started in style on Tuesday evening with opening day victories for Real Madrid, Arsenal and Spurs plus first ever Champions League wins for Qarabag and Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise on their competition debut. In Madrid, the 15-time champions began their quest to re-claim the coveted trophy with a hard fought 2-1 win over Marseille - Kylian Mbappe the match-winner with both goals – we hear from the Frenchman. North London rivals Arsenal and Spurs both began their campaigns with victories – the Gunners winning 2-0 in Bilbao and Spurs seeing off Villareal 1-0 at home. We hear from Arsenal’s UEFA POTM Gabriel Martinelli as well as Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven. Elsewhere Juventus and Borussia Dortmund played out an incredible 4-4 draw in Turin, with all 8 goals coming in the second half, Qarabag came from 2-0 down to earn a stunning 3-2 win against Benfica in Lisbon, but arguably the performance of the night took place in Eindhoven where Champions League debutants Union Saint-Gilloise secured a historic 3-1 win against PSV – we hear from their first ever goal-scorer in the competition, Promise David. We also look ahead to Wednesday’s Matchday 1 encounters, including our featured commentary game between Liverpool and Atletico Madrid, hearing from the Reds’ manager Arne Slot.

Paris Saint-Germain have been crowned champions of Europe for the very first time after a historic 5-0 victory over Inter Milan, the biggest ever win in the final of this competition. Two goals from UEFA Player of the Match Désiré Doué, and one each for Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and teenager Senny Mayulu put a seal on a perfect Paris performance in Munich. We look back on an absorbing final, including an exuberant trophy lift and jubilant reaction from Paris midfielder Vitinha and manager Luis Enrique. We also look back on the 2024/25 Champions League season as a whole, a revamped campaign that has truly delivered at every stage.

This is Off Pitch: The UEFA Champions League with a beat. Where UCL coverage meets the timeline’s conversations–fuelled by music. Join Culture Cams, Formz and Nieve aka Stunt Pegg as they preview the Champions League final between Inter and PSG with the help of their own in-house band Out N Bad. This week, the team is joined by rapper Aitch. #UCLOffPitch #UCL #championsleague  Watch more at: https://www.uefa.tv/ Subscribe to UEFA on YouTube at: https://bit.ly/UEFA_YT Follow us on Facebook at: https://bit.ly/FB_UEFA Visit our Website at: https://www.uefa.com/

Paris Saint Germain will meet Inter Milan in the 2025 UEFA Champions League final, after the French champions saw off Arsenal 2-1 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate. It was a historic evening at the Parc des Princes as Luis Enrique’s side booked their place in the showpiece for just the second time - and the first time they’ve done so in front of their fans after the 2020 semi-final took place during Covid times. Superb first and second half strikes from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi put Paris in control, however a 76th minute Bakayo Saka goal gave Arsenal hope of an unlikely late comeback. However, the French side held on to seal their place in the Munich Final and keep alive their dreams of a first Champions League crown.   We review it all and hear from UEFA Player of the Match, Achraf Hakimi, as well as Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. Plus we’ll look ahead to the much-anticipated final on Saturday 31st May, which will see Inter and Paris face off for the very first time in Europe’s elite competition.

After a night of high drama at San Siro, we have our first finalist in this season’s UEFA Champions League. Inter will head to Munich after a remarkable semi-final second leg against Barcelona which saw the Italians come out 4-3 winners after extra time to progress 7-6 on aggregate. It was a rollercoaster of a match which saw Inter take a two goal lead before Barca hit back to make it 3-2 late in the second half. Then with just seconds remaining Inter defender Francesco Acerbi popped up to score his first European goal to make it 3-3 at the end of normal time. Extra time could have gone either way but it was Inter midfielder Davide Frattesi who was the match winner, curling in the decisive goal in the 99th minute, to send the Nerazzurri through to their second final in three years. We hear from Inter’s hero on the night, and UEFA Player of the Match, Yann Sommer as well as defender Denzel Dumfries. Plus Barca coach Hansi Flick shares his thoughts.  We also look ahead to the second leg of Wednesday’s semi-final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal and hear from Mikel Arteta and Achraf Hakimi, It’s advantage Paris after the first leg but who will emerge victorious to face Inter in the Munich showpiece at the end of the May?

Barcelona and Inter play out an absolute classic in Spain as the second UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg ends 3-3. We analyse the drama, hearing from goal scorer and player of the match, Denzel Dumfries, as well as his Inter teammate, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Barcelona boss, Hansi Flick. We also preview next week’s second leg action, including Wednesday’s match in France, where Paris lead Arsenal 1-0. The bosses Luis Enrique and Mikel Arteta give their thoughts ahead of that one.

This season’s semi-finals got underway in style and it’s advantage Paris after the first leg of their tie with Arsenal. Ousmane Dembele’s early goal was the difference on an absorbing night in North London, meaning they’ll take a crucial 1-0 lead back to the French capital as both sides chase a first European crown. We recount the story of the match and hear from Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta and David Raya plus Paris’ Luis Enrique and Player of the Match Vitinha. We also preview Wednesday’s semi-final first leg between Barcelona and Inter Milan with the help of UEFA reporter Graham Hunter and Barca coach Hansi Flick.

This is Off Pitch: The UEFA Champions League with a beat. Where UCL coverage meets the timeline’s conversations – fuelled by music. Join Culture Cams, Formz and Stunt Peg as they wrap up the UCL quarter-finals with all eyes on the final four. As always, the vibes are brought by in-house band Out & Bad with special guest Alex Iwobi in the building. #UCLOffPitch #UCL #championsleague

Arsenal saw past defending champions Real Madrid, producing another assured performance at the Bernabeu winning 2-1 on the night, 5-1 on aggregate. In a dramatic second half, Inter held off Bayern as it finished 2-2 at Stadium San Siro, meaning the Nerazzuri progress with a 4-3 aggregate, and will meet Barcelona in the semi-finals. We hear from Arsenal’s Player of the Match Declan Rice and manager Mikel Arteta, plus Bayern’s Harry Kane.  And we look ahead to both semi-finals, Inter v Barcelona and Arsenal v Paris. 

On a night of classic UEFA Champions League drama, Paris survive an Aston Villa fight back to win 5-4 on aggregate and progress to the last four, despite losing 3-2 on the night. Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund give Barcelona a scare winning 3-1 in Germany. However, Barca progress 5-3 on aggregate. We hear from Villa goal scorer Ezri Konsa, as well as Dortmund’s Pascal Gross. Plus, Jude Bellingham looks ahead to the final night of quarter final action, where his Real Madrid team look to come from behind against Arsenal, and Inter defend a 2-1 lead against Bayern heading to San Siro.

It was home advantage in Wednesday’s quarter-finals as both Barca and Paris secured impressive first leg wins against Dortmund and Aston Villa respectively. In Spain, it was Barcelona’s front three that the did the damage with Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski (twice) grabbing the goals as the Catalan club surged to a convincing 4-0 first leg win over Borussia Dortmund. We hear from a very satisfied Barca coach Hansi Flick. In Paris, it was a much tighter affair, with the French champions having to come from behind to secure a late 3-1 first leg victory over Aston Villa. Morgan Rogers put the English side into a surprise lead but three brilliant goals from Désiré Doué, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Nuno Mendes put Paris Saint-Germain in control of the tie heading into the second leg in Birmingham next week. We hear from two of the scorers on the night, Paris’ Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Villa’s Morgan Rogers. We also look ahead to next week’s quarter-final second legs and hear from Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti and Bayern’s Vincent Kompany.

On a memorable night in North London, two wondrous Declan Rice free-kicks, plus a fine finish from Mikel Merino saw Arsenal take a 3-0 advantage in their quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid. Meanwhile in Munich, Inter ended Bayern's 22 match unbeaten home run in the UEFA Champions League, thanks to Davide Frattesi's 88th minute winner. That means the Nerazzurri will look to defend a 2-1 lead in the tie at Stadium San Siro in next week’s 2nd leg. In the podcast, we hear from Arsenal's goal-scorers Rice & Merino, plus manager Mikel Arteta, as well as Madrid’s Jude Bellingham. Plus we look ahead to Wednesday's two quarter-finals first legs and hear from Villa manager Unai Emery.

This is Off Pitch: The UEFA Champions League with a beat. Where UCL coverage meets the timeline’s conversations–fueled by music.   Join Culture Cams, Formz and Nieve aka Stunt Peg as they wrap up the UCL Round of 16 and look ahead to the quarter-finals, with the help of their own in-house band.  This week, the team is joined by their first guest, Aston Villa’s very own Amadou Onana.  #UCLOffPitch #UCL #championsleague  

The quarter-final line up was completed in dramatic fashion on Wednesday evening with Real Madrid, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund joining Barcelona, Bayern, Inter and Paris in the last eight.  It went all the way in the Spanish capital, with Real Madrid squeezing past city rivals Atletico 4-2 on penalties after it finished 2-2 on aggregate after extra time – we hear from the winning goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. The holders will play Arsenal in the quarter-finals after the London club comprehensively beat PSV 9-3 on aggregate, despite being held 2-2 in London on the night. Gunners manager Mikel Arteta is proud to reach a second successive Champions League quarter-final.  Aston Villa comfortably overcame 10-man Club Brugge 3-0 at Villa Park, to progress 6-1 on aggregate, and set up a tantalising last eight tie with Paris Saint-Germain - we get the thoughts of Villa’s matchwinner, and Paris loanee, Marco Asensio. And in the night’s early Round of 16 second leg, Dortmund recovered from an early Jonathan David goal to complete a hard fought 2-1 victory in Lille, to edge through 3-2 on aggregate and set up a mouthwatering match-up with Barcelona. We hear from David, Emre Can and Niko Kovac.

The shock of the night saw Paris Saint-Germain reverse their first leg defeat, beating Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield to take their tie into extra time, eventually prevailing 4-1 on penalties – goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma the Paris hero. It was a breathtaking match with 38 shots shared between the two sides despite just the one goal – we hear from the victorious Paris manager Luis Enrique as well as Liverpool’s Arne Slot and Virgil van Dijk.  Elsewhere there were comfortable wins for Barcelona, Bayern and Inter who all progressed to the quarte- finals at the expense of Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen and Feyenoord respectively. We hear from Barca manager Hansi Flick, Bayern striker Harry Kane and Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso. We also look ahead to Wednesday’s Round of 16 second legs, including a finely balanced Madrid derby at the Estadio Metropolitano and Aston Villa’s home tie against Club Brugge, a match Villa manager Unai Emery says he isn’t taking for granted despite holding a 3-1 aggregate lead.

The UEFA Champions League with a beat. Where #UCL coverage meets the timeline’s conversations – fuelled by music. Join Culture Cams, Formz and Stunt Pegg as they wrap up the #championsleague knockout play-off round and look ahead to the round of 16, with the help of their own in-house band. #UCLOffPitch 

Harvey Elliott scores the winner 47 seconds after coming on as a late substitute to secure a 1-0 victory for Liverpool in Paris. We hear from the matchwinner, as well as Player of the Match, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, and boss Arne Slot. Elsewhere, Harry Kane nets twice as Bayern beat German rivals Leverkusen 3-0. We hear from the England striker. Barcelona also secure a 1-0 victory away at Benfica, despite playing for over an hour with ten men. And Inter win 2-0 away at Feyenoord, courtesy of goals from Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez. Inter’s Dutch defender Stefan de Vrij reacts to that result, plus we look ahead to the second legs.  

A stunning start to the last 16 saw 17 goals shared amongst Tuesday’s four first leg encounters. It was a tightly contested Madrid derby with the defending champions edging neighbours Atleti 2-1 at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu thanks to a second half Brahim Diaz winner. Arsenal hit seven in Eindhoven to take full control of their Round of 16 tie against PSV – there were six different goalscorers for the Gunners and we hear from one of them, Dutch defender Jurrien Timber. It was a far tighter affair in Dortmund as Lille came back from a goal down to earn a hard fought 1-1 draw – the scorer of their equaliser and Player of the Match, Hákon Arnar Haraldsson, believes the home crowd could prove pivotal for his side in the second leg in France. And in the day’s early kick off in Brugge, Aston Villa scored two late goals to take a 3-1 first leg advantage back to Birmingham – we hear from their satisfied manager Unai Emery.  We also look ahead to Wednesday’s Round of 16 first legs, including a heavyweight clash at the Parc des Princes between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool, a match Reds boss Arne Slot says they are not taking lightly.