Atletico Madrid and PSG Secure Champions League Semifinal Spots

Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético Madrid have booked their places in the UEFA Champions League semifinals after overcoming Liverpool and Barcelona respectively in the quarterfinal second legs on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

PSG completed a dominant 4-0 aggregate victory over Liverpool with a 2-0 win at Anfield, whereas Atlético Madrid advanced 3-2 on aggregate despite losing 2-1 at home to Barcelona, having won the first leg 2-0 at Camp Nou.

PSG Dominates Liverpool at Anfield

Ousmane Dembélé scored twice for PSG in the rain-soaked second leg at Anfield to seal the visitors’ passage to the last four. The French winger opened the scoring in the 72nd minute after latching onto a pass from Bradley Barcola before curling a shot into the bottom corner past Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Dembélé completed his brace early in stoppage time, slotting home a cross from Barcola to craft it 2-0 on the night and 4-0 on aggregate. The victory gave PSG a clean sheet in the second leg and ensured they conceded just one goal across both ties against the Premier League side.

Liverpool managed only three shot attempts in the match, none on target, as PSG controlled 74% of possession. The result extended PSG’s impressive recent run in the competition, marking their fifth semifinal appearance in seven seasons.

PSG defender Marquinhos praised his team’s resilience after the match, telling Canal+: “We managed to stay strong and defended well. You can see how the team has matured. We’ve gained experience.”

Atlético Madrid Overcomes Barcelona Challenge

Atlético Madrid’s path to the semifinals was more precarious after surrendering a 2-0 first-leg advantage with a 2-1 home loss to Barcelona. However, the Spanish side held on to advance 3-2 on aggregate thanks to their commanding 2-0 victory at Camp Nou in the first leg.

The first leg at Barcelona’s stadium proved decisive when Atlético took advantage of a 44th-minute red card shown to Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsí for denying a goal-scoring opportunity. Julián Álvarez converted the resulting free kick just before halftime to offer Atlético a 1-0 lead.

Álvarez, who now has 13 goal contributions in this season’s Champions League campaign, added to his tally before Alexander Sørloth secured the second goal 25 minutes later. The goals gave Atlético a 2-0 lead heading into the second leg at their Metropolitano Stadium home ground.

Despite losing 2-1 in the return leg, Atlético’s aggregate advantage was sufficient to progress. The result ended Barcelona’s 25-match unbeaten home record against Atlético that dated back to February 2006.

Semifinal Implications

PSG will await the winner of the Bayern Munich versus Real Madrid quarterfinal tie for their semifinal opponent. As of the second leg matches, Bayern held a 2-1 lead over Real Madrid heading into their Wednesday encounter.

The semifinal draw will determine whether PSG faces either Bayern or Real Madrid, while Atlético Madrid will wait to learn their opponent from the remaining quarterfinal tie.

Both clubs now turn their attention to the final four of Europe’s premier club competition, with the semifinals scheduled for late April and the final set for May 30, 2026 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

The victories represent significant milestones for both managers. For PSG, it continues their recent trajectory of deep Champions League runs under their current coaching staff. For Atlético Madrid, under Diego Simeone, it marks another deep run in a competition where they have consistently punched above their weight in recent years.

Liverpool’s campaign ended with a notable injury concern as striker Hugo Ekitike was carried off during the first half at Anfield with a leg injury that puts his availability for France’s upcoming World Cup challenge in doubt.

As the Champions League enters its business complete, the remaining four teams now know that just two victories separate them from lifting the trophy at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium at the end of May.

What are your thoughts on PSG and Atlético Madrid’s semifinal qualifications? Share your predictions for the final four in the comments below.