Champions League: English Sides Struggle, Arsenal and Newcastle Draw

Six English representatives endured a tough night in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 on March 11–12, 2026. Four of the six English sides suffered defeats, while the other two could only manage draws. 

These results make the path to the quarter-finals far more difficult for the English clubs.

Liverpool Fall in Istanbul

Liverpool returned empty-handed after a 0-1 defeat to Galatasaray at Rams Park. An early goal from Mario Lemina in the 7th minute proved decisive.

This result gives Galatasaray a slight advantage heading into the second leg at Anfield. The Turkish club only needs a draw to advance to the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, Liverpool must win by at least two goals to overturn the deficit.

Manchester City Sunk at the Bernabeu

Manchester City suffered an even worse fate when visiting Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu.

Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde delivered an outstanding performance, scoring a hat-trick that secured a resounding victory for Madrid.

This win gives Madrid a significant advantage ahead of the second leg at the Etihad Stadium. 

Meanwhile, City faces an enormous task, needing to win by at least four goals at home to overturn the situation.

Chelsea Crushed in Paris

Meanwhile, Chelsea had to acknowledge Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) superiority after a 2-5 defeat at the Parc des Princes.

PSG scored through Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembélé, Vitinha, and two goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Chelsea offered some resistance with goals from Malo Gusto and Enzo Fernández. However, relentless PSG attacks overwhelmed the visitors' defense.

With this negative result, Chelsea must win by four goals to overturn the deficit at Stamford Bridge.

Spurs Thrashed by Atletico

In Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur also endured a difficult night, losing 2-5 to Atlético Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium.

Julian Alvarez was the star of the match, scoring two goals for Atletico. Three other goals came from Marcos Llorente, Antoine Griezmann, and Robin Le Normand.

Tottenham briefly reduced the deficit through goals from Pedro Porro and Dominic Solanke.

Losing by three goals puts Spurs under immense pressure heading into the second leg in London.

Arsenal and Newcastle Only Draw

The other two English representatives achieved slightly better results. Newcastle United drew 1-1 against Barcelona at St James' Park.

Newcastle took the lead through Harvey Barnes in the 86th minute before Barcelona's young star Lamine Yamal equalized in the final moments of the match.

The other English representative, Arsenal, could also only manage a 1-1 draw when visiting Bayer Leverkusen's BayArena.

Leverkusen took the lead through a Robert Andrich goal before Arsenal equalized via a Kai Havertz penalty in the dying minutes.