It’s all to play for on a massive Wednesday night of UEFA Champions League football, with four high‑stakes second‑leg clashes set to decide who marches into the next round. Paris SG host Monaco with a narrow 3–2 advantage, while Real Madrid defend a slender 1–0 lead against Benfica at the Bernabéu.
All four matches will be live on SuperSport, bringing every moment of drama, tension and Champions League magic straight to your screen.
Atalanta v Borussia Dortmund (Agg: 0–2)
Atalanta return to Bergamo knowing the stakes and the odds are firmly stacked against them. Their 2–0 defeat in Dortmund wasn’t just another setback—it was the first time they’ve ever lost a first leg by more than one goal in Europe. And recent history doesn’t help: they’ve been knocked out in each of their last four continental ties after losing the opener.
Dortmund, meanwhile, walk into northern Italy with the comfort of precedent behind them. When BVB win the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie, they usually finish the job—seven qualifications from nine such situations. The only times they faltered were after narrow one goal wins. A two goal cushion is unfamiliar territory, but it’s a promising one.
Atalanta will need to overturn trends that have long defined this matchup. They’ve never beaten Dortmund in any competition (D1 L2), and their lone home meeting ended in a 1–1 draw in 2017–18. To make matters tougher, they are currently on a three match losing streak in the Champions League—the longest they’ve ever endured in European football.
Dortmund haven’t exactly travelled well in Italy over the years, winning just once in their last eight away trips. But this side carries threats that Atalanta had no answer for in the first leg.
Serhou Guirassy’s Champions League record continues to grow—24 goal involvements in 23 games is a staggering return—and Maximilian Beier’s first leg strike means both scorers are now chasing a slice of club history: only Erling Haaland has ever scored in both legs of a Champions League knockout tie for Dortmund.
Atalanta must find a spark. Their seven shots in the first leg were among their lowest ever in the competition. Without a dramatic shift, this tie is slipping away fast.
Juventus v Galatasaray (Agg: 2–5)
Juventus face an uphill climb that borders on the impossible. Their 5–2 defeat in Istanbul wasn’t just damaging—it was historic. Only once before have they lost the first leg of a European knockout tie by three goals, and that was the famous 2018 loss to Real Madrid.
Galatasaray arrive in Turin with the weight of history behind them. Every time they’ve won a first leg by three or more goals—11 attempts in all competitions—they’ve progressed. And they’ve dominated this matchup too: Juve have beaten the Turkish club only once across seven Champions League meetings.
Yet Galatasaray’s away record in Italy is the kind of thing that keeps statisticians busy. Thirteen visits, zero wins. But even that grim number won’t matter unless they lose by five goals—the only scoreline that would eliminate them based on the first leg margin.
What should worry Juve more is that the first leg exposed defensive frailties rarely seen in their European history. It was only the second time they’ve conceded five or more goals in Europe, the last coming in 1959.
Meanwhile, Galatasaray’s Noa Lang announced himself with a brace on his Champions League debut for the club, and Gabriel Sara ran the game creatively, creating seven chances—the most by any Gala player on record in the competition.
Juventus can take solace in Weston McKennie’s recent European form, but they’ll need far more than individual sparks. Galatasaray haven’t reached the last 16 in over a decade; they can almost touch it now.
The road to Budapest 🛣️#UCL pic.twitter.com/TzhBKnPqYR
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 24, 2026
Real Madrid v Benfica (Agg: 1–0)
A fixture rich in history delivers an unusual twist: Real Madrid and Benfica meet for the third straight Champions League match—group stage, first leg, now the decider. Never before has a tie been played in three consecutive fixtures in a single season.
Madrid’s 1–0 first leg win gives them a familiar advantage. When Los Blancos win the opener of a Champions League knockout tie, they almost always go through—22 out of their last 23 attempts. The lone exception remains Ajax’s stunning 2019 comeback.
Benfica, though, have been a persistent thorn for Madrid historically, holding more wins than defeats across their meetings. But they face a towering challenge: they’ve only progressed once after losing a home first leg in European knockout competition.
Madrid carry their own streaks—25 straight Champions League matches without a draw—and boast a defence anchored by Thibaut Courtois, who equalled Oliver Kahn’s clean sheet tally in the first leg. One more and he joins Dida among the elite.
There is firepower too. Kylian Mbappé’s 14 goal involvements this season are the best by a Madrid player since Benzema’s legendary 2022 campaign. And on a night of significance, Arda Güler celebrates his 21st birthday after already creating more chances this season (25) than any U21 player in Champions League records dating back to 2003–04.
Benfica’s José Mourinho, suspended for this tie —winless in nine knockout matches—needs something dramatic. Madrid simply need to be Madrid.
Paris SG v Monaco (Agg: 3–2)
The all French clash returns to Paris with PSG holding the slimmest of leads after a frenetic first leg. History, however, overwhelmingly favours them. PSG have dominated this fixture outside league play, winning 13 of the last 14 meetings across cups, trophies, and now Europe.
Monaco’s defeat in the first leg stung more than usual—they led 2–0 before collapsing 3–2, marking the first time in their European history they’ve thrown away such a lead. Every previous time they won the first leg at home, they ended up out of the competition.
PSG, meanwhile, have a flawless Champions League record against French sides, winning all three such matches while scoring freely—13 goals across those games. And even by their standards, the first leg was extraordinary: 30 shots and over 80 per cent possession, a record for any team taking 30+ shots in a Champions League match.
Monaco still have weapons. Folarin Balogun’s goal streak makes him their most productive Champions League scorer in nearly a decade, and PSG know too well how dangerous he can be. But they must also deal with Désiré Doué, who has hit six goals in his last six UCL matches—all of them braces. One more goal and he becomes the youngest PSG player to reach 10 in Europe.
Vitinha remains the quiet controller, topping 100+ passes in six matches this season, a feat matched only by the likes of Thiago Motta and Xavi in decades past.
PSG have slipped only once after winning an away first leg in Europe—that infamous 2019 elimination to Manchester United. Monaco need something even bigger.