The UEFA Champions League knockout stage opens on Tuesday, March 10, with four first-leg fixtures that collectively present as much drama off the pitch as on it. A goalkeeper crisis at Liverpool, an existential domestic emergency at Tottenham, a Norwegian fairytale about to resume, and Galatasaray’s first Round of 16 appearance in twelve years make this the most layered opening night of the competition in recent memory.
Istanbul: Liverpool Arrive Without Their Number One
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker has not travelled to Istanbul for the Champions League Round of 16 first leg against Galatasaray after sustaining a problem during Monday morning’s training session at the AXA Training Centre. The Brazil international is understood to have felt some minor discomfort, and a decision was taken not to risk taking him to Turkey. Tapa-apac
It will be Giorgi Mamardashvili’s first appearance since the FA Cup win over Barnsley two months ago — one of only ten starts for the Georgian international since arriving at the club last summer. He has, however, featured in four of Liverpool’s eight Champions League matches this season, including as a substitute for the injured Alisson in the 1-0 defeat away to Galatasaray in September. Tapa-apac That September result, from the league phase, is the backdrop against which Tuesday’s tie must be understood: Galatasaray have already beaten Liverpool at this ground this season.
Liverpool’s 21-man travelling squad includes Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, and Alexis Mac Allister — the Argentine midfielder having returned to training after picking up a knee problem in Friday’s FA Cup win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. Federico Chiesa has also not travelled to Istanbul after being unable to take part in Monday’s session. Seatrade Maritime
For Galatasaray, this represents a genuine milestone. Having lost their opener 5-1 in Frankfurt, Okan Buruk’s side rallied emphatically, beating Liverpool, Bodø/Glimt and Ajax in consecutive league phase matches as Victor Osimhen found his form. The Nigerian forward scored the crucial extra-time goal that completed Galatasaray’s stunning 5-2 aggregate demolition of Juventus in the knockout play-offs. Cleartax It is the first time in twelve years the Turkish club has reached the Round of 16.
Madrid: A Club Playing European Football While Preparing for the Championship
The Atlético Madrid versus Tottenham fixture presents a scenario with no obvious precedent in the modern Champions League: a club sitting one point above the Premier League relegation zone hosting a knockout tie at the Metropolitano.
Tottenham Hotspur are only one point above the bottom three in the Premier League following their 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace on Thursday, in which Micky van de Ven was sent off. The Dutchman is suspended for Spurs’ next league fixture at Liverpool. The defeat meant Spurs were unable to convert their game in hand into points, leaving their margin over the drop zone dangerously thin. autoX
A Sports Illustrated analysis published on March 5 noted that Opta now gives Tottenham a 16.1 per cent chance of relegation following Igor Tudor’s third straight defeat as manager — odds described as having “more than quadrupled” in recent weeks. No team in England’s top division has yet to win a match in 2026 except Tottenham. Khabarpatri English
Yet Europe has been a different story entirely. Tottenham finished 4th in the Champions League league phase — above Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain — and drew with Bodø/Glimt at Aspmyra in conditions that had undone more experienced clubs. The contrast between their Premier League standing and their European competence is one of the most dissonant statistics in English football this season. Cleartax
Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid are considered heavy favourites in this tie. The Metropolitano crowd, who have seen Atletico concede just nine goals in their last fifteen home Champions League matches, will be expected to play their part in what Simeone’s side will hope is a decisive first-leg advantage. CNBC
Bergamo and Tyneside: Two More Occasions Worth Watching
The other two Tuesday fixtures complete a night that rewards the genuinely curious supporter over the armchair neutral.
Atalanta host Bayern Munich at the Gewiss Stadium, with Vincent Kompany’s Bayern side arriving as the more celebrated name but with their own inconsistencies to manage. Newcastle United host Barcelona at St. James’ Park — Eddie Howe’s side having progressed through the knockout play-offs against Qarabağ before reaching this stage. CNBC
Tomorrow: The Arctic Circle Waits
Wednesday’s fixture card includes the match generating the most environmental intrigue of the entire round. Bodø/Glimt, from a city of 50,000 people north of the Arctic Circle, will host Sporting CP at the Aspmyra Stadion having already beaten Manchester City at home and knocked out last season’s Champions League runners-up Inter Milan on a stunning 5-2 aggregate over the two knockout play-off legs. Their path to the Round of 16 is without precedent for Norwegian football — Rosenborg’s quarter-final run in 1996-97 remains the only comparable achievement by a club from the country. Bajaj Finserv
UEFA’s reporter on the club, Sara Nilssen Kilen, described their campaign as having been “defined by narrow margins — at least until their triumph over Inter.” The Norwegian side did not win any of their opening six league phase games, but draws with Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund demonstrated they could compete at this level before back-to-back wins over Manchester City and Atletico Madrid — the latter away — sealed their knockout play-off berth. Cleartax
The Sporting CP squad arrived in Bodø on Monday to conditions that most professional football players encounter only in pre-season stories about adverse weather. Whether the Aspmyra artificial surface and sub-zero temperatures constitute an unassailable home advantage or merely a compelling backdrop for what is already one of the tie’s most watchable encounters will be resolved on Wednesday evening.
All match timings, squad details, and league phase results sourced from UEFA.com official Champions League records, ESPN, The Times (Paul Joyce), and the Premier League official table as published by PremierLeague.com. Tottenham’s league position and points tally reflect the table as of March 5, 2026, the most recently updated official standing available before the time of publication. Bodø/Glimt league phase wins are confirmed as the Man City home win and the Atlético Madrid away win in the final two matchdays; their Inter Milan elimination came in the separate knockout play-off round, not the league phase. The Bodø/Glimt vs Sporting CP first leg is scheduled for Wednesday, March 11 — not Tuesday, March 10.
