Champions League: Bayern facing Leverkusen, these fixtures could be hits

The Round of the last 16 of the Champions League was drawn on February 21, 2025, by CL winner Giovane Elber – and one of the highlights was the German duel FC Bayern Munich against Bayer Leverkusen. Also BVB against OSC Lille or FC Liverpool against PSG – the Round of 16 in the new format has it all, as our editorial team shows.

Honestly, German-German duels in the Champions League can be both a curse and a blessing.

March 1998. When Bayern, at the peak of the wonderfully crazy Munich media theater, met BVB, a single goal decided the second leg at the Westfalenstadion. Stéphane Chapuisat scored the goal that sent Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League semifinals in extra time – and up in the stands, Marius Müller-Westernhagen celebrated along with them.

A year later, I was a young reporter witnessing how Bayern, dethroned as champions by Lautern, humiliated the FCK 6-0 on aggregate in the German-German quarterfinal. By then, the two rivals from the 1997/98 season were no longer on equal footing.

Football trips Champions League: Bayer Leverkusen and FC Bayern Munich meet in the Round of 16 in a German-German duel. In the image, Bayer superstar Florian Wirtz misses the decision in favor of the German champions from Leverkusen in the Bundesliga hit (0:0). Photo: Imago Images / Jan Huebner

Bayern vs Bayer Leverkusen: German-German duels in the Champions League are strange

In 2013, in the only German final of the Champions League, there was the second most famous ellipse of German football next to “Kahn! The Bayern, diiiiee Bayern!!!” by Marcel Reif (2001): “Robbeeeeen.” Bayern won 2-1 in Wembley against BVB, thanks to a goal by Arjen Robben.

How will it be on March 11, 2025, at the BayArena when the German champion Bayer Leverkusen faces the record champions FC Bayern in the second leg? Leverkusen has not lost any of their last three league home games against the industry giant.

Football trips Bayer Leverkusen have great entertainment value thanks to the unforgettable 2023/2024 season and the high profile of the team from the Rhine. "Laterkusen", the team of late goals – last season, this was a lot of fun for us.

“His team is working again,” said Bayern idol Lothar Matthäus in BILD am SONNTAG (Issue from February 2, 2025) about Bayer Leverkusen’s coach Xabi Alonso, “in the Champions League, they’ve learned something valuable, especially through the heated defeat at Atlético Madrid.”

City-Derby: Who is the real champion in Madrid?

Atlético Madrid will face no less heated matches in the Round of 16. For the finalist of 2014 and 2018, it's against no other opponent than their city and archrival Real Madrid.

On March 12, 2025, the decision will fall at Atlético Madrid’s Estadio Metropolitano in this city derby, which has already occurred six times in the Champions League, twice in the final. It will also be the duel between top scorer Kylian Mbappé from Real Madrid (7 goals) and Julián Alvárez from Atlético. The Argentine world champion scored six times in this season’s "Königsklasse".

Decisions at Anfield, the Emirates, and Trinity Road

Three Round of 16 duels will definitely be decided in England.

Aston Villa, as a newcomer in the group stage, surprisingly won with victories over Bayern Munich (1-0) and at RB Leipzig (3-2), and will play the return leg against Club Brugge on March 12, 2025, at Villa Park.

At the same time, FC Arsenal will host PSV Eindhoven, who surprisingly eliminated the Italian record champion Juventus Turin in the playoffs.

An absolute prestige duel: FC Liverpool against Paris Saint-Germain on March 11, 2025, at Anfield. Liverpool won the opening match of their successful Champions League campaign 2018/2019 against PSG (3-2) and enters this duel as the slight favorite between two top teams.

BVB: 8 wins against Ligue 1 clubs

And BVB? Dortmund played under new coach Niko Kovac convincingly only at Sporting Lisbon in the playoff first leg (3-0). Now they face OSC Lille on March 4 at the "Yellow Wall" with 80,000 fans at Signal Iduna Park. “Les Dogues” were the best team from France’s Ligue 1 in the group stage with 16 points and in 7th place.

Dortmund’s record against French clubs in the Champions League is positive – eight wins from 14 CL games, and on the way to the final in 1997 and 2024, they managed to eliminate a Ligue 1 team each time, AJ Auxerre and PSG. Just a little boost of confidence.

When do the Round of 16 matches of the Champions League take place?

The first and second legs will take place on March 4 / 5 and 11 / 12, 2025.

Which games will be played at the so-called early kick-off time of 18:45?

Club Brugge and Aston Villa will open the Round of 16 on March 4, 2025, at 18:45. Other games at the early kick-off time of 18:45 are Feyenoord against Inter Milan (March 5), FC Barcelona against Benfica Lisbon (March 11), and OSC Lille against BVB (March 12).

Which opponents are expected for Bayer, Bayern, or BVB in a potential quarterfinal?

If Borussia Dortmund – like last year – make it through, they will face the winner of Benfica Lisbon vs. FC Barcelona in the quarterfinals. “Barca” was already a bit too strong for BVB in the group stage (3-2). The winner of the German-German duel Bayern vs Bayer Leverkusen will face the winner of Feyenoord Rotterdam vs. Inter Milan in the quarterfinals.

The quarterfinals will be played on April 8 / 9 and 15 / 16, 2025.

When will the semifinals and finals take place?

The “Finale dahoam 2.0” on May 31, 2025, at the Football Arena Munich is, of course, the dream destination for FC Bayern and the remaining teams. However, before that, the semifinals must be handled on April 29 / 30 and May 6 / 7, 2025.