MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Three of European soccer's most storied clubs stand on the brink of Champions League elimination.
Real Madrid, Liverpool and Barcelona must all overturn first-leg defeats in this week's quarterfinals.
Between them they have won European club soccer's greatest prize 26 times. But they have left themselves with mountains to climb to advance to the semifinals.
Record 15-time champion Madrid trails 2-1 to Bayern Munich after a home defeat in last week's first leg at the Bernabeu.
Liverpool is 2-0 down to defending champion Paris Saint-Germain ahead of Tuesday's return match at Anfield and Barcelona suffered a shock 2-0 home loss to Atletico Madrid at the Nou Camp.
In the other quarterfinal Arsenal leads Sporting Lisbon 1-0 going into Wednesday's match at the Emirates.
Trailing leader Barcelona by nine points in the Spanish league, Madrid's best chance of success this season may be in the competition that defines it - the Champions League.
But it faces a major challenge to overturn its tie against Bayern in Munich on Wednesday.
The German giant has been one of the standout teams in Europe this season - finishing second in the league phase with seven wins from eight games and routing Atalanta 10-2 on aggregate in the round of 16.
Bayern has won 39 of its 45 games in all competitions this season - losing just twice. Vincent Kompany's team looks well-placed to win a seventh European Cup, which would see it move level with AC Milan as the second most successful team in the competition's history.
In Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Diaz, Bayern has one of the most lethal attacks in Europe, but had to rely on the enduring brilliance of 40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to keep Madrid at bay in the first leg.
That should serve as encouragement for Madrid that it managed to create so many chances against Bayern's defense, but it will have to find a way past Neuer to avoid elimination.
PSG put an end to Liverpool's Champions League campaign last season and looks primed to repeat the act this year.
The first-leg win in Paris last week did not reflect the superiority of Luis Enrique's team on the night, which had a host of chances to rack up an even more commanding lead.
“Paris Saint-Germain was the better team, but we didn’t give up and that’s why we have a chance now still in this tie, because they kept us alive by not scoring a few open chances,” Liverpool coach Arne Slot said.
Six-time champion Liverpool will be relying on the famous Anfield crowd to try to inspire another famous comeback in the fashion of its 4-0 win against Barcelona in 2019 after losing the first leg 3-0.
Defeat, meanwhile, would see more pressure mount on Slot after Liverpool's Premier League title defense unraveled early in the campaign.
On course for back-to-back Spanish titles, Barcelona is also in danger of another surprise exit from the Champions League.
Defeat to Inter Milan in last year's semifinal came as a shock and a quarterfinal exit to Atletico would be even more unexpected.
But that is what's on the cards for Hansi Flick's team if it cannot overturn a 2-0 deficit at the Metropolitano Stadium on Tuesday.
Diego Simeone's Atletico already dumped Barcelona out of the Copa del Rey last month and is threatening to make it a double.
On that occasion Barcelona fought back from a 4-0 first leg defeat to win 3-0 in the return match. That might offer some encouragement - especially with a forward line packed with the goal-scoring threat of Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, Robert Lewandowski and Marcus Rashford. The absence of the injured Raphinha, however, could be crucial.
Arsenal faces a critical week in its bid to win a Premier League and Champions League double.
On Sunday it travels to Manchester City in a crucial game in the title race - but before that, Mikel Arteta's team takes on Sporting Lisbon.
Leading 1-0 thanks to Kai Havertz's goal in added time in Portugal, Arsenal is favorite to get the job done at home. But there have been signs of the pressure getting to the Premier League leader in recent weeks.
Defeat to City in the English League Cup final and the shock loss to second division Southampton in the FA Cup ended Arsenal's pursuit of a trophy quadruple.
Another defeat to Bournemouth in the league on Saturday has allowed second-place City to close the gap at the top to six points ahead of this weekend's clash. City also has a game in hand.
In light of that, Arsenal may find it a relief to turn its attention to Europe.
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Arsenal's Kai Havertz celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the Champions League quarterfinals, first leg, soccer match between Sporting CP and Arsenal, in Lisbon, Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal reacts disappointed after the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe reacts during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Girona in Madrid, Spain, Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
BUDAPEST (AP) — From the jubilant crowds along the Danube in Budapest to executive offices in Brussels, praise and even glee abounded for Hungary’s next leader, Péter Magyar. But the outpouring after his stunning election focused mainly on who he’s not: outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who many saw as a threat to Europe’s peace and prosperity.
From Madrid to Helsinki, many hope that Magyar's win will help unshackle the 27-nation European Union as it faces hybrid warfare attacks from Moscow, an antagonistic Washington and Beijing's economic pressure. EU leaders had been increasingly frustrated with Orbán over his takeover of democratic institutions and vetoing of strategic action like a 90-billion-euro loan for Ukraine.
It remains to be seen whether those hopes will be fulfilled. Magyar avoided talking about Ukraine or divisive issues like LGTBQ rights on the campaign trail, and was previously a long-time conservative insider in Orban's party. He told The Associated Press that he would work more closely with the EU and the 32-nation NATO mililtary alliance that was forged to thwart aggression from Moscow.
“All Hungarians know that this is a shared victory. Our homeland made up its mind. It wants to live again. It wants to be a European country,” Magyar said during his victory speech on Sunday.
Olga Oliker, the director of European Security at the International Crisis Group, said that "where Orban slowed actions and blocked consensus, Magyar, as he defines Hungary’s relationships with its European allies, to say nothing of those with Ukraine, Russia and the United States, can help shape the future of Europe.”
After Magyar takes his oath of office in May, the Hungarian prime minister could potentially lift Hungary's veto and enable the European Commission to provide Ukraine with the 90-billion-euro loan that Orbán had agreed to in December and then backtracked on, enraging his fellow leaders.
EU diplomats will discuss Wednesday how best to fast-track the funds to Kyiv, said a Cypriot official speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be named. Cyprus currently holds the rotating EU presidency.
Hungary borders Ukraine, and the pro-Russian Orbán had long demonized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. While congratulating Magyar on X, Zelenskyy said that “we are ready for meetings and joint constructive work for the benefit of both nations, as well as for the sake of Europe’s peace, security, and stability.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia respects the outcome of the Hungarian vote and expects to maintain contacts with the country’s new leadership.
He said that “as for what action Hungary’s new leadership will take, we probably need to be patient and see what happens.”
The prospect of a nimbler, faster-acting Europe drove widespread praise for Magyar from several European leaders. EU negotiators had to increasingly find workarounds when Orban blocked policy decisions. He also held up Sweden's accession to NATO.
Magyar said he received calls on Sunday night — before he even took the stage to announce his victory — from French President Emmanuel Macron, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was frequently vilified by Orbán during his campaign.
“Today, Europe is Hungarian," von der Leyen said at a news conference in Brussels on Monday. "The people of Hungary have spoken and they have reclaimed their European path.”
“Today Europe wins and European values win,” said Spain’s left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in a post on X on Sunday night. Poland’s center-right Prime Minister Donald Tusk exclaimed on social media: “Back together! Glorious victory, dear friends!”
Orbán's defeat has reverberated across the world, including to the United States where President Donald Trump supported Orbán’s reelection bid and even dispatched Vice President JD Vance to Budapest last week — in the midst of the Iran war — to stump for the incumbent.
Magyar's victory might signal a shift in European politics that has been dominated by a far-right shift over the past decade. Magyar comes from a right-wing background but distanced himself from Orban’s leadership.
With nationalist parties making headways in Germany and France, the electoral earthquake in Hungary shows that “Hungarians are sending a signal to the world” said German lawmaker Daniel Freund.
“The icon of illiberal anti-European forces has now failed — brought down by a disastrous economy, corruption, and his own unfair electoral system,” he said.
Orbán's populist allies in the EU, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, congratulated Magyar while praising the ousted strongman. But Fico also brought up the Druzhba pipeline, shuttered since an attack in Ukraine — an issue Orbán campaigned on and one exacerbated by rising energy prices over the Iran war. Magyar has criticized Orbán’s government for failing to diversify its energy mix, and advocated for reaching new agreements and constructing new infrastructure to bring oil and gas from other sources into landlocked Hungary. Both Babiš and Fico pledged to work with Hungary's next leader.
Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London, Karel Janicek in Prague, Dusan Stojanovic in Belgrade and Derek Gatopoulos in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.
A man wrapped in the European Union flag waves a Hungarian flag, backdropped by the parliament building, early Monday April 13, 2026 as people celebrate Peter Magyar ousting Prime Minister Viktor Orban after 16 years in power. (AP Photo/Sam McNeil)
Peter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza party, center, speaks to his supporters following the announcement of the partial results of the parliamentary election, in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)
Peter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza party waves a national flag after claiming victory in a parliamentary election in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Peter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza party, waves the Hungarian flag following the announcement of the partial results of the parliamentary election, in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)
Supporters of Peter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza party celebrate after a parliamentary election in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Peter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza party, center, celebrates with his party colleagues following the announcement of the partial results of the parliamentary election, in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)
