Champions League Games | Quarter-Finals | 9/10/16/17 April '24

[MCFC1993]

Kick off times BST. All games live on TNT Sport for those in the UK.

Tuesday 9th April
20:00 - Arsenal v Bayern Munich
20:00 - Real Madrid v Manchester City - Use matchday thread

Wednesday 10th April
20:00 - Atletico Madrid v Borussia Dortmund
20:00 - Paris Saint-Germain v Barcelona

Tuesday 16th April
20:00 - Barcelona v Paris Saint-Germain
20:00 - Borussia Dortmund v Atletico Madrid

Wednesday 17th April
20:00 - Bayern Munich v Arsenal
20:00 - Manchester City v Real Madrid - Use matchday thread


It's a shame Arsenal-Bayern is on the same night, should be a good game.

Torn as to whether I want Arsenal to go through. Assuming we go through I think they'd give us a harder match but their league games are hard, throw a Champions League semi in and they'd definitely drop points in my opinion.
 

 

[Stephen230]

Considering how much sway TV companies have over the game these days, it’s strange the way they have the four games in just two slots.

Say what you like about American sport. But once it gets to the NFL play offs, they’d never schedule more than one game at the same time.

 

[Newman123]

Considering how much sway TV companies have over the game these days, it’s strange the way they have the four games in just two slots.

Say what you like about American sport. But once it gets to the NFL play offs, they’d never schedule more than one game at the same time.

Criminal to have our games on at the same time imo.

 

[Frank the Yank]

Considering how much sway TV companies have over the game these days, it’s strange the way they have the four games in just two slots.

Say what you like about American sport. But once it gets to the NFL play offs, they’d never schedule more than one game at the same time.

This has baffled me for a long long time. Especially when it gets to this stage stagger the times.

All they have to do is start the first game at 700-720, then start the second game 910-930 CET.

It pisses me off when the announcers give score updates on the other game. There is no reason to as one game doesn’t affect the other. This way I could put the other game in the DVR and watch even the second half.

If I know the result, I won’t bother..

 

[Alfie Budd]

Criminal to have our games on at the same time imo.

It’s all (unsurprisingly) down to the power of television and the influence of the broadcasters. The two most watched teams on German TV by far are Bayern and Dortmund so the German broadcasters will always firmly request that they play on different nights. Likewise the same applies in Spain with Real Madrid and Barcelona. Neither City nor Arsenal fall into that category in England (we all know which two clubs do) so the requests of the Spanish and German broadcasters would have been prioritised by the UEFA schedulers.
Additionally there’s the issue of Atletico and Real both being at home in the first leg meaning they have to play on different nights. When that all gets taken into account, the two English clubs were always going to have to play on the same nights - there simply isn’t a way to get it to work differently under the current format.

 

[ali benarbia's studs]

Fancy Arsenal to go ahead and harry to sting them late.

Our game will be tight.

Psg start well before Barca turn around tie.

Athletico start well and win.

Few ties will turn in 2nd legs. Imo.

 

[ali benarbia's studs]

Seroius drop the ball moment to have the clashes on both games, seems fair for the 2nd legs but silly loss of revenue potential for them.

 

[Quilted]

I'll have to have 3 screens up tonight lol, two UCL matches and Leicester

 

[Kippax77]

It’s all (unsurprisingly) down to the power of television and the influence of the broadcasters. The two most watched teams on German TV by far are Bayern and Dortmund so the German broadcasters will always firmly request that they play on different nights. Likewise the same applies in Spain with Real Madrid and Barcelona. Neither City nor Arsenal fall into that category in England (we all know which two clubs do) so the requests of the Spanish and German broadcasters would have been prioritised by the UEFA schedulers.
Additionally there’s the issue of Atletico and Real both being at home in the first leg meaning they have to play on different nights. When that all gets taken into account, the two English clubs were always going to have to play on the same nights - there simply isn’t a way to get it to work differently under the current format.

What about staggered K/O times?
Like the 5.45 pm and 8pm slots

 

[Alfie Budd]

What about staggered K/O times?
Like the 5.45 pm and 8pm slots

That could definitely work. My reasons for how and why the scheduling is how it is were based purely on the CL in its current format - to the best of my knowledge, knockout games have only been played at 8pm UK time* and I suspect there may be broadcasting contractual reasons why that’s not possible.
The new format coming next season may bring changes and more flexibility to how things are done.

*Back in the days when we could only dream of playing in the CL it was 7:45pm but same principle applied - no staggered kickoffs.