The UEFA Champions League round of 16 has concluded. We now know the eight teams still alive in their fight for this season’s crown: Benfica, Chelsea, Bayern, Milan, Inter, Manchester City, Napoli, and Real Madrid.
We enjoyed many matches during this round of 16, and although the favorite teams were the ones that qualified, there was some tension and doubts about what was happening in the matches.
However, we saw a Manchester City side make their home ground respected and crush Leipzig. Bayern did the same against PSG, who failed again in the Champions League. Finally, Real Madrid eliminated a Liverpool team that has been very irregular this season.
Benfica and Inter give an outstanding performance and dispatched Club Brugge and Porto, respectively. Finally, Napoli continued to prove that their level of play was not just a fairytale and crushed Frankfurt at home.
Here is a summary of what happened in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 matches.
Round of 16 Roundup: Benfica crushes Brugge and stays alive
Benfica defeated Brugge 5-1 (7-1 on aggregate) and qualified for the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Gonçalo Ramos stood out in the match with two goals and an assist. The “Eagles” scored thanks to goals by Rafa Silva (38), Gonçalo Ramos (45+2 and 57), Joao Mario (71), and Brazilian David Neres (77), while Brugge’s goal of honor was scored by Dutchman Bjorn Meijer (87).
The Portuguese striker, who gained notoriety at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by starting against Switzerland in the round of 16 without Cristiano Ronaldo and scoring three goals, once again received the interest of some big European clubs following his performance in this Champions League match.
Aggregate Score: Benfica 7-1 Brugge
Round of 16 Roundup: Chelsea has everything to play for in the Champions League
By eliminating Jude Bellingham’s Borussia Dortmund, two-time European champions Chelsea will not miss the quarterfinal of this edition of the Champions League (2-0 after a 1-0 loss in the first leg).
Although they left Signal Iduna Park with a crushing defeat, Chelsea was able to bounce back at Stamford Bridge thanks to goals from Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz (penalty). However, Under intense pressure amid the London club’s Premier League crisis this season, Chelsea manager Graham Potter must be reckoned with.
Aggregate Score: Chelsea 2-1 Dortmund
Round of 16 Roundup: Bayern deal PSG a blow in Germany
Bayern Munich advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League with an emphatic 2-0 win over PSG. The German team’s goals came from Eric Choupo-Moting and Serge Gnabry.
The defeat of PSG casts doubt on the future of Lionel Messi and Christophe Galtier. The premature elimination could be a decisive factor in the choice of the Rosarino, who has not yet extended his contract. To maintain his project, the coach must convince the Parisian club’s directors to target Ligue 1.
Aggregate Score: Bayern 3-0 PSG
Round of 16 Roundup: Milan draws in London and advances to the quarterfinals
Tottenham exited through the backdoor in the last 16 of the Champions League after a draw against Milan on March 8.
After losing 1-0 in the first leg, the English team could not score to at least force extra time. After the “Cuti” Romero was sent off, the team Antonio Conte coached complicated their prospects. The Rossoneri began to get closer and closer to their opponent’s goal with increasing accuracy. After 11 years, the Italian club reached the quarterfinals despite not scoring a goal in the second leg.
Aggregate Score: Milan 1-0 Tottenham
Round of 16 Roundup: Inter held on in Portugal to earn a 0-0 draw to qualify
For the first time since 2011, Inter is back in the Champions League quarterfinals thanks to a tense 0-0 draw against Porto and, above all, a 1-0 win in the first leg. Inzaghi has dropped too many points in Serie A. Still, in the Champions League, he continues to do so impeccably, and this qualification ends whispers of his possible dismissal, at least for the time being. Nevertheless, it was immediately apparent that the night at the Do Dragao would be difficult for the Italians.
Inter played a first half of suffering in the face of the enormous pace of the home team, who warned immediately with a long-range attempt by Uribe. As expected, Inzaghi’s team had a few chances on the counterattack. Dzeko and Lautaro had good chances, but an attentive Diogo Costa saved them.
Aggregate Score: Inter 1-0 Milan
Round of 16 Roundup: Manchester City crushed Leipzig to qualify for the quarterfinals
Erling Haaland, with five goals, helped Manchester City defeat RB Leipzig 7-0 in Tuesday’s second leg of the Champions League round of 16. The Citizens star’s performance broke several Champions League records and improved Pep Guardiola’s side’s play-off chances.
The attacker needed just 20 minutes of inspiration to break the deadlock after the 1-1 draw in Germany and become the youngest player (22 years and 236 days) to score 30 goals in Champions League history, surpassing Kylian Mbappé’s record (22 years and 352 days).
Aggregate Score: Manchester City 8-1 RB Leipzig
Round of 16 Roundup: Napoli shows spectacular attacking power against Frankfurt
Napoli confirmed their presence in the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in history with a hugely superior performance against an ineffective Eintracht side. With the help of a fundamental Osimhen, Spalletti’s team defeated the Germans. The Nigerian, scorer of two goals, was the team’s attacking focal point, making Napoli’s danger very evident to other clubs.
With players like Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia, their collective performance, and their energetic, vertical soccer, Spalletti’s club is a tough, brave team with enough talent to surprise anyone. Their performance against Eintracht was admirable. They won the game in Germany by dominating and controlling it while playing moderately, defeating the German team there.
Aggregate Score: Napoli 5-0 Frankfurt
Round of 16 Roundup: Real Madrid is a nightmare for Liverpool
Liverpool’s nightmare is Real Madrid, who is also making steady progress in the Champions League. Their rivalry that extends to the years of glory of Liverpool in the 70s and 80s has quickly developed in paternity in the last few seasons over a side of the Reds that seems too afraid to confront the White House.
Liverpool came out with a good team, ambition, and courage. Ancelotti’s team won a dominant game to advance to the quarterfinals. However, there was no need to be surprised because Real Madrid took their obligation to manage the match and be a strong block very seriously.
In a match that favored Real Madrid, the veteran midfield was justified, with excellent work from Kroos and Modric. Undoubtedly, in crucial matches, they serve as captains of Real Madrid’s engine room. But, finally, on a day when Camavinga shone, the wisdom, quality, and experience of the veterans in the midfield were the decisive factors.
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