Champions League Quarterfinals First Leg Roundup

The first legs of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals are over, and they delivered spectacular matches full of stunning goals, surprises, and a couple of ties that already seem decided.

In England, Arsenal pulled off one of the biggest shocks by thrashing Real Madrid 3-0. Meanwhile, another dominant performance came from Barcelona, who had no trouble at home against Borussia Dortmund, cruising to a 4-0 win.

Another major upset in Germany took place when Inter defeated Bayern Munich 2-1 away, while PSG came from behind to beat Aston Villa 3-1.

Champions League Quarterfinals First Leg Results

Champions League Quarterfinals: Arsenal vs. Real Madrid

London was in full celebration mode as Arsenal put on a show, brushing aside Real Madrid with a stunning 3-0 victory and placing one foot firmly in the Champions League semifinals.

The hero of the night was Declan Rice. The ‘Gunners’ were the more aggressive side, constantly threatening, but time after time, they were denied by an outstanding Thibaut Courtois, who seemed unbeatable with his incredible saves.

But then Rice stepped up. The midfielder channeled the spirit of Juninho Pernambucano, David Beckham, Andrea Pirlo, and every legendary free-kick taker in history, scoring two unbelievable goals from set pieces—one in the 58th minute and another in the 70th.

Mikel Merino, who has been repurposed as a forward due to injuries in the squad, added a third goal with a first-time finish from the edge of the box, sealing a statement win that puts Arsenal within touching distance of the next round.

In the final play of the match, Eduardo Camavinga was sent off and will miss the second leg.While the 3-0 scoreline is commanding, it’s still Real Madrid we’re talking about—and no team is more dangerous in this competition.

Champions League Quarterfinals: Bayern vs. Inter

The other surprise also came on Tuesday, this time in Munich, as Inter defeated Bayern München 2-1 on the road.

The leaders of Germany and Italy faced off in a tightly contested match. The home side had more possession, shots, efforts on target, and corners, but it was the visitors who proved to be more clinical.

The scoring was opened by Lautaro Martínez with a stunning goal. It was a brilliant team play that ended with a backheel assist from Marcus Thuram and a classy outside-foot finish from the ‘Toro,’ who also became Inter’s all-time top scorer in the Champions League with 19 goals, surpassing Adriano by one.

After much pressure, Bayern finally equalized in the 85th minute through a player who recently announced this would be his last season with the club: Thomas Müller. A cross from Konrad Laimer traveled through the entire box and found Müller unmarked at the far post, and the German—who had come on just 10 minutes earlier—only had to tap it in.

However, the joy didn’t last long for Bayern. Just three minutes later, Inter struck back on the counter. Carlos Augusto whipped in a low, powerful cross that found Davide Frattesi arriving in the box, and the Italian only had to put his foot on it to score the 2-1 winner.

Despite the away win, the tie is far from over, and anything can happen in Milan. Bayern remains a top-tier team with stars, capable of playing their game anywhere.

Champions League Quarterfinals: Barcelona vs. Dortmund

Barcelona returned to their dominant form and had no trouble steamrolling Borussia Dortmund with a 4-0 victory, leaving the tie almost decided.

From start to finish, the Spanish side was superior, although the Germans did have a couple of clear chances through Serhou Guirassy. However, the Guinean striker lacked precision in front of goal.

On the other hand, Raphinha did manage to score. The Brazilian forward, thecurrent top scorer of the Champions League with 12 goals, opened the scoring in the 25th minute when a free kick found Iñigo Martínez’s head, then Pau Cubarsí’s foot, and finally Raphinha tapped it right on the line. The goal came with some suspense, as VAR checked for a possible offside—but it stood.

In the second half, Barça’s goal festival kicked off. Robert Lewandowski lived up to the “former team” curse and scored a brace. First in the 48th minute with a close-range header and then in the 66th with a right-footed strike. That makes 29 goals in 28 matches for the Polish striker against Dortmund. Also, it’s his 11th goal in the competition, one behind his teammate.

The final blow came in the 77th minute from the one who was missing: Lamine Yamal. The young star received a pass from Raphinha and calmly slotted it across goal to seal the 4-0 win, highlighting the explicit gap between both teams this season and putting the ‘Culés’ well on track for the semifinals.

Champions League Quarterfinals: PSG vs. Aston Villa

PSG took a big step toward reaching the semifinals of the tournament after coming from behind to beat Aston Villa 3-1 in France.

After eliminating Liverpool, the Parisians are now targeting another English team, although things didn’t start as planned. In the 35th minute, a ball stolen from Nuno Mendes near midfield led to a brilliant team play that ended with Youri Tielemans assisting Morgan Rogers for the 0-1.

The joy didn’t last long, as young Désiré Doué fired a powerful shot from outside the box to equalize with a stunning goal. But if we’re talking about spectacular goals, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s strike stole the show. The Georgian started his run from three-quarters of the field, entirely fooled Axel Disasi, and smashed it high into the net for the 2-1 lead at the beginning of the second half.

The goal that brought calm and justice to PSG’s overall performance came in stoppage time through Nuno Mendes after a brilliant pass from Ousmane Dembélé. The Portuguese fullback cut inside, leaving Ezri Konsa and Emiliano Martínez behind, and finished with another beautiful goal.

The 3-1 scoreline was a fair result, as PSG were clearly the more dominant and attacking side. Still, the tie remains open, and everything will be decided at Villa Park.