By Nicky Helfgott / @NickyH3lfgott on Twitter
As the excitement of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 reaches its peak, it is time for a recap of the exhilarating matches and notable moments that unfolded during this stage of the competition. The Round of 16 showcased the intensity and drama that epitomises elite European football. In this article, 365Scores will delve into the highlights, best players, and key outcomes of the Champions League Round of 16.
Who qualified?
PSG 4-1 Sociedad
Some Kylian Mbappé magic saw PSG saunter through to the quarter-finals. This will be their first appearance in the last eight since 2021, having crashed out in the Round of 16 in the last two seasons consecutively.
Porto 1-1 Arsenal (4-2 after penalties)
And Arsenal have done it! They’ve reached their first Champions League quarter-final since 2010. It’s been a long 14 years for Arsenal fans, but they’ll almost feel that the wait has been worth it due to their formidable team now. Mikel Arteta has won the hearts of the Arsenal fans and they’ll be feeling that they can go all the way. It’ll be tough. Any opponent now will, no doubt, be a stronger opponent than Porto, but Arsenal will be ready for the challenge.
Napoli 2-4 Barcelona
Barcelona have been going through an injury crisis, but they managed to prevail and comfortably beat Napoli to ensure qualification. 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi stepped into the team in the second leg to nullify Victor Osimhen and he fulfilled his role with aplomb. The young Catalan has been hailed by Barcelona fans as the best ball-playing centre-back at the club, and it seems he’ll have a bright future there.
FC Copenhagen 2-6 Manchester City
Surprised? Me neither. Manchester City did what Manchester City do and they beat Copenhagen almost so comfortably that they were able to rest players in the second leg.
Inter Milan 2-2 Atletico Madrid (3-2 after penalties)
Atlético are unbeaten in their last 17 Champions League knockout round matches at home. Nothing changed as the incredible atmosphere propelled them against the Italian league leaders and they prevailed in the penalty shootout. Jan Oblak was their saviour, coming up strong twice in the penalty shootout.
PSV 1-3 Dortmund
Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho scored a lovely goal for Dortmund as they beat PSV and qualified for the next round. PSV will feel hard done by as they were arguably the better team in both legs and Dortmund’s keeper pulled out some worldies. Yet football is a simple game. Whoever scores more, wins. Well done Dortmund.
Lazio 1-3 Bayern Munich
Defeated in Italy, Bayern thrashed Lazio at the Allianz Arena to ensure qualification to the next round. With immense pressure on the Munich side, they performed well to, at least temporarily, silence the critics and move to the quarters.
RB Leipzig 1-2 Real Madrid
Real Madrid really struggled against an incredibly dynamic Leipzig side. In fact, the German outfit will probably feel hard done by not having progressed. Yet in typical Real Madrid fashion, they churned out the result that they needed and they will move forward. In exciting news for them, Jude Bellingham returned for the second leg, providing Los Blancos with a much-needed attacking boost.
Who were the best players?
Kylian Mbappé (surprise…?) – PSG:
Kylian Mbappé, PSG’s all-time top scorer and probably best-ever player is leaving the French outfit this summer, likely for Real Madrid. Before he leaves, he is doing everything he can to cement his legacy as a legend at the club, and there would be no better way than to deliver PSG their first Champions League trophy. In the first leg of this tie, Mbappé was lively as he scored once. In the second leg, he put it to bed. His running will give the poor Sociedad defender sleepless nights. He scored twice as PSG beat the Basque team on their own home turf. Mbappé is simply unstoppable.
Jan Oblak – Atletico Madrid:
Oblak has always been a sensational goalkeeper and he proved it on the European stage once again yesterday evening. He made some strong saves to keep the score even in regular time, but it was in the shootout where he came into his own. He made terrific stops to deny Alexis Sanchez and Davy Klassen to help Atletico reach their third quarter-final in five years.
Harry Kane – Bayern Munich:
Harry Kane has had an incredible start to life in a Bayern Munich shirt. He can’t stop scoring. Lazio were his latest European victim. He scored two goals with such an emphatic, predatory striker’s nature that one can’t help thinking that no team in Europe is safe from Kane. If the English striker keeps this up, he may well have his first career trophy on his hands if he leads Bayern to the UCL title.
When is the quarter-final draw?
The draw will take place in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday the 15th March. As well as the quarter-finals, the roadmap for the remainder of the competition will also be revealed, including the semi-final and final draws.
The teams are:
Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, PSG, Real Madrid
It’s going to be TASTY!
Keep up with all the latest Champions League scores and news on the 365Scores website!
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