The UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg has wrapped up, and there’s been a few shockers, to say the least. With Barcelona and Juventus losing their first game, the big question is, will Messi and Ronaldo make it to the next round?
Here’s a recap of the round’s games:
Barcelona vs. PSG (1-4)
Barcelona’s current form is the worst they’ve been in a long time. Firstly, they lost consecutive UEFA Champions League matches for the first time in club history (326 games). In addition to that, they’ve only lost by a 3+ goal margin six times in all those games.
The game started well for them. They even took a first-half lead through a questionable penalty. However, Kylian Mbapp�, who was sensational in this game, equalized within five minutes. The PSG star went on to demolish Barcelona in the second half. He scored a hat-trick, and Moise Kean grabbed another goal as PSG won 4-1.
Barcelona has been here before and even managed to make a famous comeback against the club in the 2017 tie. However, the team was more talented that year, and the chances of D�j� vu look bleak. With Neymar and �ngel Di Mar�a returning for the next game, it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to do it again.
RB Leipzig vs. Liverpool (0-2)
Liverpool took a break from their poor home form to grab two vital away goals at Leipzig. The hosts played well in the first half, almost breaking down Liverpool’s defense a couple of times.
However, Leipzig started the second half poorly at the back. Two sloppy mistakes cost them the game as Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane score twice within five minutes. Although Leipzig pressed to tie the game up, Liverpool’s defense held up for the rest of the game.
The second leg here is unpredictable. With Jordan Henderson injured, Liverpool has likely lost another player for the second leg. However, they managed to get two away goals, so a good defensive performance should get them to the next round.
Porto vs. Juventus (2-1)
This was a classic UEFA Champions League upset. Porto struck early in the first half, scoring within two minutes. They defended well for the rest of the half while still looking dangerous on offense. The second half started even worse for Juventus as Porto struck within one minute of the game resuming, putting them up 2-0.
Juventus were, however, able to pull back an important away goal as Federico Chiesa scored towards the end of the game. This should make getting to the next round easier for Juventus. They’ve played well at home this season and should be able to score at least a goal and defend well. Ronaldo is notorious for making Champions League comebacks, so counting Juventus out isn’t a good idea.
Sevilla vs. Dortmund (2-3)
The game started poorly for Dortmund as they conceded in the first ten minutes. They finished the half strongly as they scored three goals to take a 3-1 lead at the half. Erling Haaland scored two brilliant goals and added to his impressive UCL goal tally.
Sevilla played well in the second half and pulled a goal back. The second leg seems to be heavily in Dortmund’s favor as coming back from 3 away goals will be difficult for Sevilla. One shouldn’t count them out, though. Their dynamic attack could allow them to cause an upset in Germany.
Atl�tico Madrid vs. Chelsea (0-1)
Both teams started the first half excellent on defense. Atl�tico was better on the attack but failed to break down Chelsea. In the second half, Atl�tico played sat deep and played a very defensive game. But Chelsea managed to score thanks to a brilliant bicycle kick from Oliver Giroud. They finished the half-strong on defense and snagged an important away goal to end the game.
The away game will be tricky for Atl�tico. Chelsea has been amazing defensively, conceding only twice in the last eight games. It’ll be difficult to see them risk losing their away goal advantage, but Atl�tico’s potent offense should give them an excellent chance to qualify for the next round. That being said, their current poor offensive performance should mean Chelsea manages to hold on.
Lazio vs. Bayern (1-4)
Bayern continues to look like the dominant side that won the UEFA Champions League last year. They scored a hat trick in the first half, with goals from Robert Lewandowski and Leroy San�. Lazio gifted them an own goal to begin the second half but managed to score one themselves. They were unable to break down Bayern’s defense after that.
Expect more of the same in the second leg. This Bayern team is nearly unstoppable, and Lazio lacks the talent required to cause a huge upset and knock them out.
Atalanta vs. Real Madrid (0-1)
The game didn’t start well for Atalanta, as one of their players got sent off in the first twenty minutes. However, they attacked and defended well throughout the game, and both teams were tied 0-0 at the half. The second was more of the same. However, Madrid stole a win, and an important away goal scored thanks to Ferland Mendy.
The second leg seems to be unpredictable. Madrid still has several players injured. Luckily for them, they can sit deep and defend the away goal advantage they have, enough for them to make it to the next round. Atalanta’s form hasn’t been great, and they’re struggling domestically as well. Madrid should be able to hold on.
M�nchengladbach vs. Manchester City (0-2)
It was easy to see this result coming. Manchester City arguably has the best defense in the world at the moment. They’ve now won their last 19 games and look set to win the EPL. On the other hand, M�nchengladbach hasn’t been doing well domestically. Manchester city seemed comfortable throughout the entire game, and two away goals from Gabriel Jesus and Bernardo Silva should put this contest to an end.
It isn’t easy to imagine them blowing this lead in the second leg. That would require M�nchengladbach to score thrice at the Etihad, which is highly unlikely. Providing there isn’t a massive surprise, City should easily make it to the next round.
