Champions League Round of 16: First-Leg Review

FINALLY! The Champions League knockout stage is in full swing, and the first-leg matches did not disappoint. I couldn’t watch all eight games, but I caught some of them live and others on reruns throughout the week. Of course, I saw Barcelona and their hard-earned victory, as well as Bayern Munich and Arsenal, who both delivered dominant performances over their opponents, Liverpool and their late winner, and an intense Madrid Derby. With that being said, let’s break down these first-leg matches.

Bayern Munich 3-0 Bayern Leverkusen 

Now, Bayner made a statement with a commanding 3-0 win over Bundesliga (German First Divison) rivals Bayer Leverkusen. From the start of the whistle, Bayern’s side showered their superiority, with English goal-scoring machine Harry Kane opening the score with a perfect header in the 9th minute. Bayern’s pressing and midfield organization left Leverkusen struggling to find their rhythm, with their best chances coming from counterattacks. 

In the second half, Bayern doubled their lead with a lucky goal from Jamal Musiala, who was in the correct position when the goalie let a crossed ball from Kimmitch through his hands. To make matters worse for the Leverksuen, Nordi Muikele was sent off, lowering their chances of making a comeback. However, those chances completely vanished when Harry Kane was given and scored a penalty in the 75th minute. Thus leaving Leverkusen needs a miracle in the second leg to stop Bayern from advancing into the Quarterfinals.

Benfica 0-1 Barcelona 

Barcelona continued their impressive Champions League run with a very hard-fought 1-0 away victory against Benfica. In a game that tested their resilience, the Barcelona team showed maturity and defensive discipline to secure a crucial win.

The game’s only goal came from Raphinha, who intercepted a pass from Benfica players to put Barça ahead in the 61st minute. The Catalan side controlled possession for most of the game but faced significant challenges when young star defender Pau Cubarsí received a red card in the first half, leaving them down to 10 men. Benfica tried their best and pushed hard for an equalizer. Still, Barcelona’s defense, led by Ronald Araújo and the out-of-retirement 34-year-old Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny, who was easily the player of the match, held up strong. 

This victory gives Barcelona the edge heading into the second leg. They will look to finish the job in front of their home fans, and hopefully, they will do so dominantly to advance to the next round. 

Real Madrid 2-1 Atletico Madrid

The Madrid derby lived up to the hype, with Real Madrid edging a win against city rivals Atletico Madrid in a very close-fought game. 

The Brazilian star opened up the scoring for Real Madrid early in the 4th minute of the game when he showed his speed and technicallity to beat two defenders to get into Athelico’s goalie box where he slammed it into the back of the net.  But Athltico responded back with a beautiful goal from just right inside the corner of the box from Argetinina star Julian Alvarez. The game remained intense until Brahim Diaz produced a moment of magic, dribbling past a defender and even putting defender Jose Gimenez on his back in the 55th minute of the game. Athelico Madrid tried to bounce back, but Real’s defense was just too tough to break through.

With a one-goal advantage, Real Madrid will feel confident going into the second leg. However, Athletico Madrid should not be underestimated, as they are still considered the dark horse of the tournament.

PSV Eindhoven 1-7 Arsenal

Arsenal delivered a historic performance, annihilating PSV Eindhoven 7-1 away from home in one of the most dominant displays of the competition and first leg.

The Gunners got off to a flying start, scoring three goals within the first 31 minutes through Jurrien Timber, Ethan Nwaneri, and Mikel Merino. However, PSV managed to pull one back with a Noa Lang penalty. Still, Arsenal continued their relentless attack in the second half, scoring four more goals from Martin Odegaard, Leandro Trossard, and Ricardo Calafiori. This completely dismantled the Dutch side and put Arsenal in “cruise control” for the second leg. 

Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Liverpool

Lastly, in one of the most intense matchups of the first leg, Liverpool secured a massive 1-0 away victory against PSG. The home side, PSG, controlled possession and created several opportunities with 27 shots, even scoring once, but it was disallowed due to an offside ruling. Still, Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, was in outstanding form. He made multiple key and stunning saves to keep PSG from scoring, showcasing why he is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in recent years and why he earned the Man of the Match award.

Despite PSG’s attacking threats from French stars Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola, as well as a disallowed goal by new transfer Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Liverpool remained patient and struck late when Harvey Elliott came off the bench to replace Liverpool’s leading man, Mo Salah, and delivered a goal in the 87th minute to steal a victory for the French side.

This result gives Liverpool a massive advantage ahead of the second leg at their historic home, Anfield. Unfortunately, PSG needs to be much more clinical and ensure that they convert their shots into goals if they hope to remain in the competition and advance. 

So What’s Next?
The Champions League never fails to deliver surprises, and the second leg promises to be just as thrilling as the first. 

With Bayern Munich looking comfortable, can Leverkusen pull off a shocking turnabout? What about Barcelona? Can they hold onto their narrow lead, or will Benfica find a way to break them down? Can Athletioc Madrid produce a magnificent performance over Real Madrid in the second leg to advance?  With Liverpool having the advantage, can PSG respond and finish their chances this time, but in the high-pressure atmosphere of Anfield? Lastly, can PSV make a one-off lifetime comeback at Arsenal's home to advance to the next round? Something that has happened before.

Stay tuned on Tuesday, March 11th, and Wednesday, March 12th, to watch it all unfold!