Champions League Round of 16 Second-Leg Review: Drama, Upset, and Quarter-Final Matchups Set

The UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second-leg matches have concluded with dramatic comebacks and decisive victories. With the quarter-finals now set, let’s recap the four second-leg games I watched and a brief overview of the other second-leg games I missed.

Barcelona 3-1 Benfica

Barcelona entered the second leg with a slight 1-0 advantage from the first match and performed impressively at home, winning 3-1 and achieving a 4-1 aggregate victory. Benfica started strong, applying pressure early on to cancel out Barcelona’s lead, but were no match for them at home. 

The first goal came for Barcelona in the 11th minute when Lamine Yamal skillfully dribbled into the box and assisted Brazilian Raphinha, who scored. Benfica equalized two minutes later with a header from captain Nicolás Otamendi off a corner kick, briefly keeping their hopes alive. However, Lamine Yamal struck back with a spectacular goal from outside the box, bending the ball into the right corner of Benfica’s net, restoring Barcelona’s lead. Raphinha secured their victory right before halftime in the 41st minute. In the second half, Benfica fought hard to come back, with one notable chance in the 48th minute when midfielder Fredrik Aursnes scored, only for the goal to be disallowed as offside.

Barcelona maintained their dominance throughout the match, neutralizing Benfica's scoring opportunities and concluding the game with a 3-1 scoreline. This win allowed Barcelona into the next round and demonstrated why they are serious contenders in this year’s competition. 

Bayer Leverkusen 0-2 Bayern Munich 

Entering the second leg with a convincing 3-0 lead, Bayern Munich had complete control over their fate, leaving no chance for Leverkusen to comeback.

From the very start, Bayern set the tempo of the match, offering Leverkusen no opportunities to breathe. The first half was relatively balanced, with Leverkusen applying high pressure, but Bayern's superior possession and positioning made it exceedingly tough for them to generate clear scoring chances.

The first goal of the match arrived in the 52nd minute, as Harry Kane walked himself and the ball into the net following a poorly defended set piece. However, Leverkusen continued to fight, taking 17 shots compared to Bayern's 12. However, these efforts were easily handled by the legendary German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who made saving them look incredibly easy. The decisive moment came in the 70th minute when Joshua Kimmich lifted the ball from Bayern's half to Leroy Sané on Leverkusen's side. Surrounded by three defenders, he quickly passed the ball to his teammate Leon Goretzka, who found space to send it to Harry Kane. Kane cleverly chipped it to his Canadian teammate Alphonso Davies, who charged into the Leverkusen box and scored, concluding the match at 2-0.

With an aggregate score of 5-0, Bayern advanced to the next round, establishing themselves as strong favorites to go all the way in the tournament. 

Liverpool 0-1 PSG

With Liverpool taking a narrow lead in the first leg, PSG arrived at Anfield determined to turn the tie around in the second leg, and oh, did they not disappoint. The French side started aggressively, with Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia spreading the attack.

Fortunately for PSG, the breakpoint finally happened in the 12th minute. French star Ousmane Dembélé capitalized on a defensive mistake, scoring the ball into Liverpool's open net after Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté's attempted block accidentally diverted the ball away from goalkeeper Alisson Becker. Liverpool responded by dominating possession and creating multiple scoring opportunities. However, PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and defenders like Nuno Mendes kept Liverpool and its superstars from scoring in the first half. 

In the second half, Liverpool intensified their attack with multiple chances from players like defender Virgil Van Dijk and outfielders like Dominik Szoboszlai, Luis Díaz, and Mo Salah, who were all close to scoring in the second half.  However, they were unable to convert their possession and opportunities into goals, with even a Szoboszlai goal being disallowed in the 52nd minute due to offside in the build-up leading to the goal. 

The match then proceeded to extra time due to the 1-1 aggregate score. In extra time, both teams showed signs of fatigue. However, PSG still created a few chances, which Brazilian goalkeeper Allison Becker unfortunately saved to keep Liverpool's hopes alive. 

With neither team scoring in extra time, it went to a penalty shootout, where PSG showed composure and precision with Vitinha, Gonçalo Ramos, Dembélé, and Désiré Doué all converting their penalty kicks for PSG. However, Liverpool could not say the same as  Mo Salah scored the first penalty for Liverpool, but Darwin Núñez and Curtin Jones both saw their penalties saved by Donnarumma, who was considered the hero for PSG, who advanced to the quarter-finals. 

Atletico Madrid 1-0 Real Madrid 

The last match I watched was, of course, the thrilling Madrid derby at Estadio Metropolitano. Real Madrid secured their spot in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals by defeating Atlético Madrid in a penalty shootout, following a 1-0 loss in a regular time that equalized the aggregate score at 2-2.

Atlético Madrid began the match with high intensity, aiming to turn around the first-leg deficit. Their efforts paid off almost immediately, as midfielder Conor Gallagher scored just a minute in, taking advantage of a defensive error to put Atlético ahead 1-0 and even the aggregate score at 2-2.

The remainder of the match was fairly even, with both teams generating chances but failing to convert them into goals. Real Madrid even had a prime opportunity to take a 3-2 aggregate lead in the 70th minute when a penalty was awarded after Atlético defender dragged down French star Kylian Mbappé. To my surprise, Mbappé wasn’t the one to take the penalty, but Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior stepped up but blasted the shot high and wide, maintaining the score at 1-0 and the aggregate tie. Both teams continued to pursue chances until the final whistle, but neither could find the back of the net.

The match then moved into extra time, as both teams played cautiously, aware that any mistake could be crucial and determine the outcome. Despite creating several opportunities, neither team could find the back of the net, resulting in a tense penalty shootout.

The shootout started with Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé confidently converting the first penalty. However, controversy arose during Atlético's second penalty when Julián Álvarez slipped, accidentally making contact with the ball twice before it entered the net. Real Madrid players alerted the referee, who then consulted VAR, which confirmed the double touch and disallowed the penalty. 

This event turned the tide in favor of Real Madrid, as Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, and Antonio Rudiger all successfully converted their penalties. Lucas Vasquez was the sole player from Real Madrid whose penalty was saved. In contrast, Atletico Madrid managed to have only Alexander Sorloth and Angel Correa score from the spot. Following Julian Alvarez’s disallowed goal, they desperately needed Marcos Llorente to convert his penalty, but unfortunately, he struck the crossbar. This resulted in a 4-2 shootout win for Real Madrid, advancing them into the quarter-finals of the Champions League. 

Rest of The Games:

Inter Milan 2-1 Feyenoord

Inter Milan defeated Feyenoord with a score of 2-1, securing their place in the quarter-finals with a 4-2 aggregate win. Marcus Thuram and Hakan Çalhanoğlu found the net for Inter, while Jakub Moder scored via a penalty for Feyenoord.

Arsenal 2-2 PSV Eindhoven

Arsenal dominated PSV in the Champions League, achieving a 9-3 aggregate victory with a 3-1 win in the second leg. Despite PSV’s efforts to make a comeback, Arsenal’s attacking strength and player versatility proved too difficult to handle.

Aston Villa 3-0 Club Brugge

Aston Villa defeated Club Brugge with a 3-0 victory in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League match, advancing to the quarter-finals with a 6-1 aggregate score. A pivotal moment occurred when Club Brugge’s Kyriani Sabbe received a red card in the 16th minute. In the second half, substitutes Marco Asensio and Leon Bailey made significant contributions, with Leon Bailey providing an assist and Marco Asensio scoring two out of the three goals

Borussia Dortmund vs Lille

Borussia Dortmund defeated Lille 2-1 in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, achieving a 3-2 aggregate win and advancing to the quarter-finals. The pivotal moment came from Maximilian Beier’s goal in the 65th minute, even as Lille applied pressure late in the match. 

So What’s Next?

With the quarter-finals now set, the excitement only heightens as Europe’s top clubs continue their journey toward the grand final in Munich on May 31. 

Here’s a look at the quarter-final matchups:

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Aston Villa

Arsenal vs. Real Madrid

Bayern Munich vs. Inter Milan

Barcelona vs. Borussia Dortmund

Can Aston Villa keep up their dream run against PSG? Will Real Madrid’s European experience be too much for Arsenal? Can Inter Milan take down a dominant Bayern team? And will Barcelona’s resurgence help them triumph over a determined Borussia Dortmund?

 

Tune in on April 8th and 9th on Paramount+ for the first leg of games!