The last two weeks witnessed the quarterfinals of the Union of European Football Associations Champions League, the biggest competition in club soccer. Eight teams remained in this elite tournament, with the likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City gunning for the prize.
Real Madrid C.F. vs. Liverpool F.C.
First Leg
Scoreline: Real Madrid 3–1 Liverpool
In the first leg, 13-time European champions Real Madrid convincingly beat the current Premier League champions Liverpool, 3–1. The Reds continued their poor form, registering their 14th defeat of the season, compared to just eight defeats across the entirety of the previous campaign. The Spanish giants, on the other hand, were utterly dominant, registering 16 shots on goal and seven on target, while Liverpool registered only seven shots on goal and one shot on target. Vinícius Júnior, the Brazilian sensation Madrid picked up for a hefty €50 million in 2018, finally came good with a tidy brace, only his fifth and sixth goals of the campaign.
Second Leg
Scoreline: Liverpool 0–0 Real Madrid*
In the second leg, Liverpool had to come out all guns blazing if they stood any chance of overcoming the deficit from the first leg. The night, however, didn’t quite pan out the way Liverpool fans would have wanted it to. The game ended 0–0,with the Spanish side giving the Reds few opportunities to penetrate. The experience of the likes of Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Karim Benzema was invaluable as Los Blancos managed to hold on to their lead from the first leg. They now progress to the semifinals of the competition.
Final Result: Real Madrid go through 3–1 on aggregate.
FC Bayern Munich vs. Paris Saint Germain F.C.
First Leg
Scoreline: Bayern 2–3 PSG
The replay of last season’s final, this game was nothing short of extraordinary. Although PSG emerged 3–2 victors, it was Bayern who dominated the game, controlling 64% of ball possession and recording an astounding 31 attempts on goal with 12 on target. The absence of star striker Robert Lewandowski proved to be fatal as the current champions of Europe failed to convert several big chances. The spotlight, however, was once again on Kylian Mbappe, who is making such performances on the big stage a habit. The 22-year-old Frenchman bagged a brace, continuing where he left off against FC Barcelona in the previous round. Neymar was also back at his best, providing two vital assists and often dictating the pace of the game.
Second Leg
Scoreline: PSG* 0–1 Bayern
The second leg was equally as exciting as the first. Although the game had just one goal in it, it was as full of action from end-to-end as it could be. PSG hit the woodwork twice inside three minutes, after which Bayern scored at the other end. For the rest of the game, Bayern piled on the pressure, exploding men forward in search of the goal that would win them the tie. In doing so, they were susceptible to the counterattack, given the lightning pace of Mbappe. The Bavarians controlled 56% of the ball possession and recorded 14 shots on goal and five on target but were simply not at their clinical best. Neymar and company held on and will progress to the semifinals for the second year running.
Final Result: PSG go through 3–3 on aggregate by the away goals rule.
Manchester City vs. Borussia Dortmund
First Leg
Scoreline: Man City 2–1 Dortmund
Many expected this to be a stroll in the park for the runaway Premier League leaders, but Borussia Dortmund had other plans. The German side put up a hard fight, scoring an 84th-minute equalizer to give the Citizens a late scare. City’s young star Phil Foden, however, came to the rescue, scoring a last-minute winner to help his team achieve a 2–1 victory. The game did have its talking points and, had it not been for a poor decision by the referee that denied Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham a goal, we could have been looking at a different scoreline at the end.
Second Leg
Scoreline: Dortmund 1–2 Man City
Bellingham did score in this game, a fantastic finish in the 15th minute. The Citizens were reeling, but a debatable penalty awarded to them in the 55th minute brought them right back into the tie. Riyad Mahrez converted it with his 11th goal of the season. In the 75th minute, Foden smashed the ball in from outside the box to seal the game 2–1 and ended Dortmund’s hopes of a comeback. City now progresses to the semifinals, where they will face PSG in what is certain to be one of the fixtures of the season.
Final Result: Man City go through 4–2 on aggregate.
FC Porto vs. Chelsea F.C.
First Leg
Scoreline: Porto 0–2 Chelsea
Chelsea continued their impressive form under the new management of Thomas Tuchel, defeating Porto 2–0 in Seville. This result was no surprise given the far superior squad of players with Chelsea and their immaculate record in the Champions League this season. Mason Mount was on the scoresheet again, scoring his eighth goal of the campaign. Chelsea fans will also be delighted that Ben Chilwell, who has underperformed since he arrived from Leicester City in the summer, scored the second goal to give the Blues a good cushion heading into the second leg. Unless we witness a massive upset in the return leg, the side from London looks set to make its first semifinal appearance since the 2013–14 season.
Second Leg
Scoreline: Chelsea* 0–1 Porto
This game was marked by one of the best goals of the season, a spectacular overhead kick in the 93rd minute by Porto’s machine, Mehdi Taremi. Unfortunately, it was too little too late, as the Blues held on to progress to the next stage of the competition. The game will be a cause for concern for Tuchel, as his side was uninspiring in the final third. The Blues will have to elevate their game if they are to stand a chance against Real Madrid, who they will face in the semifinals of the competition.
Final Result: Chelsea go through 2–1 on aggregate.
