Champions League Round of 16 First Leg Recap: PL Disasters, GK Madness and Late Drama | OneFootball

Well, the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 has come to an end, and the first round of real knockout fixtures in Europe’s premier knockout competition has been laid bare for the world to see. And rest assured, a lot happened.

Across the eight matches, we saw 32 goals, and some incredible upsets as well as big wins. As far as the first legs of the round of 16 ties have gone in recent years, this has been as good as we’ve seen. Let’s get into them.

A SHOCK IN TURKEY

Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool

Goals: Lemina 7’ (GAL)

Man of the Match: Ugurcan Cakir

Flop of the Match: Mo Salah

Our first encounter is an upset, but one that many would have predicted following an identical result in September at this stadium. Mario Lemina scored for the hosts early on, and Liverpool, while dangerous, couldn’t find an answer.

Ibrahima Konaté had one of his poorer games, making many defensive errors while having a goal disallowed deep into the second half due to a handball, but the real flop of the match goes to Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian was allowed just one dribble attempt, unsuccessful, and got only 35 touches before being subbed off for Jeremie Frimpong 60 minutes in, while still behind.

Galatasaray keeper Uğurcan Çakır had a monumental night, making seven saves, and five from inside the box, and was the main reason behind his side’s clean sheet. Victor Osimhen, despite his failure to get on the scoresheet, still laid the ball on a platter for Lemina’s difference-making goal, and caused the Liverpool backline plenty of problems across the match.Prognosis for the Second Leg: The Reds have their work cut out for them at Anfield, but with some extra focus and the home crowd behind them, we reckon Liverpool could do it. However, as Juventus found out, Galatasaray will not make it easy.

BAYERN HIT atalanta for SIX

Atalanta 1-6 Bayern

Goals: Stanisic 12′ Olise 22’, 64’ Gnabry 25’ Jackson 52’ Musiala 67’ (BAY) Pasalic 90’+3’ (ATA)

Man of the Match: Michael Olise

Flop of the Match: Isak Hien

The story of this fixture is that of a warning to all clubs in Europe; Bayern is here to take over. Even with key attackers Harry Kane and Lennart Karl watching on from the bench, the Bavarians hit Atalanta for six in Bergamo. It could have been more. After Jamal Musiala’s sixth in the second half, Vincent Kompany’s side decided to step off the gas with 23 minutes to go.

Time and time again in this match, it was Michael Olise providing the goods for Bayern Munich. Almost always, the goals began with a backline-breaking pass from the Frenchman, and the goal was only a matter of time from there. Olise even provided a couple of his own, deciding to cut inside himself and let one fly from the edge of the area, both times beating Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi.

If Olise isn’t better than Barcelona starboy Lamine Yamal, he sure is close.

Prognosis for the Second Leg: Bayern fans don’t even really have to watch this second leg; it’s already in the bag. Atalanta came back against Dortmund, yes, but a five-goal deficit going to the Allianz Arena is way too much to ask.

ANOTHER TUDOR DISASTER

Atlético Madrid 5-2 Spurs

Goals: Llorente 6’ Griezmann 14’ Alvarez 15’, 55’ Le Normand 22’ (ATM) Porro 26’ Solanke 76’ (TOT)

Man of the Match: Julian Alvarez

Flop of the Match: Antonin Kinsky

This, however, may have to be awarded the best watch of Tuesday night and perhaps the most chaotic match of all those we’ll cover. Going into this encounter, nobody quite knew what to expect, but it wasn’t in the script.

Nearly a month after hitting Barcelona for four in the first half, Atleti repeated the feat in the same ground against relegation-threatened Spurs. 22-year-old goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky was given the surprise nod from Igor Tudor over a perfectly healthy Guglielmo Vicario, despite having only been given two runs all season in the League Cup. Infamously by this point, the decision to give Kinsky a run was quite a poor one.

The first from Atleti took just six minutes after a slip from the inexperienced stopper gifted Los Rojiblancos a chance in front of goal, and Marcos Llorente would make no mistake. Just eight minutes later, a slip from Micky van de Ven let veteran Antoine Griezmann through, who also slotted home. Finally, just 90 seconds later, a fumbled pass attempt from Kinsky gifted the ball to Álvarez, who had an open net and made it three.

It was at this point, with just sixteen minutes played, that interim Spurs boss Igor Tudor decided to sub off the goalkeeper whom he had placed his faith in just a quarter hour earlier. Without so much as an acknowledging glance from his Italian boss, the Czech stopper went straight down the tunnel.

After this, the contest was a whitewash. The Spanish club scored their fourth just six minutes after Vicario’s entry, and despite attempts, Spurs could only peg it back to 5-2. While you must give plaudits to Julián Álvarez, showing his price tag once again on a big night when it matters, you also must wonder about Igor Tudor’s decision and disregard for man management for Kinsky. It is glaringly obvious that he isn’t the right man for these dire circumstances.

Prognosis for the Second Leg: Spurs will try to mount a comeback, but Los Rojiblancos are just too much of a team for them. Both teams are on opposite ends of the confidence spectrum, and Spurs’ abysmal home record speaks for itself.

TOON FAIL TO MAKE DOMINANCE PAY

Newcastle 1-1 Barcelona

Goals: Barnes 86’ (NEW) Yamal 90’+6’ (P) (BAR)

Man of the Match: Lewis Hall (7.9)

Flop of the Match: Robert Lewandowski (5.9)

Perhaps the only English club that can hold its head high from this round of fixtures is Newcastle. The Toon held their own very well against a surprisingly lacklustre Barcelona side. The Spanish Champions were held to just one shot on target for 95 minutes, and young left back Lewis Hall held Lamine Yamal to a quiet night, handling the winger as well as anyone we’ve seen so far.

The Magpies’ efforts were eventually rewarded in their first-ever Champions League knockout tie in the 86th minute when an unmarked Harvey Barnes found his way onto the end of a Jacob Murphy cross and put the ball past a fumbling Joan Garcia.

This looked to surely be the deciding moment of the game until Dani Olmo was fouled by Malick Thiaw in the fifth minute of added time in the penalty box. The teenager, with ice in his veins, tapped the ball in the opposite direction of Aaron Ramsdale’s dive and saved Barca’s blushes, but it was incredibly close.

Prognosis for the Second Leg: Despite a great performance from the Magpies, there seems to be no stopping the Blaugrana at home since their return to the legendary Camp Nou. With confidence and home support behind them, Barca should have little trouble dispatching of this physical Newcastle team in Catalonia.

ALL SQUARE IN LEVERKUSEN

Leverkusen 1-1 Arsenal

Goals: Andrich 46’ (LEV) Havertz 89’ (P) (ARS)

Man of the Match: Ezequiel Palacios

Flop of the Match: Bukayo Saka

Very similar to the Barcelona match, Arsenal required a late penalty to get a result against Kasper Hjulmand’s Leverkusen side in Germany. The Gunners were uninspiring throughout the 90 minutes, and the home side was running on incredible home support at the BayArena and were arguably the better side, unlucky to be walking away with a draw after a dodgy penalty call on Noni Madueke.

A narrative that has been forming in recent years has been that surrounding Bukayo Saka. Despite being Arsenal’s best attacking player, and hyped up by Arsenal as one of the best wingers in world football, the Englishman has repeatedly failed to deliver on the big stage. This match was no different. Saka still has plenty of time to disprove that narrative this season, but this performance will do nothing to help.

Prognosis for the Second Leg: Kai Havertz’s late equaliser gives Arsenal a clean slate for the second leg, and with the support of the Emirates Stadium, they’re still heavy favourites to get it done in this tie.

BODO ARE DARK HORSES

Bodo/Glimt 3-0 Sporting

Goals: Fet 32’ (P) Blomberg 45’+1’ Hogh 71’

Man of the Match: Sondre Brunstad Fet (8.6)

Flop of the Match: Georgios Vagiannidis (6.0)

The fairytale run continues. Despite many predicting this storybook run would end against Sporting, the Norwegians have done another madness at their now-famous home ground. The trouncing started in the 28th minute, when Georgios Vangiannidis gave away a penalty for a push on Bodo’s Sondre Brunstad Fet, who put away the penalty.

Early into first half stoppage time, defensive miscommunication led to Ole Blomberg being let through with a clear shot on goal, who made it two at half-time. Then, with 20 minutes until the whistle, the hosts put the game away after Jens Petter Hauge played the ball across the five-yard box to Kasper Hogh, who tapped it home for three.

Sporting have been shocked, similarly to City, Atleti, and Inter before them, and now are in a massively deep hole going to Portugal. Meanwhile, when do we acknowledge Bodo as a serious club? If it ends up as an Arsenal/Bodo quarterfinal, expect surprises from the Norwegian side.

Prognosis for Second Leg: Sporting has it all to do to attempt to mount a comeback, and the fairytale magic of Bodo might just be too much for them.

THE HOLDERS LEAVE IT LATE

PSG 5-2 Chelsea

Goals: Barcola 10’ Dembele 40’ Vitinha 74’ Kvaratskhelia 86’, 90’+4’ (PSG) Gusto 28’ Enzo 57’ (CHE)

Man of the Match: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Flop of the Match: Filip Jorgensen

Fans expected goals going into this tie, and after a seven-goal thriller at the Parc-des-Princes, they weren’t disappointed. Despite an identical result to Tottenham’s pummelling against Atletico Madrid, Chelsea weren’t nearly as bad as their London rivals in this one.

For 62 minutes, this match was a slugfest. PSG took the lead ten minutes in thanks to a beautiful Barcola goal, and Malo Gusto scored a goal against a Safonov who should’ve done better eighteen minutes later. On the stroke of halftime, Ousmane Dembele curled in a great solo effort to send the hosts ahead, going back into the tunnel.

However, 12 minutes into the second half, another PSG error sent Pedro Neto running on the counter, who squared it to Enzo Fernandez, who thrashed in a great finish. 2-2.

With just under 30 minutes on the clock, however, it all started falling apart for Chelsea. On for Desire Doue came the Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and he, along with surprise GK choice Filip Jorgensen, played massive parts in PSG’s late barrage. 16 minutes to time, the Danish goalkeeper made a blunder to give it away, and it eventually fell to the feet of Vitinha, who simply lobbed the keeper to win it.

Then, four minutes until 90, the Georgian substitute picked it up on the left, cut inside, and curled it home in a spectacular effort. 4-2. Finally, deep into added time, PSG sealed it on the counter, a spectacular team effort ending in Hakimi squaring it to Kvaratskhelia, who made it five.

Prognosis for Second Leg: Chelsea has a nonzero chance of coming back, but they’ll need luck on their side and a lot of goals. They’ll need at least four to force extra time, as holding PSG to a clean sheet is a ridiculously hard task. It may just be a little too out of reach for them.

THE VALVERDE SHOW

Real Madrid 3-0 Manchester City

An incredibly surprising result. Despite all goals coming in 22 minutes, this match was still a great watch with loads of entertainment. This was a Fede Valverde heritage performance, and will be looked back on as potentially his greatest ever night come the end of his career.

First, Valverde dinked it past a rushing Donnarumma and tapped it into an empty net for one. Next, he was on the end of a deflected Vini pass and finished with a striker’s instinct to double the lead. Finally, and perhaps best of all, he was given the ball in the middle of the box after a Brahim Diaz pass, dinked it expertly over the head of Marc Guehi, and slammed it by Donnarumma.

Federico Valverde’s first-ever hat trick, completed in just 22 minutes from first goal to third, was in one of the biggest moments you could ask of him. This performance will go down in Real Madrid folklore, something that for a club as historic of them, is incredibly hard to do.

On the other side of the equation is Manchester City. Falling short of all expectations, they have given themselves a mountain to climb in the second leg.

Prognosis for Second Leg: Man City have a massive mountain to climb for this second leg, but if any of the teams down three could turn it round, it’s City. It’s not particularly likely, though. Real Madrid are the ultimate Champions League team and even though they’re below their best right now, not even they are likely to fumble this lead.

That concludes a week of some absolutely incredible fixtures in this Champions League season, and some epic storylines going into these ties’ respective second legs, and we now may be reminded of why we love this competition so much.