First Leg
Juventus vs Tottenham
FIRST HALF
1’ : Miralem Pjanic produced a clever play by chipping the ball to Gonzalo Higuain (who was presumably a few centimetres offside) from a set piece just outside the box, and the Argentinian forward finished brilliantly in the right corner of the goal
7’ : Ben Davies inflicted a harsh tackle on Federico Bernardeschi in the box, giving a penalty to Juventus and causing the Tottenham player to get booked. Higuain took it and placed it in the corner for his second goal of the match.
34’: in-form Harry Kane managed to grab a goal back for the North Londoners after a cool dribble around the keeper and shooting the ball into an open goal.
SECOND HALF
71’: Christian Eriksen capitalises on a close-range free kick as he places it low in the bottom right corner. Spurs are back level!
92’: Match ends
MATCH SUMMARY:
Within the first two minutes, Juventus were ahead, and they doubled their lead in the 7th minute. A very tough start for the visiting team in Turin. Juventus controlled the first 10 minutes of the game, but following the second goal, Tottenham began taking the possession, pressing close to the penalty box. Tottenham continued to have control of the possession for the majority of the first half, getting a couple of magnificent chances to score but failing to finish them. Despite Tottenham’s momentum after pulling a goal back, Aurier makes a clumsy tackle from behind, giving yet another penalty to Juventus. However, Higuain smashes it in the bar, failing to score his third of the game. With that kick, a very eventful first half ended. The second half kicked off just how the first half ended; intense with many counter attacks and switch of plays. Juventus eventually got more involved in possession and were able to take control of the ball for longer periods of time. This match was a very high-paced game of football. The atmosphere at the Allianz Stadium was incredible, and the fans never stopped chanting. The two teams, who are among the best in Europe, produced a very entertaining match with many chances. Prior to this match, Juventus had only conceded one goal in the past 16 matches, and full credit to Tottenham for getting 2 goals past the infamous defense. Tottenham were the better side, and came away with a favourable result.
Man of the match: Christian Eriksen
Writer:
Albert Dennelind
FC Basel vs. Manchester City
FIRST HALF
14’ : Ä°lkay GündoÄŸan opens up the match with and excellent goal off the corner kick. Kevin De Bruyne claims the assist for this goal as he places the corner near post for GündoÄŸan to place a fast and powerful header that Tomas Vaclik barely had any time to react on.
18’ : Raheem Sterling delivers a cross that was cleared by the Basel defence, but only as far as to Bernardo Silva who was able to compose himself in the open space and capitalise on the mistake that had been made. 2-0 for Manchester City.
23’ : Sergio Agüero does what Sergio Agüero does best. His 198th was scored as he dribbles past the defender and delivers a swift shot from outside the box into the bottom left corner leaving Tomas Vaclik frozen in place. World class goal from a world class player.
SECOND HALF
53’ : With his second goal of the match, Ä°lkay GündoÄŸan scores an excellent shot from outside the box that curves towards the top right corner of the goal. Basel supporters are speechless as the score stands 4-0 for Manchester City.
90+2’ : Match ends.
MATCH SUMMARY
:In the first minutes of the match, Basel showed their presence on the pitch as they got 3 shots, but once the 10 minute mark hit, Basel lost all presence on the pitch and it was clear that the more dominant team Manchester City were controlling the game. Where Basel would not have another shot until the second half and would be struggling to keep possession of the ball ending the half with only 20% vs the 80% of Manchester City. During the first half, Manchester City were making textbook plays allowing them to make 2 goals whilst keeping the Basel at bay. This impenetrable defence of City of course frustrated the Basel side, sloppy passes and bad dribbles leading to them losing the ball. Whereas Manchester City were playing it calm and collective with an explosive offense with many short passes and through balls. It was not until the second half where Basel started coming to life where they were able to put pressure back onto Manchester City by shifting the team forwards. The first shot from Basel since the start of the game came at 48 minutes proving that the pressure was on. Although Basel's attempts were successful for a bit, Man City recovered and once again dominated the game after 10 minutes into the second half.
One thing that can be noted in the match is the mistakes that Basel were making. They were in a sense causing trouble for themselves. Like during the freekicks, they would send their defenders forward, play it short and lose the ball allowing for the highly skilled Manchester City to counter. In a general sense, Basel were looking weak, a lot of bad passes and always losing the ball after 2-3 passes at max.
Man of the match: Ä°lkay GündoÄŸan
Writer:
Erik Lindmark
Porto vs Liverpool
FIRST HALF
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24’: Sadio Mané finds the net from close range as Jose Sá fails to stop the Senegalese’s low shot.
28’: Liverpool’s wonder-man Mohamed Salah scores from close-range following Milner’s shot off the post.
SECOND HALF
53’: Mané makes it three after a classic Liverpool counter attack. Firmino strikes the ball at the keeper who deflects it to Mané who passes it into an open goal for his second goal.
70’: Roberto Firmino adds a finishing touch to Milner’s pass into the box and scores Liverpool’s fourth of the match.
85’: Mané scores a hatrick as he thumps the ball from outside the box into the net.
93’: Match ends
MATCH SUMMARY
The match started off relatively slowly. Liverpool had a lot of possession, passing the ball safely around in midfield. Porto allowed Liverpool to run the play, as they focused on getting the ball for quick counterattacks. The first 20 minutes lacked intensity, and no major goal chances were created. Liverpool then stunned Porto with two quick goals by their African star-players in the 24th and 28th minute. The match then continued with Liverpool on the ball until the first half whistle blew. Porto then came out of the second half with more possession, but that didn’t stop Liverpool from adding a third. Liverpool followed up by gaining control of the match once again, scoring a fourth in the process. Mané finished off Porto with a hatrick in the 85th minute. A very convincing performance by Klopp’s men sees his team bringing back four away goals to Anfield.
Man of the match: Sadio Mané
Writer: Albert Dennelind
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Roma
FIRST HALF
41’: Cengiz Ünder scores with the left after a brilliant assist by Dzeko who passes to him going through the defence. Ünder finds himself in front of the goalie and puts in.
SECOND HALF
52’: Facundo Ferreyra takes advantage of Florenzi’s mistake and one on one with the goalie scores.
71’: Fred scores from a free-kick on the top right corner, beating Alisson who didn’t see the ball because of the wall.
MATCH SUMMARY
The game started with Roma almost dominating the entire first half. This is the reason why they also managed to score a goal and take the lead of the game. However in the second half, Florenzi’s mistake was the key event that changed the game. After conceding the goal, Florenzi had a total blackout and so did his teammates. Roma didn’t manage at all to be back in the game and this lead to Shakhtar winning the game by taking advantage of a situation that wasn’t farouble for them during the break. The game was pretty balanced as confirmed by the statistics too. The ball possession was almost the same as well as the number of shots. A tie probably would have been the best result to describe this match but football of course is not only based on statistics.
MOTM: Facundo Ferreyra
Writer: Andrea Stanisci
Sevilla vs Manchester United
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FIRST HALF
No goals
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SECOND HALF
No goals
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MATCH SUMMARY
The game started very slowly, in fact the first chance did not arrive before minute 23`where Lukaku couldn’t handle a good pass from Alexis Sánchez. Sevilla responded only at minute 44`where after a great action the ball ended just above the crossbar. Just a minute after, an incredible save from David De Gea saved United, after Muriel headed the ball from just a couple of meters from the goal. In the second half the game slowed down even more, and the only chance of the second half arrived at minute 73` where Sevilla tried to score with a good action.
MOTM: De Gea
Writer: Tommaso Allegri
Real Madrid vs PSG
FIRST HALF
32’ - Rabiot finds the back of the net after Mbappe pass misses Real’s defence and rolls in Rabiots empty path for him to strike in the back of the net.
44’ - Ronaldo. Lo Celso pull down Kroos to give Real a chance to equalise, which Ronaldo does not waste.
SECOND HALF
82’ - Ronaldo finds the back of the net again to give Real the lead from a slicing pass from Asensio that deflects off Areola and Cristiano Ronaldo bumps it off his kneecap.
85’ - Marcelo deflects another accurate pass from Asensio that he smacks with his left foot to give the hosts a two goal lead over Parc De Princes.
MATCH SUMMARY
The match started with major possession in the hands of PSG, constantly passing and trying to use Mbappe and Neymar to flank Real’s defence. The first 30 minutes included quick counter attacks and short intensive plays, along with a few shots missed from star madridista Ronaldo. A counter attack led from Mbappe led to a wonderful cross evading Los Blancos’ defence and a deflection finding Rabiot, who had a clear and empty path to just strike the ball towards the right, finding the net just in front of the homeside. About 10 minutes later, Lo Celso, who was earlier booked, brought down Kroos to award Real a penalty. Ronaldo stepped up to take it, and finally delivered by beating Arealo to the bottom left corner, equalising the match to 1-1. 3 yellow cards were shown, two to the homeside and one to the visitors, with aggressive play and fierce body language showing the intensity of the match just as the half time whistle blew.
The Second half, Real came in with more confidence, with Cavani subbed off and Bale subbed in. There was less aggression in this half, although towards the last 10 minutes, Asensio assisted the two goals needed to give the hosts a two goal lead over PSG. Real played more professionally in the second half and won the game away with the aggregate lead to build their UCL campaign upon when they visit Parc De Princes next month.
MOTM: Cristiano Ronaldo
Writer: Raman
Bayern Munich vs Besiktas
FIRST HALF
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43’ : Thomas Muller scores on a cross from Kingsley Coman that deflected off a fellow Bayern player and bounced into the feets of Muller who tapped it in between the keepers leg, nutmeg!
52’ : Kingsley Coman scores of a simple low cross back into the box from Lewandowski.
SECOND HALF
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66’ : Thomas Muller scores on a cross from Kimmich placed near post. 3-0!
79’ : Robert Lewandowski scores off a rebound from the keeper after a powerful longshot from Mats Hummels.
88’ : Robert Lewandowski scores off a cross from Muller in a 2 on 2 box situation.
90+3’: Match Ends
MATCH SUMMARY:
As can be told by the final score lineup of 5-0, this game was very one sided towards the club Bayern Munich. Where early in the game the pressure was already on when they had their first chance on goal. Kingsley Coman with a precise cross gave Muller an opportunity to score at 4’ but missed. This of course already allowed us to understand what immense attack strength and impact these two would have later in the match. Although this early offensive move by Bayern, Besiktas countered straight away with a cross into the box that was saved by the keeper. As the game progressed through the first half, Coman was really showing his skill. With a shot on goal at 8’ which was very close, he was putting big pressure on the opposing side.
Disaster struck Besiktas when at 15 minutes after a slide tackle on a completely open Lewandowski, a red card was given Besiktas defender Domagoj Vida and the game opened up for Bayern as the defense of Besiktas had been holding up.
Throughout the game it is clear that Bayern is the superior team, with a possession rating of 70 to 30 and the shots looking very scary. Where the shots for Bayern were 35 (12 on goal), Besiktas only had 6 shots (1 on goal). So this of course showing the dominance that they had over the game.
Man of the match: Kingsley Coman
Writer: Erik Lindmark
Chelsea vs Barcelona
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FIRST HALF:
No goals
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SECOND HALF:
62’: Goal! Chelsea take the lead with a right footed shot by Willian from outside the box into the bottom right bins. Chelsea 1, Barcelona 0. Assisted by Eden Hazard after striking a corner kick
75’: Goal! Barcelona settle the score with Lionel Messi tucking the ball into the bottom left hand corner. Chelsea 1, Barcelona 1.
MATCH SUMMARY:
Barcelona managed to dominate the first half at almost 80% of ball possession, but had yet not managed to challenge Thibaut Courtois although they were able to create some chances that went wide of the goal. Willian was creating chances for Chelsea left and right with the help of strong attack consisting of Pedro and Hazard but did not manage to find the back of the net in the first half. Willian was, however, able to find the back of the net in the second half after a short corner from Eden Hazard. Barcelona were able to draw late in the game at Stamford Bridge as the team capitalized on mistakes made by their opponent with a brilliant finish by Messi.
MOTM: Willian
Writer: Leo Heuveldop
Second Leg
Tottenham vs Juventus
FIRST HALF
39’: Son Heung-Min scores! The South Korean forward manages to tap the ball into the open net as Buffon lays stranded on the ground following a faint from Eriksen.
SECOND HALF
64’: Gonzalo Higuain scores! The Argentinian striker capitalises on a flicked-on header by Sami Khedira following a cross by the left back.
67’: Paulo Dybala scores! The young talent from Juventus is put through the defense by a great ball from the man who scored the first for Juventus.
After coming away with a 2-2 draw in Turin, Tottenham were looking promising to clinch a result on their home turf that would ensure a spot in the Quarter Finals. Tottenham started the match well, exactly where they left off a few weeks earlier. Son and Eriksen provided quick counter-attacks, and Spurs came close several times. Juventus lacked goal opportunities, but were very unlucky to not be awarded a penalty in the 16th minute. Spurs finally get the goal they were after in the 39th minute when their in-form player Son Heung-min scores. Juventus responded immediately following the goal. They controlled the match towards the end of the first half and after the second half kicked off. The Italian side then stunned the hosts when they produced two goals in two minutes, and they held onto that lead until the last whistle. Despite Tottenham’s 23 shots compared to Juventus’ 8, the Italians stayed strong and managed to grab a win at Wembley. Juventus are through to the Quarter Finals!
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MOTM: Gonzalo Higuain
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Writer: Albert Dennelind
FC Basel vs Manchester City
FIRST HALF
7’ : Gabriel Jesus scores on an excellent cross from Bernardo Silva that passes through the legs of two defenders before ending up at Jesus whom finishes with confidence.
17’ Mohamed Elyounoussi scores to his own surprise as the ball hits him in the box and bounces in front for him to tap it into the goal, 1-1.
SECOND HALF:
71’: Michael Lang scores a hard shot that finds its way into the goal between the post and keeper pass from Elyounoussi
90+2’: Match Ends with an aggregate score of 5-2, Manchester City moves on in the Champions League.
MATCH SUMMARY
The result of this match left many of the Manchester City fans upset. It was their first loss in the home grounds since 2016 against a team which seemed to be far worse on paper. Even though City kept the control of the game with possession around the 80% mark they; as Pep Guardiola puts it, “forgot to attack.” The match has been described as only a formality after the 4-0 win from CIty on Basel's home ground with many of the first players of the team resting as substitutes.
The first half of the match was played alright for the Manchester as they passed the ball around and moved it forward for an offence. The lack of the game was the second half. With both teams entering the second half at a 1-1 score, the motivation for play seemed low due to the past game leading with the score 4-0. Manchester City played the ball back and passed it around to a point where they broke the Champions League record for passes; 978. The team stopped playing the ball forward in an offensive manner and stopped playing the game. This, of course, lead to Basel having the opportunity to take the scoring lead due to the lack of offensive play of City. The outcome of this game was determined by City’s poor play more than Basel’s play.
MOTM: Geoffroy Serey Die
Writer: Erik Lindmark
Manchester United vs Sevilla
FIRST HALF:
No goals
SECOND HALF:
74’: Wissam Ben Yedder tucks the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal and puts sevilla in the lead. Manchester United 0, Sevilla 1.
78’: Ben Yedder strikes again and increases Sevillas lead with a brilliantly placed header in the bottom right of the net. Manchester United 0, Sevilla 2.
84’: Manchester United’s Romelu Lukaku retaliate scoring off of a corner. Manchester United 1, Sevilla 2.
MATCH SUMMARY:
Sevilla are now through to the Champions League quarter finals after beating Manchester United in a relatively equal match with neither side dominating in goals or possession at Old Trafford. How far will they get in this years Champions League? Stay tuned to find out.
MOTM: Wissam Ben Yedder
Writer: Leo Heuveldop
Roma vs Shakhtar Donetsk
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First leg:
No goals
Second leg:
52’: Edin Dzeko scores 1v1 with the goalie after a beautiful pass from Strootman
79’: Ivan Ordets gets a red card for tackle Dzeko from behind
Match Summary
Roma on the attack for most of the game until the find the goal straight after the beginning of the second half. An excellent first touch pass from Strootman to Dzeko which controls the ball and puts it in the goal under the goalkeeper leg. Roma keeps attacking and the defence of Shakhtar panicked, until losing one player in order to stop Roma’s second goal.
MOTM: Edin Dzeko
Writer: Andrea Stanisci
Liverpool vs Porto
FIRST HALF
No goals
SECOND HALF
No goals
A very uneventful match at Anfield, Liverpool draw 0-0 with Porto. Following a very strong performance by Liverpool in Portugal where they won 5-0, the tempo was considerably low on the second leg. Although the score remained goalless, both teams had their share of chances, but none were able to be converted. Liverpool dominated most of the play, and were unlucky to not break through. That could perhaps have been due to the fact that their star-player, Mohamed Salah, was benched until the 70th minute. Liverpool are through to the Quarter Finals!
MOTM: Loris Karius
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Writer: Albert Dennelind
Barcelona vs Chelsea
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FIRST HALF:
3’: Barcelona take an early lead after Lionel Messi scores from a difficult angle after a pass from Luis Suárez. Barcelona 1, Chelsea 0.
20’: Ousmane Dembélé scores a brilliantly placed shot in the top left bin for Barcelona to increase their lead to Barcelona 2, Chelsea 0.
SECOND HALF:
63’: Messi makes the gap unrecoverable between the teams with a third goal for Barcelona. Assisted once again by Luis Suárez. Barcelona 3, Chelsea 0.
MATCH SUMMARY:
Although Chelsea at Estadio Camp Nou were able to maintain a high pressure on the red and blues, their effort was not enough to overcome the cutting edge performance displayed by Ousmane Dembélé and his fellow attacker Lionel Messi who ended the night with having scored his 100th UCL goal. Overall Barcelona had 56% possession matched closely with that of Chelsea at 44%. Barcelona took 8 shots total out of which 7 were on target and Chelsea took an astonishing 14 shots with, however, only 3 shots on target.
MOTM: Lionel Messi
Writer: Leo Heuveldop
Besiktas vs Bayern Munich
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FIRST HALF
18’: First goal of the game scored by Thiago Alcântara assisted by Thomas Muller!
SECOND HALF
46’: Gökhan Gönül scores an own goal volley from a cross sent by Rafinha.
59’: Vágner Love’s effort of a goal breathes hope into the crowd of the hosting club with the crowd cheering despite the near impossible path further in the champions league.
84’: Standard goal by Sandro Wagner scored off the chest of a cross from David Alaba cross.
90+2’: Match ends, 3 Bayern Munich - 1 Besiktas.
MATCH SUMMARY
Jupp Heynckes leads his team to another victory further extending his winning streak with the team as they ease past Besiktas in the champions league. The aggregate final aggregate of the series ends with Bayern winning with 8-1 to the losing team Besiktas. In the match, it was clear that Bayern was the dominant team even though Besiktas were able to keep up in terms of possession. Bayern had to lead score at the end of the match and overall was able to perform better with cleaner offensive plays and better communication than the Turkish side.
MOTM: Sandro Wagner
Writer: Erik Lindmark
Paris Saint Germain vs Real Madrid
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FIRST HALF
No goals although wonderful saves from Real Madrid wall Navas.
SECOND HALF
51’ - Ronaldo leaps in the air and dominates the touch with his head to land the ball in the back of the net, giving the visitors the lead.
71’ - Cavani converts a failed header into an equaliser, 20 minutes after Ronaldo’s strike, and this game has just started heating up.
80’ - Casimero breaks PSG hearts by landing a deflection into the back of the nets, securing Real Madrid’s place in the quarterfinals.
Match Summary
Real Madrid set to defend their place in the Champions League quarter finals with a 2-1 win at 10-man Paris Saint-Germain. PSG were excessively stretched on the pitch, making it impossible to separate Real, who serenely contained the shockingly distraught hosts. Benzema squandered Real's most obvious opportunity, and the chance to end the tie, eight minutes previously the separate when he broke the left however was denied by the goalkeepers leg. Keylor Navas blocked amazing shots from PSG spearheads and saved Real a headache, helping defend the back of the net which was touched only once by Cavani. Things went downhill for PSG 14 minutes after when Verratti was rejected for a yellow card for disagree. Asensio hit the post three minutes after as Real undermined a moment before the hosts got back on level terms for the night following 71 minutes. Be that as it may, Casemiro's redirected exertion 10 minutes after the fact - his shot hit Marquinhos, wrong-footed Areola and circled in from 16 yards - guaranteed there was no chance to get back for PSG. PSG was shown that money can’t buy trophies after all, after their multimillion dollar splash during the summer, leading to Real Madrid being victorious and asserting their skilled dominance in the champions league once again. 2-1 for Real, leaving the young but talented french squad in the dust, hoping for a comeback next year.
MOTM: Cristiano Ronaldo
Writer: Raman