CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Matches, results and round of 16 summary

The Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 has come to an end. There were 16 matches played over two legs: first legs on March 4 and 5, followed by second legs on March 11 and 12.

These duels resulted in eight great winners 🏆:

• 🇪🇸 FC Barcelona
• 🇩🇪 Bayern Munich
• 🇮🇹 Inter Milan
• 🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain
• 🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund
• 🇪🇸 Real Madrid
• 🇬🇧 Arsenal
• 🇬🇧 Aston Villa

And eight clubs that were eliminated ❌:

• 🇵🇹 SL Benfica
• 🇩🇪 Bayer Leverkusen
• 🇳🇱 Feyenoord
• 🇬🇧 Liverpool
• 🇫🇷 LOSC Lille
• 🇪🇸 Atlético de Madrid
• 🇳🇱 PSV Eindhoven
• 🇧🇪 Club Brugge

1️⃣ 🇪🇸FC Barcelona - SL Benfica 🇵🇹

One of the big winners in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 was FC Barcelona. The Catalan team secured their place in the quarter-finals by defeating SL Benfica in a series that ended 4-1 in favor of the Catalans.

The first leg, played at the Estádio da Luz, home of the Lisbon team, was the most fiercely contested between both teams. Barcelona managed to win by the narrowest of margins with a score of 0-1. Although Bruno Lage's side had the opportunity to secure victory, they failed to take advantage of their numerical superiority after the expulsion of Pau Cubarsí, leaving Barça with 10 players for much of the match.

Nevertheless, the great performance of Szczęsny, with imperial saves, and the solid defense of the Catalan squad allowed them to withstand the onslaught from the Portuguese. Finally, the Barcelona team took the victory thanks to a spectacular goal from Raphinha, who recovered the ball in the final third and sent it into the net with an unstoppable shot for Anatoli Trubin.

In the second leg, the Portuguese, at equal strength with 11 players on the field, had few opportunities to overcome a Barcelona that looked comfortable and took advantage of their home condition. Hansi Flick's team won comfortably with a score of 3-1, highlighting the brilliant performance of Raphinha with a brace and an assist, as well as the contribution of Lamine Yamal with a goal and an assist. It was a relatively calm match for the Catalans, as they only conceded a goal from Nico Otamendi and did not face major scares.

• ⚔️ How did the first leg end?: 0-1 in favor of FC Barcelona at the Estádio da Luz.
• ⚔️ How did the second leg end?: 3-1 in favor of FC Barcelona at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
• 🔢 Aggregate score of the tie: 4-1 in favor of FC Barcelona.
• ⚔️ Who will FC Barcelona face in the quarter-finals?: Borussia Dortmund.
• ⚔️ When will these quarter-final matches be played?: First leg (Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys) - Wednesday, April 9 | Second leg (Signal Iduna Park) - Tuesday, April 15.

2️⃣ 🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain - Liverpool 🇬🇧

One of the most exciting series in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 was the matchup between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain. A tie that ended with the victory of the Parisian team after a tough contest to secure their place in the quarter-finals.

In the first leg, Liverpool managed to win at the Parc des Princes with a score of 0-1, a result that seemed perhaps somewhat unfair for Arne Slot's team. Although the French side dominated the match remarkably and overwhelmingly, their lack of finishing, bad luck, and the brilliant performance of Alisson Becker prevented them from converting their opportunities into goals, unlike the 'reds' who did not waste one of the few chances they had, with a goal from Harvey Elliott near the end of the match.

With this score, an exciting second leg was anticipated, and it indeed turned out to be so. In an ironic twist, PSG returned the favor to Liverpool by winning at Anfield Road with a close score of 0-1, courtesy of a goal from Ousmane Dembélé. Although the Parisians maintained the same dominance in the match as in the first leg, the home team showed a more reactive attitude.

With the tie level at 1-1, the match had to go to extra time and then to penalties, where the Parisians ultimately prevailed thanks to a standout performance from 'Gigi' Donnarumma, who saved penalties from Darwin Núñez and Curtis Jones. On the other hand, the PSG players converted all their penalties effectively, securing their passage to the quarter-finals of the competition.

• ⚔️ How did the first leg end?: 0-1 in favor of Liverpool at the Parc des Princes.
• ⚔️ How did the second leg end?: 0-1 in favor of Paris Saint-Germain (1-4 on penalties) at Anfield Road.
• 🔢 Aggregate score of the tie: 1-1 (1-4 on penalties) in favor of Paris Saint-Germain.
• ⚔️ Who will Paris Saint-Germain face in the quarter-finals?: Aston Villa.
• ⚔️ When will these quarter-final matches be played?: First leg (Parc des Princes) - Wednesday, April 9 | Second leg (Villa Park) - Tuesday, April 15.

3️⃣ 🇩🇪 Bayern Munich - Bayer Leverkusen 🇩🇪

The tie between Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, which was expected to be closer, turned out to be surprisingly one-sided. Despite the recent encounters between both teams in the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich demonstrated their superiority in both legs.

In the first leg, played at the Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich tilted the balance heavily in their favor by winning decisively 3-0. The English 'killer' Harry Kane was the standout player of the match, scoring two goals and leading the Bavarians to victory, who also saw Jamal Musiala score for them.

In the second leg, Bayer Leverkusen faced a much more complicated task of overturning a 3-0 deficit without their star player, Florian Wirtz. Despite their efforts to reduce the gap, it proved to be an impossible task, which was capitalized on by 'Die Roten', who also took the win at BayArena with a score of 0-2. In this match, Harry Kane and Alphonso Davies showcased their scoring abilities.

• ⚔️ How did the first leg end?: 3-0 in favor of Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
• ⚔️ How did the second leg end?: 0-2 in favor of Bayern Munich at BayArena.
• 🔢 Aggregate score of the tie: 5-0 in favor of Bayern Munich.
• ⚔️ Who will Bayern Munich face in the quarter-finals?: Inter Milan.
• ⚔️ When will these quarter-final matches be played?: First leg (Allianz Arena) - Tuesday, April 8 | Second leg (Giuseppe Meazza) - Wednesday, April 16.

4️⃣ 🇮🇹 Inter Milan - Feyenoord 🇳🇱

The series between Inter Milan and Feyenoord was practically decided in the first leg, when the Italians took a strong lead with a 0-2 scoreline on Dutch soil, with Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram as the heroes of the day. They dominated the match with notable ease.

In the second leg at the Giuseppe Meazza, the 'nerazzurri' quickly extended their lead on the scoreboard. Even before 10 minutes of play, they were already winning 1-0 with a goal from Marcus Thuram. However, the Dutch team narrowed the gap before halftime, when Jakub Moder converted a penalty just before the end of the first half. This goal allowed Feyenoord to dream of reducing the deficit and staging a comeback.

Nevertheless, at the start of the second half, Inter Milan managed to score a goal from the penalty spot (Hakan Çalhanoğlu), making it 2-1, which turned out to be the definitive advantage in this matchup. This result concluded the series with an aggregate score of 4-1 in favor of the Italians, a lead that could have been even greater. However, Simone Inzaghi's side could not capitalize on their notable dominance in play and the opportunities created throughout the series.

• ⚔️ How did the first leg end?: 0-2 in favor of Inter Milan at de Kuip.
• ⚔️ How did the second leg end?: 2-1 in favor of Inter Milan at the Giuseppe Meazza.
• 🔢 Aggregate score of the tie: 4-1 in favor of Inter Milan.
• ⚔️ Who will Inter Milan face in the quarter-finals?: Bayern Munich.
• ⚔️ When will these quarter-final matches be played?: First leg (Allianz Arena) - Tuesday, April 8 | Second leg (Giuseppe Meazza) - Wednesday, April 16.

5️⃣ 🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund - LOSC Lille 🇫🇷

Borussia Dortmund secured their place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 by defeating LOSC Lille with an aggregate score of 3-2. The result was in line with the tie, which was marked by great parity.

It was in the second leg where the situation was defined. In the first leg played in Germany, at Signal Iduna Park, both teams failed to gain a significant advantage, ending 1-1. The scorers of that match were Karim Adeyemi and Hákon Arnar Haraldsson.

Now, in the second leg, the Germans demonstrated their experience in European competitions and their role as reigning runners-up to pull off a game that turned out to be intense. Although they started losing with a goal from Jonathan David in the 5th minute, the 'Dogos' could not maintain the lead.

The match, which remained even, was decided by two key actions. The first was a rather questionable penalty on Serhou Guirassy, which Emre Can effectively converted into a goal. The second was a great strike from Maximilian Beier, who secured the victory with a thunderous shot, making it 1-2.

• ⚔️ How did the first leg end?: 1-1 at Signal Iduna Park.
• ⚔️ How did the second leg end?: 1-2 in favor of Borussia Dortmund at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
• 🔢 Aggregate score of the tie: 3-2 in favor of Borussia Dortmund.
• ⚔️ Who will Borussia Dortmund face in the quarter-finals?: FC Barcelona.
• ⚔️ When will these quarter-final matches be played?: First leg (Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys) - Wednesday, April 9 | Second leg (Signal Iduna Park) - Tuesday, April 15.

6️⃣ 🇬🇧 Arsenal - PSV Eindhoven 🇳🇱

This was one of the series that was quickly decided, as in the first leg the result was clearly in favor of the English. During their visit to the Netherlands, they convincingly defeated the hosts with a staggering 7-1, with goals from Jurrien Timber, Ethan Nwaneri, Mikel Merino, Martin Odegaard (x2), Leandro Trossard, and Riccardo Calafiori, which was timidly answered by a penalty goal from Noa Lang.

In the second leg, with little left to define, a match reflecting the already established result in the first leg was witnessed. Despite this, both Arsenal and PSV Eindhoven did not lower their intensity. In the first 10 minutes, the 'gunners' already had a 1-0 lead with a goal from Oleksandr Zinchenko, which was responded to by Ivan Perišić.

Later, Declan Rice (Arsenal) and Couhaib Driouech (PSV) were the ones to score for their respective teams, resulting in a draw that, while having little impact on the series, was entertaining due to the excitement of the match. It was a lively duel, with a 'farmer' team being impetuous and 'gunners' who, despite rotations, showed remarkable competitiveness.

• ⚔️ How did the first leg end?: 1-7 in favor of Arsenal at the Philips Stadion.
• ⚔️ How did the second leg end?: 2-2 at the Emirates Stadium.
• 🔢 Aggregate score of the tie: 9-3 in favor of Arsenal.
• ⚔️ Who will Arsenal face in the quarter-finals?: Real Madrid.
• ⚔️ When will these quarter-final matches be played?: First leg (Emirates Stadium) - Tuesday, April 8 | Second leg (Santiago Bernabéu) - Wednesday, April 16.

7️⃣ 🇬🇧 Aston Villa - Club Brugge 🇧🇪

The adventure of Club Brugge came to a sudden end as they were eliminated in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25, being widely dominated by Aston Villa. In the first leg, the 'villains' triumphed with a score of 1-3, with goals from Leon Bailey, Brandon Mechele, and Marco Asensio, answered by a goal from Maxim de Cuyper.

This dominance continued in the second leg, where the Belgians faced a considerably complicated challenge of having to overcome a three-goal deficit playing as visitors and with one player less after the expulsion of Kyriani Sabbe before the 20th minute of the match. However, Unai Emery's side did not capitalize on this advantage until the second half, when a burst of good football resulted in goals from Marco Asensio (a brace) and Ian Maatsen in less than 10 minutes.

• ⚔️ How did the first leg end?: 1-3 in favor of Aston Villa at the Jan Breydel Stadium.
• ⚔️ How did the second leg end?: 3-0 in favor of Aston Villa at Villa Park.
• 🔢 Aggregate score of the tie: 6-1 in favor of Aston Villa.
• ⚔️ Who will Aston Villa face in the quarter-finals?: Paris Saint-Germain.
• ⚔️ When will these quarter-final matches be played?: First leg (Parc des Princes) - Wednesday, April 9 | Second leg (Villa Park) - Tuesday, April 15.

8️⃣ 🇪🇸Atlético Madrid - Real Madrid 🇪🇸

Without a doubt, the most controversial tie in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League 2024-2025 was the one between Real Madrid and Atlético. In the series, the merengue team ultimately prevailed, but not without controversy in both the first and second legs.

The tie showed true parity. In the first leg, Carlo Ancelotti's side won by the narrowest of margins with a single goal. The scoring opened with a stunning goal from Rodrygo (Real Madrid), answered with another spectacular goal by Julián Álvarez. However, the Chamartín team took the lead with a goal from Brahim Díaz, surrounded by much controversy due to a clear offside position from Vinicius Jr., who interfered with the vision of Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak, generating debate over positional offside. Despite the doubts, the goal was validated without being reviewed by VAR.

In the second leg at the home of Atlético Madrid, the 'colchoneros' quickly resolved the score, as Conor Gallagher put his team ahead before the 10th minute. This was the only goal scored in regular time and extra time, in a match full of dangerous chances and back-and-forth action, where the standout performances of Oblak and Courtois were essential to prevent the score from being larger.

The match ended 1-0, tying the aggregate at 2-2 and sending the game to extra time, where caution prevailed and both teams seemed exhausted, thinking more about penalties, which they would ultimately reach. This is where the other major controversy of the series arose.

Julián Álvarez, tasked with taking the second penalty for Atlético Madrid, saw his goal disallowed for allegedly impacting the ball with both feet during his kick, an action that invalidates the penalty and required VAR review. Despite the lack of clarity and the fact that there didn't seem to be such an impact with both feet, the goal was revoked, disadvantaging the 'rojiblancos'. Although they temporarily equalized the series with a miss from Lucas Vázquez of Real Madrid, they saw their hopes of advancing in a crucial phase of the Champions League slip away when Marcos Llorente missed his shot.

• ⚔️ How did the first leg end?: 2-1 in favor of Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu.
• ⚔️ How did the second leg end?: 1-0 in favor of Atlético Madrid at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano (Real Madrid won 2-4 on penalties).
• 🔢 Aggregate score of the tie: 2-2 (2-4 on penalties) in favor of Real Madrid.
• ⚔️ Who will Real Madrid face in the quarter-finals?: Arsenal.
• ⚔️ When will these quarter-final matches be played?: First leg (Emirates Stadium) - Tuesday, April 8 | Second leg (Santiago Bernabéu) - Wednesday, April 16.