Champions League 23/24, Round of 16 Second Leg (first batch)

The first qualifiers for the quarterfinals of the Champions League 23/24 have been determined. This time, there were no surprises, and the matches were great to follow. Let’s see.

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First Batch of  Second Leg Matches of the Champions League Round of 16

Bayern vs. Lazio

After a 1-0 victory for the team from Rome in the Italian capital, Bayern needed a win to advance and not lose the season entirely, as they are struggling in the Bundesliga and have been eliminated from other competitions. Additionally, there were rumors that if Bayern didn’t qualify, coach Tuchel would be sacked.

Lazio, on the other hand, is also going through a period of inconsistency but strongly believed they had the ability to reach the Champions League quarterfinals.

Contrary to expectations, the match was very good, and both teams sought the result. However, Bayern made the most of their squad’s strength, capitalized on the game’s opportunities, and emerged victorious.

Bayern lined up with: Neuer; Kimmich, De Ligt, Dier, and Guerreiro (Davies); Pavlovic and Goretzka; Sané (Laimer), Müller (Tel), and Musiala (Gnabry) and Kane.

Meanwhile, Sarri’s Lazio started with: Provedel; Marusic, Fuentes, Romagnoli, and Pellegrini; Guendouzi, Vecino, and Luis Alberto; Felipe Anderson, Zaccagni, and Immobile.

The game began with both teams studying each other. Lazio attempted long passes through their most technically gifted player, Luis Alberto, trying to exploit the speed of their attacking partners. However, Bayern’s defense was very firm and consistent, especially on the right side with Kimmich returning as right-back.

Bayern, on the other hand, managed to control possession, but with Lazio closing down well and marking tightly, it was through constant touches in the midfield that Bayern found their first chances in the match. For example, a beautiful pass from Müller to Sané, who made a diagonal run into the Celeste’s penalty area, adjusted his body to strike with his left foot, but the shot was weak and easily saved by Provedel.

Bayern continued to dominate and create the most threatening chances. At the 13th minute, Musiala nearly scored a fantastic goal from outside the box, after a rehearsed corner kick routine. Musiala’s powerful curved shot was well saved by Provedel. At the 16th minute, Kane attempted a long-range shot after receiving a good ball from Sané, but his low shot went wide, narrowly missing the post.

After this play, the game continued well but without clear goal-scoring opportunities until the 36th minute when Zaccagni received the ball on the left flank, cut inside, and delivered a beautiful cross to Immobile. However, the Italian striker missed a clear header opportunity, perhaps the most important chance for Lazio to secure qualification.

Almost immediately after that, Bayern scored, albeit somewhat fortuitously. Following a masterclass display of football, with precise passes and dynamic movements, Guerreiro dribbled the ball from the left to the center, found Kane inside the box who laid it off, and found Pavlovic behind. The promising German received and delivered a beautiful pass to Müller inside the box. The Bayern legend nodded the ball backward, Guerreiro, who had continued his run into the box, received the ball and shot first-time. The shot was scuffed, but Kane, in his opportunistic style, adjusted his body and headed powerfully down to open the scoring for the Roten.

Encouraged by the goal, Bayern continued to exchange passes in Lazio’s half, but now with more movement and overlaps. At the 3rd minute, they nearly doubled their lead when Müller found Sané inside the box, who then passed to Musiala, who was unmarked in front of the goal. The German prodigy’s shot was well-placed but grazed the post.

Still in the late second half, Bayern’s intensity and persistence paid off, and the second goal was scored. After a short corner from the left, Guerreiro delivered a beautiful cross to De Ligt at the far post. The Dutchman struck a beautiful shot, and Müller smartly nodded the ball, removing any chance of defense from the good goalkeeper Provedel.

And so, the impressive first half ended with Bayern’s overwhelming superiority.

In the second half, Lazio attempted to regroup and exploit Luis Alberto’s passes, who unfortunately couldn’t find his rhythm in the game, primarily due to the excellent defensive work of Pavlovic and Goretzka. Consequently, the game continued to be dominated entirely by Bayern, who had at least two more good chances to score by the 60th minute.

At the 65th minute, Sané made a beautiful play on the right, cut inside, and unleashed a powerful shot. Provedel made a great save, but the ball fell cleanly to the striker Kane, who simply tapped it into the net. 3-0. Bayern still had chances to increase their lead but were thwarted by Provedel.

The game reached its conclusion, and the Bavarians played well again, delivering a very consistent, constant, and intense performance, positioning themselves to compete in the quarterfinals and now daring to dream of even greater success this season.

It’s difficult to pick out individual standout performances in the match. Still, it’s worth noting the excellent display by the young Pavlovic, who didn’t buckle under the pressure and was crucial both in attack and defense. The Bayern legend Müller dominated the midfield, providing unparalleled dynamism to the game. And certainly, Kane, who with these two goals, reached an incredible tally of 33 goals in the season, six of which were in the Champions League.

Real Sociedad vs. PSG

The match between the sensation of the Group Stage, Real Sociedad, and the wealthy but troubled PSG of Mbappé was a chance for both teams to prove themselves.

And we had a good game, where Mbappé showed all his potential, proving that he knows how to play football and is an indispensable piece for the good functioning of the French capital team. Meanwhile, Real Sociedad, with the support of their fans, put on a good performance to try to reverse the adverse result from the first leg.

Los Txuri-urdin took to the field with: Remiro; Traoré, Zubeldia (Pacheco), Le Normand, and Javi Galán; Zubimendi (Olasagasti), Brais Méndes (Turrientes), and Merino; Kubo, Oyarzabal (André Silva), and Becker (Barrenetxea).

Meanwhile, Luis Enrique’s team lined up with Donnarumma; Hakimi (Soler), Lucas Hernández, Beraldo, and Nuno Mendes (Mukiele); Zäire-Emery, Vitinha, and Fabián Ruiz (Ugarte); Dembelé (Kolo Muani), Mbappé, and Barcola.

The game began with Sociedad attempting to open the scoring and impose their game, but PSG defended well and used the speed of their attackers with the ball, who were extremely inspired. For example, Mbappé and Barcola. Just eight minutes in, Mbappé dribbled into the box at speed along the baseline and found a beautiful touch for Barcola, who put his foot on the ball but lacked power for a good save by Remiro.

At the 15th minute, another pass to the French star Mbappé, who received on the left near the baseline, this time he dribbled backward until he found a small angle for the shot, and when he did, he struck violently into the opposite corner of Remiro’s net. What a goal, 1-0 PSG.

Sociedad tried but couldn’t get past the strong French defense, which in turn took advantage and made direct connections to their attackers, and thus had another excellent chance with Mbappé, who was denied by Remiro. Kubo was the player who managed to hold onto the ball for longer and be more incisive, and in one of these instances, almost scored a stunning goal from outside the box at the end of the first half.

Ten minutes into the second half, another beautiful pass to Mbappé, this time by the Korean Lee. The French star received the ball and with extreme speed combined with ball control entered the box, adjusted his body as if to strike cross, but at the moment of touching the ball, he moved his body once again, giving a dry and parallel shot without chances for the Spanish goalkeeper.

After the goal, Sociedad managed to level the game more and began to pose a threat to PSG’s defense. So much so that at the 18th minute, after a beautiful cross from Zubeldia, Barrenetxea headed down, as the playbook dictates, and scored. Unfortunately, the young player was offside, and the goal was promptly reviewed and disallowed.

Sociedad continued to try and bother PSG, but they couldn’t efficiently conclude the chances created, mainly due to the excellent saves by Donnaruma, until Merino reduced the deficit at the end of the game by shooting the rebound after a beautiful shot saved by the Italian goalkeeper.

In summary, we had a great game, so much so that Sociedad was applauded by their fans, and PSG continues strong with the dream of winning their first Champions League.

Real Madrid vs. Leipzig

After a narrow victory in Germany, the Merengues welcomed Leipzig in search of securing a spot in the Champions League quarterfinals.

Leipzig played differently from what they are accustomed to, exchanging the high defensive line and pressing for a much lower block without losing their combativeness, which brought great difficulty for Real to effectively impose their game.

Ancelotti’s team started the game with: Lunin, Carvajal, Rüdiger, Nacho Fernández, and Mendy; Tchouaméni. Kroos (Modric) and Camavinga (Rodrygo); Valverde, Bellingham (Joselu), and Vini Jr.

The visitors took to the field with: Gulácsi; Henrichs, Orban, Lukeba, and Raum; Haidara (Kampl), Schlager (Elmas), Dani Olmo, and Xavi Simons; Sesko (Baumgartner) and Openda (Poulsen).

The game started somewhat tepidly, with both teams seemingly sizing each other up, and when in possession, they attempted short passes to find spaces. However, RB Leipzig defended with a very low block, allowing Real to exchange passes in the midfield but without much effect.

At the 8th minute, Dani Olmo received the ball on the right, and from behind the halfway line, he delivered a beautiful through ball to Sesko. The attacker entered the box and, face to face with Lunin, shot the ball straight at the goalkeeper.

From there, the game heated up. Real managed to exchange passes more dangerously and relied on crosses and overlaps to try to break through Leipzig’s strong defense. Meanwhile, the German team exploited counterattacks very well, especially with the speed of Openda, and by the 12th minute, both teams had at least one good chance.

At the 15th minute, Openda received a beautiful ball from Dani Olmo on the left side of the box, controlled it, and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot that passed very dangerously close to the post.

After this chance, the game returned to being more studied, with Real trying to take control but failing to be effective and assertive in attack.

At the 45th minute, Raum received the ball on the left almost going out for a goal kick, managed to save it, and found a good pass to Simons, who set the ball to his right and attempted a good shot that was well saved by Lunin. Once again, the Germans posed a danger from the right side of the Merengues’ defense. In the next play, a corner kick fell to Openda on the left side of the box, almost outside of it, he calmly chested the ball down and unleashed a powerful shot that hit the net from the outside.

The second half began, and the game continued in the same dynamic. Openda was causing a lot of trouble down the right side of Real’s defense, and just two minutes into the second half, he almost scored a masterpiece. He picked up the ball at speed and dribbled inside the box, turned his body, and attempted to find space and angle for the shot, but goalkeeper Lunin was quick and reached the ball with his hands to frustrate the young Belgian attacker.

Ancelotti then decided to bring on Rodrygo for Camavinga, moving Valverde into the middle, which greatly improved Real Madrid’s offensive phase, mainly because it triggered several overlapping plays that began to pierce the German block.

At the 17th minute of the second half, Rodrygo dribbled through the middle and played the ball to Carvajal, who promptly controlled it and saw the Brazilian’s overlapping run. He received the ball and shot, but it was well saved by Hungarian goalkeeper Gulácsi. After completing the play, Rodrygo looked at the Madridista crowd and made hand signals asking them to turn up the volume, which had an effect.

Almost in the next play, Kroos intercepted a pass in midfield and quickly played the ball to Bellingham, the English star controlled it and skillfully carried it, waiting for Vini Jr.’s diagonal run. Before the Brazilian was caught offside, the midfielder played a beautiful pass behind the defense. Vini controlled it, adjusted his body for the shot, and unleashed an unstoppable bomb, what a goal, 1-0 Real.

However, Leipzig did not give up and went after Real. In the next play after the goal, Dani Olmo from the right wing crossed the ball into the box, it hit the Real Madrid defense and kindly fell to young Simons, who shot accurately, but the giant defender Rüdiger was alert and managed to prevent the ball from going into the goal.

In the next play, Simons crossed very poorly into the box, but the Merengues’ defense also cleared poorly. The ball presented itself to Raum, who put in an excellent cross, the giant defender Orban, almost falling, headed the ball and equalized the game 1-1.

Leipzig needed the goal badly and was trying at all costs, and they almost got it. At the 46th minute, Dani Olmo received the ball freely inside the box, saw Lunin off his line, and delicately chipped the ball, which cleared Lunin but hit the crossbar capriciously.

What a game, my friends. Real Madrid once again advances to the Champions League quarterfinals.

Manchester City vs. Copenhagen

After securing a good 3-1 victory in Denmark, City welcomed the young and courageous Copenhagen team, which was aware of the strength of their opponent but didn’t stop dreaming of qualification.

City took to the field with: Ederson, Rico Lewis, Akanji, Rúben Dias (Stones), and Gvardiol; Rodri (Sergio Gómez); Matheus Nunes (Micah Hamilton), Bobb, Álvarez, and Haaland (Wright).

Meanwhile, Copenhagen lined up with: Grabara, Vavro, Diks, and McKenna; Ankersen Clem (Oscar Hojlund), Elyounoussi, and Jalert (Meling); Froholdt (Mattsson), Achouri (Bardghji), and Óskarsson (Cornelius).

The game started with the Danish team trying to set the pace, but this plan was quickly thwarted by City, who opened the scoring at the 5th minute with Akanji. The defender received the ball from the corner at waist height and unleashed a beautiful shot into the goal, making it 1-0.

City promptly identified Copenhagen’s vulnerability in dealing with aerial plays, and at the 8th minute, after a corner kick, Rodri headed the ball onto the crossbar. The ball was cleared but fell to Álvarez at the edge of the area on the left side of the attack. The Argentine adjusted his body and unleashed a powerful shot with his right foot that headed towards the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper failed to stop it, allowing the ball to pass, making it 2-0.

The game became more balanced, and the Lions tried hard to seize the opportunity. At the 28th minute, a masterpiece was created. Elyounoussi carried the ball through the midfield until he found a good pass to Óskarsson inside the box. The forward received the ball and with a backheel, set up Elyounoussi, who took the shot first time, leaving no chance for Ederson. 2-1.

The game continued to be lively with both teams trying to impose their game until, at the 45th minute, Rodri delivered a majestic pass to Haaland, who controlled it at the edge of the area, shifted the ball to his left, and unleashed a powerful shot into the goal. The comet found the back of the net once more, making it 3-1 to City.

Even with a 6-1 aggregate lead, the Danish team continued to attack and tried desperately to score more goals, but all their good chances were either saved by Ederson or went wide.

With the victory, City became the first English team to win ten consecutive matches in the Champions League, and thus, the defending champions advanced to the quarterfinals, continuing their journey towards an unprecedented back-to-back title.