Champions League Round of 16 (First Leg)

The following article details matches of the 2024-25 Champions League.

Champions League Round of 16 (First Leg)

 

Atlético Madrid v AC Milan

AC Milan needed to replace injured players, while the hosts stayed with their winning eleven. That paid off as Conor Gallagher was the goal scorer, giving his side the lead. Antoine Griezmann then finished off a poor AC Milan defensive error, and the visitors had their backs against the wall. AC Milan should have had a goal back, only to miss when it counted. From there, Atlético Madrid took the advantage into the second leg.

 

Barcelona v Bayern München

Bayern looked dangerous early, only for Barcelona’s defence to shut up shop. Soon, the match was played in the midfield as nothing much took place, until Robert Lewandowski had a chance with a penalty, only for it to be saved. Bayern had chances in the second half, and the match ended all square.

 

RB Leipzig v Real Madrid

Real Madrid made one change in their away first leg against RB Leipzig. The visitors attacked early and were rewarded with a through ball to Kylian Mbappé, who scored his sixth goal for the tournament. Leipzig had their chances to equalise, only for the Real Madrid goalkeeper to keep them at bay. In the second half, Vini Jr was escorted off the ground due to a hefty challenge, and Leipzig could sense a comeback. However, Real Madrid attacked when required, and Mbappé scored a second goal, again thanks to a through ball. Leipzig pegged back a goal via Loïs Openda, who snuck the ball between defenders and goalkeeper. Mbappé then restored the two-goal lead as Luka Modrić sent him through unmarked.

 

Girona v Manchester City

Girona surprised Manchester City by finding a hole in defence to score early - Viktor Tsygankov was the scorer. Girona had a second before the break, thanks to working down the right flank, and the Bryan Gil recovery from an initial shot meant he had a free shot to double the lead. After the break, Girona kept up the pressure and scored by Tsygankov. A fourth came when Tsygankov picked up the loose ball, and his hat trick was finalised. He could have had a fourth himself, only for the penalty to be saved. Still, Manchester City must make up four goals in the second leg.

 

Borussia Dortmund v PSG

Dortmund made one change, while PSG made three changes, as they sought for a crucial advantage. Both sides had chances early, only for PSG to gain a penalty when it was unnecessary. Vitinha won the penalty and then stepped up to the spot and put it to the right of the goalkeeper. However, Dortmund had a counterattack pay off, and equalised, with Julian Brandt on the end of it. Eight minutes after the break, Dortmund had the lead, with Marcel Sabitzer scoring from a tight angle. Vitinha then set up Gonçalo Ramos to square things up again. Ramos added a second when Bradley Barcola came off the bench and guided a cross straight to his head, and he looped it over the advancing goalkeeper. That left PSG with the advantage going into the second leg.

 

Inter Milan v Monaco

Breel Embolo gave Monaco the early lead, as the away side cut through the middle of the park with thrusting through balls. However, Inter levelled near the halftime break, with Lautero Martínez edging the ball low and forceful. Marcus Thuram then put Inter into the lead after he ran onto a blocked shot and was alone. Monaco had chances late, only to fall up short.

 

Atalanta v Arsenal

Unchanged sides met each other between Atalanta and Arsenal. Both teams had chances in the first half, with the goalkeepers the pick of the bunch. However, three goals in the second half from Arsenal, with Bayoko Saka scoring two and Martin Ødegaard scoring the other for the visitors to come out on top.

 

Stuttgart v Liverpool

Liverpool took the early lead via Cody Gakpo, tucked into the bottom right corner. Liverpool attacked without gaining another goal in the first half. Mohamed Salah extended the lead, scoring low and fast into the goal after advancing down the right wing. From there, the visitors held on for the two-goal win.