The first part of the round of 16 ended on Wednesday evening with Manchester City’s disappointing draw at Leipzig (1-1) and Inter’s victory against Porto (1-0).
Most scenarios remain open before the return matches. Only three teams have taken a clear option for qualification for the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The one in the most comfortable position is Real Madrid, who are three goals ahead of Liverpool after the correction inflicted on Anfield (5-2). Almost ideal situation also for Naples and Benfica, who will play their round of 16 second leg at home and with a mattress of two goals. Everywhere else, everything remains to be played, even for PSG, still in the race despite the defeat at the Parc des Princes against Bayern.
Real Madrid have not lost the recipe
After marking the previous edition of its imprint, chaining irrational reversals until the coronation, we thought that Real Madrid had moved on. But, the return of the knockout matches has restarted the machine. Led 2-0 after only thirteen minutes, Carlo Ancelotti’s team was not at all let down. Carried by Vinicius Junior (21st, 36th) then by Karim Benzema (55th, 67th), both authors of a double, she became the first in history to score five goals on the lawn of the Reds in European competition.
It’s as if the planets had suddenly aligned for the Merengues, who can once again count on their Ballon d’Or, finally spared from injury. And when things don’t go the right way, the players know the way, like Thibaut Courtois’ ball on the 0-2 goal, which didn’t have the slightest impact on the state of play. spirit of his teammates.
Disappointing, PSG will have a second chance
Without ideas and handicapped by injuries since the return from the truce, the Parisians avoided the worst against Bayern Munich on February 14 (0-1). Faced with the Bavarian offensive armada, they were promised hell, but they almost came out unscathed, even if they could only count on Kylian Mbappé for about thirty minutes. If the qualification for the quarter-finals is played on a goal difference, PSG will harbor some regrets from this first leg.
After a good hour spent defending as a whole, without any offensive ambition, Christophe Galtier’s players made the German champion falter in the last twenty minutes. Found in depth, Mbappé was denied two goals, including one after VAR intervention (85th). Above all, the capital club has proven to be capable of much better against the opponent who had lifted the “big-eared cup” in front of him in 2020.
Napoli are more than an outsider
And if the sensation of the Italian championship 2022-2023 was also that of this Champions League? After its sensational group stage – finished in first place ahead of Liverpool and Ajax – Naples continued to assert itself on the European scene by easily winning on the lawn of Eintracht on Tuesday (2-0). When only Real stands out among the leaders, the current leader of Serie A (15 points ahead of Inter) is charting its course and does not seem ready to slow down.
In their game in Frankfurt, Luciano Spalletti’s side were able to avoid dwelling on their missed first-half penalty, opening the scoring only four minutes later. The Victor Osimhen-Khvicha Kvaratskhelia tandem again made people talk, the first by scoring (40th), the second by offering the second goal (65th). We begin to wonder what this team has to envy to the other headliners of the competition, almost all disappointing, from Liverpool to Manchester City via Bayern.
