Football

UEFA Champions League 2023/24 Round of 16 - No Room For Error In Second Legs

By Nikhil Kalro

04 Mar 2024

Nikhil Kalro 04 Mar 2024

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Big surprises in Round of 16 first leg: Lazio defeats Bayern, FC Porto wins over Arsenal
Madrid, City secure strong positions with victories, while PSG and Barcelona manage draws
Second leg to decide the quarter-finalists, with all teams eyeing the coveted spot

Dayot Upamecano is sent off during the Champions League Round of 16 first leg match between SS Lazio and FC Bayern München at Stadio Olimpico. (Getty Images)

The second leg fixtures of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 will be played over the next couple of weeks, and the eight quarterfinalists will be decided after that. There were a few surprising results in the first leg, and it will be interesting to see if the tables turn in the second leg or if a few upsets are on the cards before the quarterfinals.

The Round of 16 started with two simultaneous kickoffs in Denmark and Germany. FC Copenhagen were pitted against Manchester City, while Red Bull Leipzig hosted Real Madrid. Both hosts were beaten in the first leg, handing a massive advantage to Madrid and City, who will play the second leg at home.

The next day, the Champions League anthem was played in Italy and France. Lazio hosted Bayern Munich and caused the first upset of the knockout phase by handing the Bundesliga giants a 1-0 loss. Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain had to rely on second-half goals to hand Real Sociedad a 2-0 defeat.

A week later, Inter Milan welcomed Atletico Madrid in what was expected to be an evenly-matched encounter between two mercurial sides. The hosts scored a late goal to nab a 1-0 win. In the other match, PSV Eindhoven played well under pressure to hold Borussia Dortmund to a 1-1 draw.

The next day, FC Porto were in action at home against a high-flying Arsenal side. The Portuguese side brought the Gunners’ tempo down and beat them 1-0. In the other match, defending Serie A champions Napoli hosted Barcelona. The hosts found an equalizer in the final quarter of the game to hold the Spanish giants to a draw.

Bayern Munich vs Lazio

Lazio provided the pundits and spectators with one of the biggest upsets in this season’s Champions League Round of 16 encounter with Bayern Munich. Dayot Upamecano’s challenge on Gustav Isaksen warranted a penalty and a red card for the Bayern defender in the 67th minute. Ciro Immobile slotted the ball into the bottom-right corner to give Lazio the lead.

Bayern attempted 17 shots in the second half but failed to get any on target. Ahead of the second leg in Munich, Lazio have a slender advantage. However, it might not be enough. Bayern will feel Upamecano’s absence but will still have the edge playing at home and have the potential to turn this tie on its head at the Allianz Arena in the coming week.

Pick: Bayern Munich

Real Sociedad vs Paris Saint-Germain

The first leg of this fixture ended the way many had predicted – in a comfortable home win for PSG. The performance of the 11-time Ligue 1 winners was quite subpar in the first half, and came very close to conceding a goal after Andre Silva’s header from close range flew wide and Mikel Merino’s long-range effort rattled the crossbar.

The half-time team talk from Luis Enrique did the trick, as PSG were much better after the break. Kylian Mbappe broke the deadlock in the 58th minute before Bradley Barcola doubled the hosts’ advantage 12 minutes later. Real Sociedad will be at home for the second leg, but a turnaround is improbable.

Pick: Paris Saint-Germain

Manchester City vs FC Copenhagen

Kevin De Bruyne’s tenth-minute strike helped Manchester City stamp their authority on the first leg of this fixture. However, an error from Ederson allowed the hosts to score the equalizer via Magnus Mattsson in the 34th minute. In first-half stoppage time, Bernardo Silva reinstated Manchester City’s lead.

FC Copenhagen played well in the second half and could have gone to the Etihad with a slender disadvantage, but Phil Foden popped up to score a third goal for the visitors, establishing a two-goal cushion and making the second leg easier for the defending champions in their own backyard.

Pick: Manchester City

Real Madrid vs RB Leipzig

The first half of the first leg of this fixture was quite cagey. RB Leipzig found the back of the net after just three minutes when Benjamin Sesko’s close-range header beat Andriy Lunin. However, the assistant’s flag was up for offside. The Real Madrid shot-stopper was excellent during this match, as he faced nine shots and did not let any of them pass by.

Three minutes into the second half, Brahim Diaz scored the only goal of the match. The midfielder cut in from the flank and waltzed past the Leipzig defenders before curling the ball into the top left corner to give Real Madrid a vital goal. The second leg will be at the Santiago Bernabeu – a place where Madrid are yet to lose a game this season.

Pick: Real Madrid

Arsenal vs FC Porto

Arsenal visited Estadio Do Dragao after scoring 11 goals in their last two Premier League matches, keeping cleansheets in both. Based on that, they were backed as favorites. However, FC Porto had other plans and thwarted all the Gunners’ attacks throughout the game. The visitors attempted seven shots, and none of them were on target.

The game was heading for a goalless draw when the ball fell to Wenderson Galeno in the middle third. The winger approached the penalty area and unleashed a powerful strike from near the edge of the box that curled past the keeper and gave FC Porto a crucial goal and a vital advantage to take to the Emirates.

Pick: Arsenal

Barcelona vs Napoli

In the first leg, Barcelona asserted their dominance as they attempted seven shots, of which three were on target. Alex Meret was in goal and had to be on his toes to keep the ball away from his net. Meanwhile, Napoli failed to register a single shot before the break.

The deadlock was broken at the hour mark when Robert Lewandowski gave the visitors the lead. The hosts got a major boost before kickoff as Victor Osimhen returned to the team after the African Cup of Nations. The Nigerian marked his return with the equalizer in the 75th minute.

Pick: Barcelona

Atletico Madrid vs Inter Milan

Marko Arnautovic emerged as the hero for Inter Milan in the first leg against Atletico Madrid after the striker scored the only goal of the match in the 79th minute. The hosts dominated the game at San Siro and attempted 19 shots in the match while restricting the visitors to just seven.

Five of the 19 shots from Inter Milan were on target, while Atletico Madrid were incredibly wasteful, as they fired all their attempts off target. Jan Oblak kept the visitors in this tie. Otherwise, the Nerazzuri would have bagged a convincing win that could finished the two-legged fixture in the first leg.

Pick: Inter Milan

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