Key thoughts and analysis from Champions League round of 16

After which there have been eight. The Champions League subject has been whittled down as soon as once more after the spherical of 16 got here to an thrilling conclusion Wednesday. Under, a group of theScore’s soccer editors evaluate the last-16 motion, offering one main takeaway from every of the fixtures.

Yamal, Raphinha dazzle for Barca

Barcelona beat Benfica 4-1 on mixture

Raphinha and Lamine Yamal assisted one another’s targets within the 3-1 win over Benfica on Tuesday, as soon as once more proving their connection is as clean as any in European competitors. It isn’t that they merely search for each other however that their sweeping model of play – which leans closely on dribbling and discovering pockets of house – culminates in a cross or go by the penalty space that lands of their path.

Barcelona may simply as simply thump the ball at Robert Lewandowski and hope he converts from vary, however head coach Hansi Flick as a substitute asks his proficient wingers to make inverted runs into harmful areas, they usually finish profiting off one another’s trickery. – Anthony Lopopolo

Regular Inter a critical menace

Inter Milan beat Feyenoord 4-1 on mixture

Simone Inzaghi’s workforce is arguably the least glamorous of the title contenders remaining within the Champions League. However Inter may simply be essentially the most harmful. They lack the mystique of Actual Madrid, the youthful exuberance of Barcelona, or the slick interconnected passing of PSG. However what they’ve, in abundance, is veteran expertise, solidity, and robustness.

The Serie A leaders by no means appeared below any menace of their businesslike last-16 dismissal of Feyenoord. They’ve conceded solely two targets in the whole match – the most effective defensive report to date – and, with Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram, have real game-breakers up entrance. A really comparable recipe obtained them inside touching distance of the trophy two years in the past. It may carry all of them the best way this time. – Gianluca Nesci

PSG lastly put all of the items collectively

PSG beat Liverpool 4-1 on penalties (1-1 on mixture)

Ousmane Dembele and PSG’s forwards – together with a blinding midfield – get many of the consideration, however the French membership would not attain the quarterfinals with out shutting down Liverpool’s potent assault over two legs. Liverpool besieged PSG’s protection for big parts of Tuesday’s second leg after Dembele’s early aim introduced the guests stage on mixture. However Liverpool’s breakthrough second by no means got here, and PSG went on to prevail after Gianluigi Donnarumma saved a pair of penalties.

PSG’s defensive heroics at Anfield obtained them to the shootout within the first place. Willian Pacho was a standout performer Tuesday, producing key interceptions, blocks, and clearances. Nuno Mendes additionally produced important interventions that have been very important in conserving PSG alive within the match they’re so determined to win. – Gordon Brunt

Leverkusen crumble towards Bayern

Bayern Munich beat Bayer Leverkusen 5-0 on mixture

Leverkusen hadn’t misplaced any of their earlier six matches towards Bayern Munich. However that was in home competitors. “The Champions League is a little more emotional,” Leverkusen supervisor Xabi Alonso identified earlier than the groups’ last-16 tie. “Emotional management is most necessary. 5 dangerous minutes, and also you’re gone.”

Gone they’re after shedding handily to their German rivals for precisely these causes. Leverkusen conceded 9 minutes into the primary leg and completed the sport right down to 10 males. Armed with a 3-0 mixture lead, Bayern struck one other two targets whereas limiting house for Leverkusen to assault. Alonso’s aspect did not have a shot heading in the right direction till the sixty fifth minute, by which level the tie was lengthy gone. – Lopopolo

Guirassy retains swinging for Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund beat Lille 3-2 on mixture

Serhou Guirassy has been the one fixed in Borussia Dortmund’s seesaw of a season, and his skillful efforts in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Lille ensured his aspect’s continued progress within the Champions League.

Simply as every part appeared to go fallacious – a pair of goal-line clearances and a few unbelievable point-blank saves unnerved Dortmund within the first half – Guirassy gained the penalty that leveled the tie and assisted the aim that gained it. He now has 14 aim involvements within the Champions League, the joint-most by an African participant in a single season. Guirassy hasn’t gone greater than two video games with out having some materials impression on the rating line, exhibiting the sort of consistency Dortmund have lacked in a 12 months by which they’ve reached the Champions League quarterfinals whereas toiling in tenth place within the Bundesliga. – Lopopolo

Asensio provides additional component for Villa

Aston Villa beat Membership Brugge 6-1 on mixture

When January transfers work as supposed, they supply a important midseason increase that may ignite a workforce and push it excessive. Marco Asensio’s transfer to Aston Villa is a first-rate instance. The Spaniard, who arrived in Birmingham on mortgage from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day of the January window, was largely a non-factor within the French capital for the primary half of the marketing campaign, scoring two league targets in restricted minutes.

However his high quality has by no means been unsure, and he is reminding anybody who may need forgotten about that. The 29-year-old scored twice in Wednesday’s second-leg win over Membership Brugge, bringing his tally to seven targets in eight video games since becoming a member of Aston Villa. Asensio, a three-time Champions League winner with Actual Madrid, can deliver essential big-game expertise to a membership that may now characteristic in its first European Cup quarterfinal in 42 years. Along with supervisor Unai Emery, one other continental knowledgeable, Villa have each likelihood to proceed their unlikely run. To take action, they’re going to must defeat none aside from PSG, the squad that jettisoned Asensio, within the subsequent spherical. – Nesci

Arsenal capitalize on uncommon breather

Arsenal beat PSV Eindhoven 9-3 on mixture

Arsenal’s last-16 affair with PSV Eindhoven performed out completely for Mikel Arteta. With a quarterfinal berth nearly sealed after a ruthless 7-1 first-leg win final week, the Gunners coach jumped at a uncommon alternative to rotate his bruised and battered squad Wednesday. Seldom-used loanee Raheem Sterling delivered a stable first-half show in a makeshift assault that additionally noticed left-back Kieran Tierney begin on the wing and midfielder Mikel Merino line up because the No. 9 by the center.

Arsenal padded their result in progress with a 9-3 win on mixture earlier than a troublesome quarterfinal check towards holders and 15-time winners Actual Madrid. However Arsenal’s Champions League journey may get an enormous increase by April with Gabriel Martinelli at full energy and Bukayo Saka’s anticipated return. Their Premier League title push is all however over, however do not low cost an Arsenal aspect that would put all their eggs within the Champions League basket. – Brunt

Actual Madrid all the time discover a method

Actual Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 4-2 on penalties (2-2 on mixture)

As Atletico Madrid and Actual Madrid approached penalties, just one workforce appeared just like the clear winner. Not as a result of they dominated or deserved to undergo, however as a result of they’ve all the time come out on prime. Madrid, in fact, obliged, beating Atletico in a shootout for the sixth time in six makes an attempt. An unfortunate double contact annulled Julian Alvarez’s penalty, opening up the win for Madrid and serving up an excruciating reminder of their historic supremacy over Atletico.

It actually felt completely different when Conor Gallagher leveled the tie on mixture only a minute into the second leg. Atletico usually defended with six on the again however nonetheless produced the lion’s share of probabilities, forcing Madrid shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois into seven saves. Even Vinicius Junior missed a penalty, which he had accomplished solely twice earlier than in his professional profession and by no means earlier than for Madrid. There wasn’t rather more Atletico may do. However the Champions League is a humorous match. Generally solely the tiniest margins depend. And Madrid stay in these margins. – Lopopolo