The Champions League has returned from hibernation, albeit not in a spectacular way. Tuesday’s matches went as expected, with Real Madrid narrowly beating Leipzig 1-0 and Copenhagen losing 3-1 to Manchester City. While Paris Saint-Germain beat Real Sociedad 2-0 on Wednesday, Lazio’s 1-0 win over Bayern Munich at home represented the shock of the week.
A selection of outstanding performers from this week’s last 16 matches.
Goalkeeper: Real Madrid had to suffer to triumph in Leipzig and they did it; thanks to a great performance, apart from the early goal from Benjamin Sesko, which was a rather questionable decision. Andriy Lunin. The Ukrainian replaced Kepa Arrizabalaga as Carlo Ancelotti’s first choice in the absence of Thibaut Courtois. The duel between Sesko and Lunin was one that the goalkeeper won decisively, making a more decisive contribution than his star team-mates by denying Leipzig and making a total of nine saves.
Defender: Much more than a simple defender, Achraf Hakimi He created the most chances of the competition from open play to reach the last 16 and maintained his status as one of Europe’s most reliable supply lines with a fine pass that Ousmane Dembélé could have done better on. Paris Saint-Germain did not fare well against Real Sociedad – the Moroccan was asked to do plenty of defending – but the tensely approaching task was completed with some satisfaction.
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Defender: Currently, the centre-backs are performing at a high level at Real Madrid due to the injury crisis, with David Alaba and Éder Militão recovering from cruciate injuries. Besides the much more experienced Nacho, Aurélien TchouameniAn elite defensive midfielder, he showed his versatility by stepping back just as he did against Girona on Saturday. He was asked to handle the dangerous Sesko in a much more demanding detail than at the weekend, and in the end he sided with his team.
Defender: It was tempting to view Bayern Munich’s second defeat in a week as a failure of the forward line, but here’s how Lazio’s disciplined win took shape: Alessio Romagnoli. Harry Kane fell for shots from distance and rather embarrassingly slipped during a free-kick. Romagnoli was outstanding, making some bruising tackles and Bayern had no shots on target the entire match. The Italian national player showed off his country’s famous defensive skills.
Defender: Lazio’s full-backs Adam Marusic and Montenegrin and Albanian Elseid Hysaj did well to deal with attacks from Bayern’s Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sane from the flanks. Hysaj had a tough opening in the first few minutes but made it through before having to leave the field due to injury. Marusic moved to the left to replace his colleague and kept Sane quiet just as he was cutting into Musiala, prompting Thomas Tuchel to withdraw the winger as Bayern became increasingly desperate in the closing stages.
Midfield: As debuts continue, Magnus Mattsson There was one to remember for Copenhagen. In his first match since joining from NEC Nijmegen, his first match for his new club after a long winter break, he scored when he was given the equalizer for an Ederson error. His shot from outside the penalty area was quite successful. Although City dominated much of the match, Mattsson epitomized the efforts that kept the scoreline close as Copenhagen’s players chased the shadows. “I’m ready to give everything,” he said of the rematch in Manchester.
Midfield: Kevin De BruyneCity’s early strike in Copenhagen was ominous for the owners, as was their overall performance. The Belgian’s work in the tournament was left unfinished after he limped off in last season’s final; He missed the group stages entirely this season. His goal was often well scored, pierced with real venom, and he later managed to become goal provider for Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden. The fact that he finished the 90 minutes with the last goal shows that he remains fit, another factor that will calm challengers to City’s throne.
Midfield: There’s no bigger shoe in European football right now than Jude Bellingham’s, though. Brahim Diaz He proved to be an admirable deputy. The former Manchester City youth player, who equalized in the last Madrid derby, scored a goal that Bellingham, who was dealing with an ankle problem, would have been proud of, quickly passing three defenders and shooting with his left foot. He won a match that at times threatened to escape Madrid, but Díaz, who seized the opportunity and even used Bellingham’s signature celebration, suffered an untimely muscle injury.
Forward: With De Bruyne and Erling Haaland left out of the City team, the job was left to Bernardo Silva. Phil Foden Taking charge and nursing Pep Guardiola’s team. Now that the big duo is back, Silva and Foden have not let standards drop and after Copenhagen there is uncertainty as to which duo to include. There were suggestions at the start of the season that Foden would operate more centrally, but the return of De Bruyne has seen him return to the wing on a more regular basis. Its consistency continues to be amazing.
Forward: The last conversation was: Kylian Mbappe He is wasting his career by staying at Paris Saint-Germain. His future is likely to lie away from the French capital, but he is arguably one of the main reasons his club has one foot in the quarter-finals in their swansong season. Playing as a centre-forward, his technique of volleying for PSG’s first goal set him apart from the others, as he came within a week’s time of coming absolutely short of a first-class finish. He then crashed into the bar. He could have done much better, but this was good enough.
Forward: Another player in Denmark’s impressive production line, Gustav Isaksen He provided the crucial moment in Lazio’s victory over Bayern Munich by winning Dayot Upamecano’s foul which resulted in a red card. Playing on the right wing, Isaksen was a frequent threat for Raphaël Guerreiro and could have already opened the scoring if Manuel Neuer had not saved with his legs. Ciro Immobile won the penalty but the 22-year-old, who is not yet a Danish international, gave him the opportunity to do so.