Written by Jed Vine
Embed from Getty ImagesI will be reviewing each of the four quarter-final games from Europe’s elite competition. It was a round of fixtures that included late winners, big upsets and a record-breaking thrashing.
PSG 2–1 Atalanta
Embed from Getty ImagesA late turnaround saw the team from France knock out the Italian underdogs with two goals in the last few minutes.
The first half seemed to indicate that it would be Atalanta’s night. With a lot of pressure having been put on Neymar to lead the line, he missed a simple one-on-one just three minutes in, and was at fault for ruining a few clear-cut chances for the French side. And with one of the best players in the world fluffing his lines on multiple occasions, it was Mario Pasalic who showed him how to finish, as he curled a beautiful finish into the top corner with his left foot, giving Atalanta an unlikely but deserved lead.
Neymar was at the heart of everything that PSG did in the final third in both halves; he just didn’t have his shooting boots on. But when it seemed like they weren’t going to be able to break Atalanta down, Kylian Mbappe came onto the pitch, and the patnership between him and Neymar helped drag the French champions back into the tie. In the 90′ minute, Neymar controlled a cross with his thigh in stylish fashion, before squaring it to Marquinhos, and the tie was level.
They weren’t finished there, though. In the 93′ minute, Neymar slid a pass through to Mbappe, and the Frenchman squared it for Choupo-Moting, and the ex-Stoke substitute tapped it in to complete the late, late comeback.
Heartbreak for the neutrals’ favourite, but Atalanta can be very proud of what was a truly brilliant campaign. PSG just had too much quality for them, and, in a team of superstars, the unlikely hero of Choupo-Moting managed to save them from any potential embarrassment.
MOTM: Neymar
RB Leipzig 2-1 Atlético Madrid
Embed from Getty ImagesIn a game that seemed, on paper, to be a very tight contest, it was the German club who managed to overcome the team that knocked out reigning champions Liverpool to book a semi-final place just 11 years after the club’s formation.
The first half certainly lived up to most people’s expectations – a tight affair with very few clear-cut chances. It became clear, however, that Dayot Upamecano was going to be a hard man for Atlético to get past.
The first goal came in the 50′ minute, and it came from a brilliant team move. Marcel Sabitzer found himself on the right-wing, and he teased in a cross that was met by Dani Olmo, and the Spaniard was able to guide his header beyond Jan Oblak to give the underdogs the lead.
The Spanish side responded by bringing on substitute João Félix, and the 20 year old changed the game dramatically. He constantly looked to bring the ball forward, and this constant forward pressure led to him being taken down unfairly in the box by Klostermann after a great run. It was the youngster who stepped up to take the spot-kick too, and he smashed it into the side-netting to bring the game level.
Yet, despite the momentum switch, it was Leipzig who found the late winner. Sabitzer found Angeliño on the left with a great pass, and the on-loan left-back found Tyler Adams on the edge of the box, and the American’s effort deflected off Savic to give Oblak no chance.
Two firm defences seemed to be evenly matched, but the clinical nature of Julian Nagelsmann’s side meant that it was the Germans who advanced to play PSG in the semi-final.
MOTM: Dayot Upamecano
Barcelona 2–8 Bayern Munich
Embed from Getty ImagesIn one of the biggest shocks in Champions League history, Bayern Munich absolutely ripped Barcelona apart on Friday night. The Germans put in a historic performance, and their relentless pressure broke down the Catalan defence time and time and time again.
In a frantic opening, there was immediate evidence that there would be a lot of goals in the match. Just three minutes in, Perisic found Thomas Müller on the edge of the box, and the German played a one-two with Lewandowski before striking the ball into the bottom corner with his left foot. Four minutes later, Lenglet played a lovely ball over the top to Jordi Alba, and his pass to Suarez was intercepted by David Alaba, but his efforts to stop the cross only resulted in him looping the ball over Neuer himself to level the scores.
The game wouldn’t stay level for long. Bayern asserted their dominance with three quick-fire goals in 10 minutes. In the 21st, Serge Gnabry fed a ball through to Perisic, and the Croatian smashed the ball past ter Stegen with his left foot, with the ‘keeper only able to deflect it into the top corner rather than the bottom one. Then, four minutes later, Goretzka played a wonderful ball over the top, and Serge Gnabry ghosted in behind Lenglet to volley the ball into the bottom corner as the German continued his brilliant scoring season. Barcelona’s defence never looked secure, and this was capitalised on just after the half-hour mark as Kimmich put a cross in, and Müller ran around Lenglet to have a tap-in to make it four before half-time.
The tie seemed all but over at the break, with Barca needing a miracle to turn the game around. They were given a glimmer of hope when Luis Suarez sat Jérôme Boateng down with a fake shot before slamming the ball past Neuer with his left foot in the 56′ minute.
But any hopes of a comeback were shattered seven minutes later. 19 year old wonder-kid Alphonso Davies was able to leave Nelson Semedo for dead with a brilliant run, sprinting down the touchline, and his unbelievable speed and skill allowed him to pick out Kimmich for a tap-in. All the credit was rightly given to the Canadian teenager, who is surely the most exciting left-back in all of Europe.
As if it couldn’t get any worse for Barcelona, Philippe Coutinho came onto the pitch. The man on loan from Barca has endured endless criticism from the Spanish media and fans, with the club’s directors essentially offering him to multiple Premier League clubs. And, with a move away looking likely, the Brazilian was able to get his revenge on the club which made him suffer so much. In the 82′ minute, he crossed the ball in with his left to find Robert Lewandowski, and the striker was never going to be left out of the scoring when Barcelona’s defence was in such disarray, nodding the ball in for their sixth.
Just three minutes later, Müller found Coutinho on the left-wing, and the Brazilian touched it round Pique and slid the ball into the bottom corner to score against his parent club. The embarrassment was made even greater in the 89′ minute, as Thiago’s ball found Lucas Hernandez, and the Frenchman headed it down to Coutinho, and he smashed it past ter Stegen for the second time in the match. Whilst he didn’t celebrate either goal, he must surely have relished the chance to laugh in the face of the club he is on loan from.
A truly awful Barcelona display will surely cost Setién his job. An emotional interview from Pique highlighted the many problems with an ageing Barca side who seem out of ideas. Drastic change is needed at the club to prevent their imminent slide out of Spanish and European superiority.
Meanwhile, Bayern are undoubtedly the favourites for the trophy, and their clinical forwards and outrageous ability make them without doubt the best team to watch in Europe.
MOTM: Thomas Müller
Manchester City 1–3 Lyon
Embed from Getty ImagesA committed Lyon side upset the odds by knocking out Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to reach the semi-finals.
Guardiola changed his system to match Lyon, and his decision to play an unfamiliar formation came back to bite him. Their three defenders were Laporte, García and Fernandinho, and, unsure of their positions, were all caught out by Marçal’s long ball over the top of them in the 24′ minute. Took-Ekambi latched onto it, and Ederson came out to meet him, but Eric García managed to get back and tackle. However, his tackle only served to play the ball to Cornet, who provided a fantastic contribution when he curled the ball round Ederson and into the unguarded net. The Ivorian’s last four Champions League goals have all come at Manchester City’s expense.
Lyon’s formation was able to snuff out almost everything the Citizens threw at them. Brilliant performances from all three centre-halves, especially Jason Denayer, were helped by a midfield masterclass from highly-rated Frenchman Houssem Aouar.
It wasn’t until the 69′ minute that Guardiola’s team found the breakthrough. Mahrez was able to chip a ball over to Raheem Sterling, who chopped inside past Denayer, and his pass to De Bruyne was finished off in superb style as the Belgian side-footed it into the far corner.
Yet it was Lyon who took the lead once again. Aouar threaded a pass through the Blues’ backline, and the offside Toko-Ekambi let the ball run through his legs to substitute Moussa Dembele. Just four minutes after coming off the bench, the striker calmly slotted the ball through the legs of Ederson, and the underdogs took a late advantage. Whilst there may well have been a mould from the striker in the build-up, VAR had nothing to say about it, and the goal stood.
But the big moment for City came in the 86′ minute. Gabriel Jesus took the ball around the Lyon backline, and played a composed pass across the box to Sterling. And yet, despite standing less than 5 yards away from a gaping net, the Englishman somehow blazed it over the crossbar. And while Man City continued to reel after one of the worst misses in Champions League history, another mistake occurred down the other end of the pitch. Aouar hit a somewhat tame curling effort that should have been held easily, but Ederson spilled it straight to Moussa Dembele, and the substitute scored his second and Lyons third. Exactly 60 seconds after Sterling’s shocking miss, the game was out of City’s reach.
A phenomenal performance from Lyon sees them through to the semi-finals, whilst Guardiola will be left to rue the real missed opportunity for his side.
MOTM: Houssem Aouar
