2025-26 Champions League Quarterfinals (2nd leg)

Quarterfinals 2nd Leg

Atletico Madrid 1-2 Barcelona (agg 3-2)

Wow!  I figured Barca would come out swinging, so I was not too surprised when they scored in the 5th minute (though the bad giveaway in Atletico's defensive half was a bit odd).  Not surprised, either, when Barca tied up the aggregate just a few minutes later, on some crazy action in front of the goal. But I was pleasantly surprised when Atletico responded before halftime and re-took the lead.  (Interesting that the refs missed rather obvious corner kicks for each team, either or both really could've shaken up this match--both sides were balling out in the 1st half). In the 2nd half, I thought Atletico was the better side, felt just as dangerous on the attack and even tighter in the back. I thought the off-sides call that negated what would've been the tying goal for Barca was the right call, but I thought the red card on the defense a little later on was a bit much (the other defender was right there and the contact was a foul but not a dangerous play or anything). I knew Barca would be back in this game, knew this was gonna be a good one. Seeing Atletico go through feels like the better team won.  

Liverpool 0-2 Paris SG (agg 0-4)

Yeah, Liverpool just never got anything going in either leg. They held out as long as they could, PSG didn't seal it til relatively late in the 2nd half. But, Liverpool had no attack at all, so its not like there was much chance of them tying it up. PSG is the best team I've seen in this tourney, Liverpool is a nice squad but they just don't have the firepower to hang with this loaded PSG squad. 

Bayern Munich 4-3 Real Madrid (agg 6-4)

What a great match! Back and forth action throughout, both teams were dangerous at all times, tons of goals, and capped off by one of the most cold-blooded goals I've ever seen! Bayern is back, man! They've been good-but-just-not-there for a few years now but they seem to have shed whatever was ailing them--and they seem to have pawned it off on Real Madrid. Real is still really really good but this year's model is snakebit: bounced in the Copa del Rey (in the round of 16!), quarters in the Champions League (to rejuvenated Bayern Munich), and a distant 2nd in La Liga (to Barca), where they have a ton a of head scratching finishes this season. Gonna be a struggle of a summer in Madrid (well, not on the Atletico side of town).

Arsenal 0-0 Sporting CP (agg 1-0)

Sporting is rugged, man, nothing comes easy against these guys. But they also don't sport much of an attack, so not surprising that Arsenal was able to make their one goal (their one moment of brilliance in 180 minutes against Sporting) hold up. Tricky now, though: Sporting made for such a weird competitor, it's kinda hard to tell how good Arsenal is. 

Semifinals

Paris Saint-Germain - Bayern Munich

This is your final right here. I think PSG is the best team I've seen in this tourney, I think Bayern is the 2nd best team--and arguably playing even better right now. PSG better get a decisive result at home because going back to Munich is not gonna be much fun this year. *popcorn munch*

Atletico Madrid - Arsenal 

Atletico had to go against well-known foe (Barcelona), while Arsenal went up against a scrappy batch of nobodies (Sporting CP), so.....which is the better team? On the one hand, it's easy to say that Arsenal probably would've fallen to Barcelona; on the other, I can totally see Sporting CP giving Atletico Madrid the fight of their lives. So....which is the better team? I have no idea. My gut says Atletico has been playing harder and finding more success this season but Arsenal is right there with them....so which is the better team? I look forward to finding out. 

2025-26 Champions League (Quarterfinals)

1st Leg

Real Madrid 1-2 Bayern Munich

Wonderful soccer! Both teams were dangerous all the way through, Bayern was able to finish right before half and then again right after, but Real never went away, back and forth action and Madrid was able to claw back a goal. Over the last few years, Bayern has been close but they just haven't been themselves lately--they're starting to look like the old Bayern again. Real is strong, they can be frisky on the road, but I think Bayern finishes this back home. Ought to be a classic either way. 

Sporting CP 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal's goal came in the 90th minute, Havertz finds the hole in the defense, expertly takes down the pass and sneaks it past the keeper. Whew! The whole match long I was thinking the Arsenal was the better team, the more confident in possession, but Sporting just keeps coming, they never let up, and if I was an Arsenal fan I'd sure feel better with a goal on the road. Didn't feel like that goal was coming, but they snuck one in at the last minute and I think Arsenal's looking pretty good going back home. That said, Sporting is relentless, they don't know how to stop, so Arsenal should coming out looking to add to that lead. 

Barcelona 0-2 Atletico Madrid

Just not Barca's day, seemed like every promising attack went awry, unlucky bounces on defense, goofy red card, Atletico just kinda did whatever they wanted on this day. They'll probably regret not scoring more because I doubt Barca will be this bad in the return match. Atletico's looking good but I wouldn't count out Barca just yet.  

Paris-St. Germain 2-0 Liverpool

Liverpool's press defense was rugged for about 10 minutes--didn't feel like PSG was ever gonna cross midfield! But PSG did, got into the box, scored a weird-looking goal and that was that. Liverpool never got any offense going, PSG thoroughly dominated the 2nd half. I suppose Liverpool has a puncher's chance back at home, but PSG is clearly the better team and with a two goal advantage, I'd be pretty surprised if Liverpool gets 'em back.   

2025-26 Champions League (Round of 16)

1st leg

Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool

For the first few minutes of the game, Galatasaray kept giving the ball away in their own backfield--over and over again!--that it felt for a while like they were never going to get the ball across midfield and were desperately trying to give the game away as quick as possible. But soon enough, they did finally move the ball downfield, got a corner and scored in the 5th minute. Liverpool must've felt shell shocked: they had already blown a half dozen good opportunities before the audience was even paying attention and now they're down 1-0. After that it was a fairly even game, they each had a goal taken away: Liverpool for a handball (correct call) and Galatasaray for an offside (eh, that was 50-50, the dude really wasn't in the play). I expect Liverpool to put up a fuller richer effort back in England, so this one is not over.

Atalanta 1-6 Bayern Munich

Bayern came to play, Atalanta didn't know what hit them. Bayern scored, then scored again almost instantly, then scored again almost instantly, then peppered the keeper a few more times before the half and it was clear pretty quick that this one was over. I honestly snoozed through most the 2nd half, every time I looked up Bayern had scored again. Atalanta is here because Dortmund collapsed badly in the last round, not saying they don't belong here but they clearly weren't ready for Bayern. This one's over. 

Atletico Madrid 5-2 Tottenham

Oh man! Early on, the keeper lost his balance and it was 1-0; a minute later the defender loses his footing and it was 2-0; keeper slips again, 3-0 before the game has even started. Tottenham did well to keep playing, keep pushing, they got back a coupla goals, but this will be one of those matches that Tottenham fans remember for years and years. Does Tottenham have a shot back home in the next leg? I doubt it, man, they shouldn't get crushed this bad again, but this was bad enough. I definitely like Atletico's chances to move on. 

Newcastle United 1-1 Barcelona

Oof! Really thought Newcastle outplayed Barca, they really came to play while Barca felt like they were just chillin'. Thought Newcastle did a good job on the attack, pushed Barca back consistently, kept them out of scoring range pretty effectively. Felt let a hard earned draw, then Newcastle got a stunning goal in the 87th minute and it seemed like Newcastle was gonna score the stunning upset. Then in extra time, a foul in the box (the right call, it was a legit foul) and Barca scratches back the draw with a buzzer beater. Ooooooohhhhhhhhh maaaaaaaannnnnnnn. Still live in the 2nd leg, if Newcastle can pick up where they left off with the attacking intensity, they can catch Barca waffling, this one's definitely still in play. 

Leverkusen 1-1 Arsenal

Arsenal felt to me like the better side, but in the first half they played to a straight nothing-nothing draw. Right out of the half Leverkusen connected on a corner kick and it felt like that was gonna be all the scoring. But Arsenal found the net with a PK (I'm blanking on the play, don't remember if I thought it was the right call or not), just before the close and they're going back to England with an even chance to move on. Leverkusen is a nice team but they didn't feel dangerous on the attack, I think I'd take Arsenal to move on. 

Bodo 3-0 Sporting CP

Bodo! Never heard of Bodo before but when they scorched Inter Milan in back to back games in the round of 24, they definitely caught my attention. They're grit and grind, man, they hustle, they make the plays that the preening rock stars of soccer never follow through on and that edge has served them well so far, I can totally see it working through at least one more round. But, then again: I thought this match was actually pretty even with Bodo being uniquely successful on their chances, but I didn't think they overwhelmed Sporting by any means. Can Sporting can go back home and find 3 goals? I dunno, maybe, I can't rule it just yet because I don't know these teams at all. I'm all into Bodo, rooting for them, certainly looking good (so far), but Sporting still has a chance to move on and I expect them to bring it in the 2nd leg. 

Paris-St Germain 5-2 Chelsea

(Did I watch this one? I'm not remembering this one)

Real Madrid 3-0 Manchester City

1st half hat trick for Valverde and that was pretty much it for Man City. They were nice goals, too, they weren't cheapies, they were sweet. Didn't feel like Man City couldn't hang, just that Real made the most of their chances. Real's in the driver's seat but Man City can have a good day, too, so worth keeping an eye on.  

2nd leg

Sporting 5-0 (AET) Bodo (agg 5-3)

Ahhh, yeah....that's too bad. I was all in on Bodo fever but this result was not particularly surprising. Bodo had no attack at all, they seemed to think that just bunkering was going to be good enough and that did not work. Hey, even in the 1st leg I didn't think Bodo wildly outplayed Sporting, I just thought they converted their opportunities better. But in the 2nd leg, Sporting attacked nonstop--even through 2 OT periods--and Bodo just never got any offense going at all. Sorry, Bodo, I was rooting for you, but your time was up. Sporting is frisky, gonna be a tough out.

Arsenal 2-0 Leverkusen (agg 3-1)

Felt bad for Leverkusen's goalie, he made a ton of great saves--and Arsenal's goals were both untouchable, certainly not his fault. But Arsenal attacked and Levekusen just didn't, Leverkusen just didn't generate much going forward. The 1st leg was even, maybe Arsenal was a tad better, but in the 2nd leg I thought Arsenal dominated Levekusen. Hard to tell, actually, how good Arsenal is, Leverkusen didn't put up enough of a fight to really bring out Arsenal. 

Manchester City 1-2 Real Madrid (agg 1-5)

Real just got it done, Man City tried but they couldn't get anything consistent going forward and they had 2 goals taken away for off-sides (both calls were correct). I thought Man City did their best and it just wasn't good enough. As for Real, didn't even think they played their best. 

Chelsea 0-3 Paris SG (agg 2-8)

Oh, Chelsea. Blasted in the first game, out of sorts in the 2nd leg, too. PSG finished their chances, Chelsea did not. 

Barcelona 7-2 Newcastle (agg 8-3)

Wow, a really tight, tense match....for the 1st half. Barca was getting goals but Newcastle was matching and they never seemed rattled, felt like Newcastle had...I dunno...figured something out, because they didn't seem afraid of Barca. Then Barca got a PK right before half (ehh, I get the call, there was contact, but I would've let it go, I think it was a 50/50 call) and snatched the lead. But before you know it, Barca scored three quick goals and, well, that was that. Felt bad for Newcastle, they were really bringing it for about 45 minutes but they couldn't make it mean anything. Barca is definitely looking good.

Liverpool 4-0 Galatasaray (agg 4-1)

Similar to the Barca match, it was tense and tight and a fascinating match until halftime. Then Liverpool just kept scoring in the 2nd half and Galatasaray just couldn't stop them. I thought Liverpool was the better team throughout, it was only a matter of time before Liverpool found the goal. But once they did, good lord, the avalanche just kept getting bigger and bigger as it came down the mountain. 

Tottenham 3-2 Atletico Madrid (agg 5-7)

Fun match, Tottenham balled out but they couldn't keep Atletico off the scoreboard and that was just it. Atletico is looking good, thought Tottenham was actually a pretty good opponent.

Bayern Munich 4-1 Atalanta (agg 10-2)

Didn't watch any of this, didn't have to, it was plainly obvious from the first leg that Atalanta just wasn't up to this. Bayern is heating up, gonna be a tough out. 

2025 Champions League (semifinals)

Arsenal 0-1 Paris St-Germain

Paris St-Germain 2-1 Arsenal

Arsenal was on fire earlier in this tournament, but PSG cooled them off right quick. In two games, Arsenal's attack was non-existent, only a single late goal on their tally sheet. PSG was the better team on both sides, controlled the ball, controlled the tempo and rather easily won both of these matches. Good games but PSG was the clear better team in both matches. 

Barcelona 3-3 Inter Milan

Inter Milan 4-3 (ET) Barcelona

Whoa! I spent a week telling my soccer-phobic friends that if they were only going to watch one soccer match this year, it should be that first match between Barca and Inter. Now I've got to implore them to watch TWO games this year because that second match was even better! Inter opened the scoring in the 1st leg with a masterful opening rush that started with them getting pushed back to their own goal line, then punting to midfield, connecting on a quick pass, a swift push up the wing, which led to one of the loveliest (cheeky!) backheel goals I've ever seen. So, the first minute of the game pretty much got you ready for a barn burner. The next 219 minutes were pretty good, too! Coming in I thought Barca was the best team in the tournament, but Inter has really impressed me. Inter's attack is strong, their defense is holding up and they ran past the best team, so they are a deserving finalist. 

Final

PSG - Inter Milan

Gonna be a good one. PSG has the star power but Inter just keeps getting it done against top flight competition, so I'm going with Inter.

2021 Champions League (Round of 16) (2nd leg)

Juventus 3-2 (4-4) Porto 

That 1st half PK....meh. I see the contact but to me it just looks like two guys going after the ball with neither really getting an unfair advantage, so I would've let it go. Juve just couldn't get their offense going, Porto was off-side trapping them to perfection and kept them frustrated on the wings especially and when Ronaldo gets impatient, he gets fidgety. Juve back in the game: 48th minute, Ronaldo settles a ball in the box perfectly for Chiesa to hammer home, nice teamwork and a real mood lifter. Just a few minutes later Chiesa beat the keeper but couldn't corral the ball--OMG, that defender got so lucky to sweep it away without giving up a penalty!  Okay, some sweet action here. Chiesa finishes on a beautiful header from a long ball pass (hmmm...are we sure he wasn't offside?) and we got ourselves a stew! Once it went it OT, I figured we were headed to PK's, but Porto scored and I missed that Porto was in the driver's seat, so when Juve scored right away, I thought we were back on the PK track. But, no, Porto advances on away goals. Juve really dominated this match but Porto made their two best chances stand up and they're moving on. Tough L for Juventus. 

Dortmund 2-2 (5-4) Sevilla

Man, Sevilla really came out swinging, attacking hard early on. But they weren't able to connect on a quick goal, feels like they're gonna wear themselves out. Called it! For the first 20 minutes or so, Dortmund couldn't get the ball across midfield, but the first good run at the goal they had, they managed to finished (who's stopping Haaland right now?). The goal/no goal/missed PK/2nd chance PK maneuver early in the 2nd half was confusing and I'm not convinced it was the right call, but it felt like Dortmund earned a goal, so I guess it's legit. Sevilla played their asses off down the stretch, the frantic run to the end made Dotrmund look shaky, but they held on. Kind of a crazy game, lot of cards, chippy fouls, high octane action, replays, ref looked lost at times....fun times. 

Liverpool 2-0 (4-0) Leipzig

Another fairly even match where Liverpool finished its chances and Leipzig just couldn't generate any offense. Leipzig is solid but just doesn't have the attack to move forward. Kinda hard to tell, really, how good Liverpool is: was Leipzig a sturdy pushback or an easy pushover? My eyes told me the two teams were not that far apart but the scoreboard shows me a different picture. 

Paris St. Germaine 1-1 (5-2) Barcelona

Man, Barca had chances: missed PK, hit the post a coupla times, swung the ball in front of the goal numerous times, kinda lived in PSG's box for long stretches...and just couldn't connect. PSG got a quick PK (meh, I thought it was a weak call) and the lead seemed insurmountable....and it was. Shame to miss out on Messi going forward but it would've sucked being deprived of Mbappe, too, I suppose. 

Real Madrid 3-1 (4-1) Atalanta

Madrid controlled the game early, up 1-0 at halftime, and the game was pretty much over when they finished a PK (iffy call) early in the 2nd half. Atalanta got a goal, but gave it right back. Real was the better team for 180 minutes. 

Manchester City 2-0 (4-0) Gladbach

Gladbach just never had any attack at any point in these two matches. Even their high pressured defense was of little use, seemed like Man City was more than happy to kill time passing the ball around in their backfield. De Bruyne nailed a beauty early in the game and then they added another goal before halftime on a breakaway (beautiful set-up pass, just gorgeous) and it was all over quick.  

Bayern Munich 2-1 (6-2) Lazio

Yeah, Bayern is just better than Lazio. Lazio could maintain possession but they couldn't push forward and Bayern's counter were just overwhelming. 

Chelsea 2-0 (3-0) Atletico Madrid

I was surprised how un-sexy Atletico's attack was, just never seemed scary around the goal. Chelsea controlled the offense, that first goal finished the game, the late goal was just cold blooded.

Quarters:

Man City v Dortmund

I'm looking forward to it. Dortmund's offense can pile up goals quickly but it goes cold, too. If Man City can control the tempo, they can stymie Dortmund. This could go either way: indeed, this could be a tight, well-fought battle throughout or either team could house the other. This match offers perhaps the widest variance of outcomes.

Porto v Chelsea

I think Chelsea is the better team, not that Porto is undeserving but the way they scored in that first leg gives little indication of what they're actually like. If Porto can score early perhaps they can control the game, I think they'll have to. I gotta go with Chelsea, there's more firepower coming off the bench, too, they should score goals, whereas I think Porto has to bunker. 

Bayern Munich v Paris St. Germaine

This will be fun! Bayern isn't unbeatable, they're just really solid at every phase of the game. PSG, though, is exactly the kind of spicy side that put a scare into them. I see both teams scoring goals, this is definitely the matchup to watch.

Real Madrid v Liverpool

Hard to tell how good either of these teams are: Atalanta gave Real Madrid little to worry about and Leipzig just never spooked Liverpool. I got a feeling one of these sides is ready to collapse, just not sure who's going to do it first. Uh...I'll take Liverpool.

2018-19 Champions League (Round of 16)

2nd Leg

Real Madrid 1-4 Ajax (agg. 3-5)
Wow! I was more impressed with Ajax in the 1st leg than I expected to be but I didn't think they'd pull out the victory but, man, they pulled it! Ajax scored early, then scored again right away to take control of the game. Real had chances, hit the post a few times and attacked effectively, but Vinicus (who is really becoming the star of the side) was out of sync in this match and Real was powerless to replace his offense. Ajax wanted it more, played as a team, attacked consistently and kept Real frustrated on the defensive end. Great win for Ajax, really announced themselves as a tough out going forward; been rugged coupla weeks for Real, this season is a major disappointment for them in their first season without Ronaldo (feels like there's gonna be a lotta coming and going for Madrid this summer, I can see Benzema and Marcelo moving on).

Dortmund 0-1 Tottenham (agg 0-4)
In the first leg, I thought Dortmund just had a bad run of luck and found themselves buried; in the 2nd leg, they just never got going and when Kane drilled one early in the 2nd half, the game was pretty much over. The two teams were much more evenly matched than the score would suggest, Tottenham got hot at the right time and Dortmund couldn't recover. Hard to tell how good Tottenham is but they were the better team in this match up. 

Porto 3-1 Roma (agg 4-3)
This was a long rugged match that went deep into over time to determine who would move on. Porto got the penalty call they needed (meh, I thought it was a 50/50 call) and Roma did not get the penalty call they needed (meh, I thought it was a 50/50 call) a few minutes later to keep their hopes alive. I didn't love either of these teams, they were more workmanlike than talented but I kinda think Roma was the better side.

Paris St Germain 1-3 Manchester United (agg 3-3)
Wtf...? This is as bizarre a result as I've seen since that Pats-Falcons Super Bowl. This one kinda played like an NCAA basketball game: PSG just wanted to slow everything down and keep all offense to a minimum so they settled into a ball control formation and seemed content to just play keep-away for 90 minutes. Yeah...that's tough to do, man. Manchester got a fluke goal early (fantastic effort but it was tentative half-assed play in the defensive backfield that put the keeper in an impossible situation). PSG tied it up pretty soon after, seemed to take the control of the game back, but then settled back into a time-killing mode. But, again, this is tough to accomplish and Manchester took the 2-1 lead right before halftime to make a game of it again. In the 2nd half PSG successfully killed time...almost. In extra-time, a searching ball into the box caught a defender's arm earning the game-winning PK as time expired. Calling that a handball was kinda questionable (he was up in the air, had his back turned to the ball, nothing about it was intentional) but even more was how did they determine he was in this box? Weird play, weird reaction, weird ending. I can't help thinking that PSG was a much better team than Man U and them not being in the semifinals must  be a real shock in Paris; likewise in Manchester, where the fans must also be pretty shocked that they're still in it.

Manchester City 7-0 Schalke (agg 10-2)
Not a good day for Schalke. Man City blitzed them for three quick goals right before halftime, which pretty much ended it right there. City piled on (and on) in the 2nd half, barely even felt like Schalke was on the field. It was gonna be an uphill battle for Schalke to begin with but that was all over by halftime. Man City looks good but not this good, so hard to judge their chances going forward.

Juventus 3-0 Atletico Madrid (agg 3-2)
Ronaldo, man, that guy was built to play this game. Juve needed 3 goals so he went out and got 3 goals. Atletico made a game of it, this was still very much up in the air til a late PK sealed the deal for Juve. Both teams were pretty evenly matched, I guess; Atletico is the deeper side but Juve has Ronaldo. Juve is gonna be a tough out going forward but I don't see them as a favorite.

Bayern 1-3 Liverpool (agg 1-3)
This reminded me of an NFL game: this was a field position game and Bayern's offense just couldn't keep their gains up front, which doomed their defense. The Bayern D played really well but ran out of gas because the offense was non-existent. Liverpool's attack was just too much and controlled the 2nd half without much problem. Bayern is in for a major shakeup this summer: Lewandowski is having a good year but no one else is so I can see Robben, Ribery, Rodriguez, maybe even Neuer and Boateng elsewhere next fall. Liverpool, on the other hand, has a really good offense and they can be dangerous going forward.

Barcelona 5-1 Lyon (agg 5-1)
Strangely this game wasn't as lopsided as the score suggests. Barca scored early, took a 2-0 before halftime. But Lyon scored and made it a game again fairly early in the 2nd half. Then Barca blew up down the stretch (I didn't even see the last goal, now that I think of it) and comfortably packed it in but Lyon had more moxy and more chances than you think. But make no mistake, Barcelona was the better team and probably the favorite to win it all. 


The semifinal match-ups:
Tottenham v Manchester City
This is a tough one. These two English sides so thoroughly throttled their German opponents that its hard to tell how good either of them actually are. I think Man City is better...but I dunno. I'll go with Man City.

Liverpool v Porto
Porto is gonna dig in and play tough, I expect a much more defensive performance than they displayed against Roma. But I think Liverpool's attack is gonna be too much for them and if Liverpool brings it, Porto will be left with counterattacking options only, I just don't see how they score enough to move on. I'll take Liverpool.

Manchester United v Barcelona
Does Man U make the most of their second chance? Or do they get run out of town like a team that doesn't really deserve to be here? Since I have no questions at all about Barcelona, I'm thinking it's gonna be the latter for Manchester. I'll take Barcelona.

Ajax v Juventus
Dang! I don't want to see these two against each other. These are the two wily underdogs that will give fits to higher ranked opponents. Ajax really impressed me against Real Madrid, they held their formation and moved forward in conservative-but-aggressive fashion that was devastating at times. Juventus probably has more talent (and more expectation) but they also have Ronaldo, clearly the best player in this match. I dunno, man, I wanna go with Ajax as the scrappy underdog that shocks the Italian superpower, but I kinda think one Ronaldo is worth a team of scrappy underdogs. I'll go with Juventus. 

2018-19 Champions League (Round of 16)

1st Leg

Manchester United 0-2 Paris Saint-Germain
1st half felt like Man U had most of the momentum, attacked hard early on, but didn't overwhelm PSG; lot of yellow cards: ref might've been a little harsh, thought it was mostly just high intensity play, nothing too malicious (though Ashley Young was lucky not to get booted on a dangerous push in the back on Di Maria). 2nd half was more of the same but a perfect touch off a corner kick by Kimpembe in the 53rd minute gave PSG an all-important road goal, then they wisely kept up the attack just missing on another corner a few minutes later. Man U needs to take back the momentum now or they're gonna get run out of the stadium. And there it is: 60th minute Mbappe finishes on the breakaway and it feels like Manchester is cooked. Outside of Pogba (even he kinda disappeared in the 2nd half) and DeGea (some really marvelous saves, though the score sheet doesn't look to be in his favor), I just don't see much in this Manchester United side; the defense is okay but attack is badly lacking, a far cry from the 1990s teams that used to rumble over people Crimson Tide-like. Considering how little attack they had, seems really weird they waited til the 85th minute to bring Lukaku off the bench (he's a guy that requires a lot of service, you really have to build your attack around him rather than just plugging him in, but in a game like this I would've gone with him from the start). Ashley Young could've been red card-ed for his hit on DiMaria, instead he gets a second yellow for...well, I never figured out what it was for but looks like he'll be out of the return match. Pogba's hit was worth a second yellow, I guess, but man Man U's gonna be pretty thin when they head to Paris.

Roma 2-1 Porto
The 1st half of this game was all Roma, they seemed more likely to score and less likely to get scored on, felt like this would be a rout. But Porto held them for 70 minutes, starting to feel like Porto would escape with a scoreless draw. But Roma finally connected, then connected again soon after and all the momentum was back and it felt like they were gonna go into the second leg with a 2-0 thumping under the belt. But Porto snuck a late goal that could be kinda huge, a road goal feels like something of a reward for that first 70 minutes of withstanding the attack. We'll see it goes back in Portugal, but here Roma was clearly the better team.

Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Borussia Dortmund
The 1st half struck me as mild and fairly even, with Dortmund looking like probably the more complete and dangerous team. Yeah, that ended at halftime. Tottenham scored right away (lovely finish off a lovely cross after the defense pushed forward but forgot to bring the ball with them), added another not long after (another lovely finish off another lovely cross, albeit this time in traffic with actual defense), and then piled on with a seeing-eye header off a corner kick. Dortmund is capable of piling up goals at home but they don't seem capable of scoring and playing defense at the same time, meaning that Tottenham is very much in the driver's seat for the second leg.

Ajax 1-2 Real Madrid
In the 1st half I was impressed with Ajax's attack, they controlled the ball, pushed forward with abandon and really kept Real out of the action. They had a goal (nice rebound finish off a blocked corner kick) taken away by replay: I dunno, man, could've gone either way, I mean there is contact with the keeper but the keeper wasn't gonna make that save, the contact was incidental. Scoreless draw at the half. Real asserted themselves better in the 2nd half culminating in a 60th minute goal: Vinicius did some beautiful work up the sideline, beating his defender, dragging the ball through the box sculpting the defense to his liking, then laying it off to Benzema for the finish, keeper couldn't do anything. After that it felt like Real had crushed the home crowd, Ajax's superior offense went from ambitious to desperate. But in the 75th minute Ajax capitalized on a bad giveaway in the Real backfield (sneaky good finish: set up on the right foot, instead he shoots with the left back to the near post, using the keeper's momentum against him). From then on Ajax returned to their good attack, taking advantage of the fact that Real had prematurely subbed Bale and Benzema and Vinicius,really felt like they might score again. Instead it was Real that snuck the game winner on a breakaway (perfect cross, perfect finish) in the 85th. Heart breaker for Ajax, they really dominated most of this game but they couldn't get it done. Considering how lackluster their offense was this is a great result for Real, two road goals and a W sets them up very well for the 2nd leg.

Lyon 0-0 Barcelona
Gotta say: one of the more action-packed (sorta) scoreless draws I've ever seen. Thought both teams had plenty of chances of to score (especially Barca) but nobody bothered to take a good shot in the whole game. Plenty of good offense unhampered by intrusive defense but shooters somehow managed to never get a good final touch. All in all, Lyon did well to escape without any damage, though it was clear they were the second best team in this game. Telling moment: not even three minutes in, Messi got free just outside the box and the defender pulled him down without hesitation, you knew right then it was gonna be a long day for Lyon.

Liverpool 0-0 Bayern Munich
Liverpool felt like the better side throughout, really dominated the offense in the 2nd half. But they never did score leaving Bayern (who looks strangely soft this year, like the whole team has a cold) in a pretty good spot going into the next leg.

Schalke 04 2-3 Manchester City
Boy, Schalke had a brutally bad brain fart on that first MC goal: a challenge at midfield left a Schalke player down but rather than play the ball out, it drifetd all the way back to the gaolie, who made a lazy pass that got picked and converted; sucks, but the goal was legit. Schalke was able to get two PK's before halftime (the first one was a tough call, I mean clear handball but no intent and I thought minimal effect, letter of the law but not the spirit kinda call; the second one, I dunno, it just looked a pack of dudes bashing into each other, not sure how you can foul on that, but oh well), looked to be sitting pretty. But Man City was just all-around the better team, tied it up on a brilliant free kick, took the lead soon after on a perfect reaction to searching long ball, keeper was cooked. Man, you take away two penalty kicks and Schalke flat out got slaughtered in this game. Not only did the lose but they gave up 3 away goals, which is going to require a massive effort to move on. Those Bundesliga teams are not looking good: in the case of Dortmund I wasn't sure if Tottenham was the stronger side or just had a better day, Bayern was not the stronger side and did well to escape with a scoreless draw, and Schalke was not the stronger side and did not have the better day, so they're pretty much cooked.

Atletico Madrid 2-0 Juventus
Home side Atletico added two late goals to make it look like a runaway and they deserved it, they were clearly the better side. That said, it took them a long time to finally get on the board (had one taken away by replay, good call, I didn't notice that foul before the shot either), felt like Juve might steal one or at least get a reasonable result. Atletico attacked better, generally defended better and throwing a coupla late ones into the net felt like the proper result.


2nd leg predictions
PSG (*) 2-1 Man U
Porto 0-1 Roma (*)
Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Tottenham (*)
Real Madrid (*) 3-1 Ajax
Barcelona (*) 3-0 Lyon
Bayern Munich (*) 1-0 Liverpool
Man City (*) 2-1 Schalke
Juventus 2-1 Atletico Madrid (*)