UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals (First Legs)
Arsenal vs Real Madrid - Emirates Stadium (3-0 AGG)
The first of this year's Champions League Quarter Finals was contested between Arsenal and the reigning champions Real Madrid. A game in which Arsenal seemed to dominate in every possible stat. With Arenal having 11 of their 12 attempts on goal were on target, 3 of which were scored. An over 90% success rate for the Gunners who were deserved winners on the night. A result which not many would have seen coming at the start of this year’s competition. Real Madrid seemed to lack their cutting edge with only 3 shots on target and minimal clear cut chances. However, they do have home advantage in the second leg in which they have come back from a deficit before against an English side in Man City in the Semi Finals in 2022. All to do for Real Madrid in the second leg.
Opening the scoring was Arsenal and England starman Declan Rice, after fellow England starman Bukayo Saka was fouled. Rice stepped up from 28 yards out, bending the ball around the Real Madrid wall and flying past Courtois in the goal. A decision by Rice that we found out after the game went against set piece coach Nicolas Jover, who wanted him to cross the ball instead of shooting. A great decision from Rice to take on the shot as Arsenal went 1-0 up in the 58th minute.
In the 70th minute, Arsenal had another free kick, this time on the other side of the box. With only one man going to take the kick after what he did just over 10 minutes prior, Declan Rice stepped up again. He used the same technique in the same corner and rifled the ball into the top corner. An unbelievable, inch perfect free kick to double Arsenal’s lead and double his tally for the night. Thibaut Courtois stood no chance on either of the goals as the quality of the strikes for both would beat any goalkeeper in the World .
A 3rd was added within 5 minutes of the second goal, with Arsenal going 3-0 up within 17 minutes of the first to last goal. This time, 18 year old Myles Lewis-Skelly was just inside the left corner of the box when he laid the ball off to Mikel Merino. Their makeshift number 9 with a sweeping left foot curled finish into the bottom left corner to make it an ideal home performance from the Gunners.
The night did go from bad to worse for Carlo Ancelotti’s men as before the game finished an unnecessary incident from Eduardo Camavinga gave him his second yellow card of the game. As a seeming heat of the moment of frustration, Camavinga kicked the ball away after a free kick was given against his team. Referee Irfan Peljto had no choice but to give the Frenchman his marching orders, which sees him miss the return leg in Madrid. A moment that he will surely regret as not only his manager, but teammates and fans will be far from happy with it.
Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan - Allianz Arena (1-2 AGG)
A classic case of the home team getting most of the chances but the clinical team is the away side who take a win back home. Bayern ended the game with twice as many shots but almost the same amount of shots on target as their opponents. Bayern had their chances, even hitting the post from a Harry Kane effort when the game was still at 0-0. Inter take a 2-1 lead back to the San Siro with an uphill task facing the German league leaders.
A great team goal for Inter to open the scoring, which was started on the left side by Carlos Augusto. He crossed the ball into Marcus Thuram around the penalty area who set up an arriving Lautaro Martinez with a delicate back heel. Martinez chose to go with the outside of his right boot straight into the roof of the net to give Inter the lead with their first shot on target. A great finish from the Argentine with an equally good assist from Thuram.
A late equaliser came from substitute Thomas Muller, who was waiting at the back post when Conrad Laimer put the ball back in on the left hand side of the box. Laimer was putting the ball in after a good ball from Joshua Kimmich put in a swinging delivery but no one could get on the end of it as it went out to Laimer. The defending from Inter was not good as most were caught ball watching as it came across the 6 yard box and even bounced before Muller got on the end of it. A true goal poacher's finish from Muller as he got Bayern back into the game.
The winner was scored just 3 minutes later as Inter did not sit back and went after the winner in a brave move that paid off. A move that started from goalkeeper Yann Sommer and went through the spine of the team. Nicolo Barella with a neat give and go with Martinez before setting away Augusto again. He took one touch before looking like he was going to shoot, but pulled it back to Davide Frattesi who fired it into the net. He immediately takes his shirt off celebrating with his Inter teammates on the pitch and from the bench. All of which seemed to realise how much of an important goal that could be as they came away from the Allianz Arena with a 2-1 victory.
Barcelona vs Borussia Dortmund - Olympic Stadium Lluis Companys (4-0 AGG)
A dominant victory for the Catalan club as they seem to already have one foot in the semi-finals following the 4-0 victory. Last year’s beaten finalist’s still looked in the game at halftime with it being only 1-0. However, a terrific display in the second half from Barca saw them run away with the game and seemingly the tie as a whole. An uphill task for Dortmund in the second leg but not impossible especially with the home crowd at Signal Iduna Park.
The breakthrough came in the 25th minute from a free kick delivered by Fermin Lopez to the back post. Inigo Martinez headed the ball across the box, as Pau Cubarsi slid in to win the ball and turn it goalwards. Gregor Kobel managed to get a hand to it but it seemed to be going in anyway. However, a sliding Raphinha poked it in on the line, the Barca players celebrated with Cubarsi but it was Raphinha credited with the goal.
Once again Lamine Yamal was involved in the second goal for Barcelona. This time he was on the right hand side and floated it into the back post. Raphinha headed the ball back across goal with Lewandowski waiting at the back post to nod it in from close range.
A great counter attack led to the third goal for Barca as Fermin Lopez did a great give and go with Yamal down the right side. Lopez set the ball first time to Lewandowski who made no mistake, doubling his tally for the game. The Polish striker compiling the misery for one of his former sides to make it 3-0.
Another counter attack after a poor pass from one of the Dortmund players was intercepted near the halfway line. A 3 on 1 counter for Barca as Raphinha set the ball to Lamine Yamal on the opposite side. He weighted the ball perfectly as Yamal only needed to take one touch before putting the ball in the bottom corner. This made it 4-0 in the 77th minute as a great showing from Barcelona sets them up perfectly for the second leg.
PSG vs Aston Villa - Parc Des Princes (3-1 AGG)
Another dominant performance by PSG as they take a 3-1 lead to Villa Park. Although, not all smooth sailing as Villa did take the lead in the 35th minute. However, that was 1 of only 2 shots on target Villa had in the entire game. PSG came back with some great goals from Doue and Kvaratskhelia for a 2 goal advantage going into the second leg. Aston Villa have work to do in the return leg but are still within touching distance of the French champions.
A good tackle by John McGinn set Aston Villa up for a counter attack in the 35th minute. He carried the ball before switching the play to the left hand side to Marcus Rashford, who takes a touch and set a pass to Youri Tielemans who was going into the box. Tielemans pulled the ball across the box and Morgan Rogers was waiting at the back post to score from close range. The man who just 18 months ago was playing for Middlesbrough in the Championship, now scoring in a Champions League Quarter-Final against PSG for Aston Villa. This gave Villa the lead in the 35th minute with a great team goal.
Within 5 minutes, Paris were level thanks to an excellent individual effort from Desire Doue. Nuno Mendes gave the ball to Doue on the left side, he cut in on his right foot, took a few touches and a fake shot. He then took on the shot, curling it into the top corner, clipping the top of the crossbar as it went in. A superb goal from the 19 year old Frenchman.
PSG then took the lead early in the second half with a goal from their own box. Great play from Hakimi and Dembele before a lovely spinning pass from Fabian Ruiz set Kvaratskhelia away. He took the ball to go one on one against Axel Disasi, who was brought on at half time due to an early yellow card for Matty Cash. Kvaratskhelia ran at Disasi before a fake shot and dragged back to get past Disasi. Onto his left foot and he fired a shot into the roof of the net. Another goal which clipped the framework of the goal as it went in to give PSG the lead for the first time in the tie.
Into added time at the end of the game, PSG added a third goal to extend their lead. Ousmane Dembele picked up the ball in the middle of the pitch, he made an eye of the needle pass between defenders to set up Nuno Mendes. He looked like he was going for a shot but faked it and turned instead, which wrong footed Emi Martinez and Ezri Konsa. Mendes then had the easy job of lifting the ball over Martinez with his right foot into the goal to make it 3-1. A great end to the game for PSG as they have a 2 goal advantage to take to Villa Park.
