UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round Of 16 Second Legs

Sporting CP 5-0 Bodo/Glimt (5-3 AGG) - Jose Alvalade Stadium

An unbelievable comeback from Sporting as they came back from 3-0 down on aggregate to book their place in the quarter-finals. They put an end to the great run of Bodo/Glimt after beating Manchester CIty, Atletico Madrid and knocking out last year's finalists in Inter Milan. 

The game was taken to extra time after it finished 3-3 in the 90 minutes but Sporting continued and ended the game winning 5-0 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate. They dominated the stats as the scoreline suggested with an impressive 36 shots on goals with 14 on target and 5 goals. A deserved win in the end for Sporting as they take on Arsenal in the quarter-finals. 

It took 34 minutes to get the opening goal for Sporting as they had a corner which was brilliantly put into the middle of the box by Trincao and won in the air by Goncalo Inacio. He flicked it into the bottom corner and immediately turned to the fans to encourage more noise and drive the team on further. 

Just after the hour mark Sporting had their second goal. A wonderfully worked goal down the right side with a great ball by Geny Catamo into the path of Luis Suarez who put it across the box for a tap-in for Goncalves. Both he and Suarez showed the urgency to get another by rallying the fans and getting the ball from the goal to get the restart as soon as possible. 

The game was level on aggregate when Sporting were awarded a penalty in the 78th minute. It was awarded after a VAR review deemed that Fredrik André Bjørkan had his hand in an unnatural position when the ball struck his arm. Luis Suarez stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way. He never seemed to be in doubt as he went to take the penalty and took the penalty well for the amount of pressure he was under. 

Just 2 minutes into extra time, Sporting were ahead for the first time in the fixture. There was more good play down their left side again and after a ball into the box and a lay off from Trincao to Araujo. He poked it goalwards and appeared to catch Nikita Haikin off guard in the Bodo/Glimt goal as it went round some of his players and he was unable to keep it out despite getting a hand to it. 

The comeback was completed and the tie was put to bed in the 121st minute. Bodo/Glimt were still trying to get the equaliser but they were intercepted after great pressing from Daniel Bragança to win the ball back half way into the Bodo/Glimt half. He passed the ball into the box and into the path of Rafael Nel who fired the shot into the roof of the net and beat the keeper at the near post. A deserved victory for Sporting with their fans going wild as the final goal went in. 

Manchester City 1-2 Real Madrid (1-5 AGG) - Etihad Stadium

Both teams have played each other a lot in the last few seasons of the Champions League with Real Madrid getting the better of the tie this time around. After a sensational hat-trick in the Bernabeu from Valverde, Man City were already on the back foot but it was made harder in the 20th minute when Bernardo Silva was sent off. A shot from Vinicius Jr. seemed to be heading in but was blocked on the line by Silva, however after a VAR review it showed that he had used his arm to block the shot and prevented a goal leading to a straight red card for the City captain. 

Regardless of the sending off Man City still showed fight in the game, which they needed to as they needed goals and fast. They had more of the ball and more shots on target but with Real Madrid not needing to push for anymore goals they were happy to let City have more of the ball. Eventually City did get a goal back but another goal from Vinicius in the 93rd minute made it 5-1 and set up a mouth watering tie with Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals this season. 

It was 4-0 to Madrid on aggregate in the 22nd minute when the penalty Vinicius Jr. won he took himself and sent Donnarumma the wrong way. A disastrous way for the game to begin for Man City as they now needed 4 goals for extra time and were down to 10 men. 

Before half time Erling Haaland pulled a goal back that proved to be the only goal Man City would get in the entire tie. It was made by good play down the left side of the box by Jeremy Doku who used his strength and managed to pull the ball across the box. It bobbled through the crowd of players in the 6 yard box and found Haaland at the back post for a tap-in into the far corner that he was never going to miss. 

A delightful goal and assist from Tchouaméni and Vinicius Jr. gave Real Madrid the win on the night and made it 5-1 in the tie. Tchouaméni swung the ball in from the corner of the box and put it perfectly in Vinicius Jr’s path. He hit it on the half volley into the corner to get his second of the night and Madrid's 5th of the tie. 

Barcelona 7-2 Newcastle United (8-3 AGG) - Camp Nou Stadium

An incredible game especially in the first half of the match which could be argued for the best half of football seen this season in any of the top leagues as well as the Champions League. Ultimately, in the end Barcelona showed their quality in the second half and dismantled Newcastle with 4 unanswered goals. 

However, nothing should be taken away from the first half and first leg performances of Barcelona in which they arguably matched Barcelona. The amount of football may have taken a toll on Newcastle for this season but Barcelona were the deserved winners in the end as they look forward to an all Spanish quarter-final against Atletico Madrid. 

The goals started in the 6th minute with Lamine Yamal playing the ball forward to Raphinha who initially looked to have miscontrolled the pass. However, it fell to the feet of Fermín López behind him. He knocked it back to Raphinha in the box and a lovely delayed and controlled finish from the Brazilian into the bottom corner gave Barcelona the lead. 

Newcastle were level shortly after through Anthony Elanga. Lewis Hall drove down the left side and there were 2 Newcastle players in the middle and he found Elanga with his pass. The pass did go past Elanga briefly but he got his shot away and put it past Joan Pons to put the tie level again. 

Only 3 minutes later Barca were ahead again this time through a set piece. Raphinha floated the ball to the back post from a free kick and a free header by Gerard Martín was knocked back to Marc Bernal. He was wide open and just poked it into the net with Ramsdale a sitting duck at that point. 

Once again Newcastle came back just 10 minutes later as Elanga got his second of the game. Yamal gave the ball away near his own box trying a ball heel pass that went straight to Lewis Hall. He played it to Gordon who showed good feet to get a ball across the face of goal and arriving at the back post was Elanga to put it in from close range. For the third time the tie was level at 3-3. 

The turning point in the match was the penalty awarded to Barcelona just before half time. After a VAR review Kieran Trippier was deemed to have pulled back Yamal as he tried to get on the end of a cross. Once the referee had gone to the screen it was clear what his choice was going to be. Lamine Yamal stepped up himself, firing it past Ramsdale who was unable to keep it out despite going the right way and getting his hands to it. 

Just 6 minutes into the second half, Barcelona had their 4th after a phenomenal team goal from defence to attack in seconds and a clinical finish from Fermín López. 1 and 2 touch football right through the centre of the Newcastle team as Barca seemed a step ahead at every stage of the attack and Ramsdale once again helpless. 

That started a phase of 3 goals in 10 minutes for Barcelona as Lewandowski joined the party. A corner from Lamine Yamal was whipped to the back post with Lewandowski ready and waiting to beat his man and knock it into the far corner with a header to get his first of the game. 

His second was in the 61st minute with another assist from Yamal. The ball was put through to the Polish international and was unable to be intercepted by the Newcastle back line. Just like Raphinha in the first half, Lewandowski took his time and let off a venomous shot into the bottom corner to make it 6-2 on the night. 

The last goal of the game was a second for Raphinha with Newcastle’s night and UCL campaign coming to a close. A misplaced pass and slip from Jacob Ramsey went straight to the feet of Raphinha in the box. He made no mistake and punished Newcastle again and put the 6th past Ramsdale as they went on to win 7-3 on aggregate and their Spanish rivals awaiting them in the next round.