The Champions League round of 16 is halfway over, and while a few ties may be completely over after one leg like PSV losing 7-1 to Arsenal, plenty will hang in the balance entering the second legs on Tuesday and Wednesday. But what teams should be worried about entering those second legs? Some like Bayer Leverkusen didn’t show up to play in the first leg, so it’s hard to feel too bad despite being out of the tie while others like Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica suffered narrow losses in matches that they arguably should have won. Because of that, there are different views of how worried teams can be with their first-leg results but let’s take a look at those sides.
Round of 16 TV schedule
All times U.S./Eastern
5. Feyenoord
First leg result: 0-2 loss to Inter
Scenario: Feyenoord will need a two-goal win to send the game to extra time and a three-goal win to advance outright.
The Dutch disappointment continues with Feyenoord allowing goals on either side of halftime leading to a two-goal loss to Inter. Against most teams, this would leave you with a chance to come back but Inter aren’t most teams, they’re the class of Serie A and have shown an ability to push into the later stages of the tournament with ease. Going behind by one goal to Inter feels like going behind by multiple goals, and a two-goal deficit feels like something that can’t be overturned.
4. Club Brugge
First leg result: 1-3 loss to Aston Villa
Scenario: Club Brugge will need a two-goal win to send the game to extra time, and a three-goal win to advance outright.
For most of the game, Brugge held their own but then mistakes struck and they now have a deficit heading to the midlands. Allowing an own goal in the 82nd minute before then conceding a penalty to deepen their spiral, Brugge have no one to blame but themselves/ This is a stage where underdogs meet their end, but for Brugge, it’s their own doing.
3. Benfica
First leg result: 0-1 loss to Barcelona
Scenario: Benfica need a one-goal win to send the game to extra time and a two-goal win to advance outright.
Only three times since 2019 has a team taken 25 or more shots without scoring a goal in the knockout stages and one of those was Benfica. Playing up a man at home for most of the match against a team that could win the entire Champions League, this is one of the biggest missed opportunities that a team could endure in the round of 16. Giving Barcelona a chance to go home and play for a draw doesn’t mean that this is over, but it does feel like it.
2. Atletico Madrid
First leg result: 1-2 loss to Real Madrid
Scenario: Atletico Madrid need a one-goal win to send the game to extra time and a two-goal win to advance outright.
Built to win silverware this season, when Julian Alvarez tied the match for Atleti in the first half, it felt like they’d secure at least a significant draw at the Santiago Bernabeu until Brahim Diaz delivered a moment of individual brilliance to sink his rivals in the second half of play. Unlike others on this list, Atleti still has the home leg in their future but when you have chances against Real Madrid, not taking them can be a recipe for disaster.
1. Paris Saint-Germain
First leg result: 0-1 loss to Liverpool
Scenario: Paris Saint-Germain need a one-goal win to send the game to extra time and a two-goal win to advance outright.
Along with Benfica, PSG took more than 25 shots without scoring a goal thanks to Alisson putting in one of the best goalkeeping performances of his entire career. To have a chance to defeat Liverpool, PSG needed to win at home and that wasn’t the case and they’ll head to Anfield without even having a draw on their side. While PSG can shoot, they’ll need to be more clinical in the second leg or this will go down as a major disappointment in UCL.
Read the full article here
