Exciting Second Leg Matches in Round of 16
The first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 kicked off last week. With most matches ending relatively close on aggregate goals. Arsenal put on a clinic at PSV Eindhoven’s stadium, going up 1-7. The most intriguing matchup this round, PSG vs. Liverpool, ended with Liverpool up 0-1 on aggregate. Bayern München put on a show for their fans, delivering a clean sheet against their Bundesliga rival, Leverkusen. In the battle for Madrid, Real Madrid is up 2-1 against their La Liga rival, Atlético Madrid. Heading into the second leg matches this week, some clubs need to continue to rely on tough defending and star-power to move into the quarter-final round.
PSG versus Liverpool on Tuesday promises to be an exciting match to watch this week. The two clubs are both on top of the table in their respective leagues. PSG will need to continue to utilize a heavy dosage from forward Ousmane Dembélé. He played well in the first leg, generating eight shots while also creating chances for others. Dembélé, along with his teammates, couldn’t find the back of the net, but as long as they stay aggressive, they’ll find goals. Liverpool needs to keep applying pressure from their defenders to prevent a swing from a PSG offensive run. Another domestic league rivalry, Real Madrid Atlético Madrid, sets up to be an exciting second leg. Atlético Madrid was able to neutralize Real Madrid’s star forwards, Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior. Midfielder for Real Madrid Jude Bellingham was suspended in the first leg for yellow card accumulation. Bellingham will be in the lineup for the second leg, which is big for his club. Atlético Madrid will have their hands full to pull a comeback but has the advantage of being in front of their home crowd. Can they once again minimize the impact of the talented Real Madrid forwards? Or will Mbappé unleash a masterclass to get his team to the next round?
Bayern München will look to come out defensively in their match on the road at their league rival, Leverkusen. They both sit at the top two spots in the Bundesliga. München dominated the first leg 0-3 and will look to deliver another clean sheet. München will possibly play keep-away from Leverkusen to prevent a counterattack and advance easily. Look for Leverkusen to start aggressively and create pressure all over the pitch to generate those counterattacks to cover the three-point deficit. Staying in the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund has a tough one on the road versus Lille. Dortmund came into this round as a favorite and played in the Champions League Final last year with a loss to Real Madrid. Dortmund will have to dominate the runs on offense and use their speedy wings if they want to make a deep run again.
PSV Eindhoven was embarrassed in front of their fans on a 1-7 dominating effort from Arsenal. Arsenal, who is one of the top favorites to lift the Champions League trophy, can look to rest key starters for the second leg. Arsenal’s defense won’t allow Eindhoven to deliver a 6-0 effort to tie the aggregate. Barcelona plays at home and holds a slight 1-0 lead over Benfica. Rising young superstar Lamine Yamal will look to continue to attack from his right-wing position. His high IQ, paired with excellent passing and dribbling, should help propel the powerhouse from La Liga into the quarterfinals.
