Champions League round of 16 (21/2 & 22/2)

The UEFA Champions League has finally returned after so many months, and last week we had the first batch of games of the round of 16. Now, the remaining teams have played their first legs this week, there have been some interesting conclusions to draw.

Half-time in the round of 16 👀

Predict 8 teams to go through 👇#UCL pic.twitter.com/f7IVKgyoN3

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 22, 2023

The game of the first leg has to be one that happened at Anfield Road this Tuesday, with local side Liverpool losing 2-5 against Real Madrid in what was a massive display by Los Blancos. The Reds started the game with all guns blazing as Darwin Nunez scored through a back heel and Mohamed Salah made the 2-0 score after taking advantage of a distribution mistake made by Madrid’s goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois.

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After what was a massive Liverpool display in the opening 15 minutes, Madrid slowly took over the game, which started with a great Vinicius Jr. goal on the left from outside the opposition’s box. Right after the goal, Madrid started to take over in the game, and four goals between the end of the first half and the beginning of the second made the difference for the Spanish side, pretty much ending the tie unless Liverpool do something special in Spain.

Napoli has been one of the teams more in vogue this season due to their outstanding performances in Serie A where they are leading, and they maintained their awesome form by defeating reigning Europa League champions Eintracht Frankfurt through a 2-0 score. Victor Osimhen continued his great season by scoring the first goal, and Kvaratskhelia assisted Di Lorenzo to secure their lead.

It is hard to gauge how far Napoli can go in this competition when you consider how close they are to winning the Scudetto after more than thirty years, but, barring a miracle in Naples, Frankfurt don’t look capable of pulling off a comeback in Italy.

Inter Milan faced Oporto in their home stadium in Italy, San Siro. It was a very tight match where both teams had their fair share of opportunities, but it would be Romelu Lukaku who would score in the 86^th minute to give the Italians the lead. It was a huge blow for the Portuguese club and a nice boost in confidence for Lukaku, who has failed to perform so far in this second stint with Inter.

Onana, double save
Onana, double save
Onana, double save
Double save, double save 🎶#UCL pic.twitter.com/an2EZSillw

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 24, 2023

Premier League champions Manchester City visited German side RB Leipzig this Wednesday and left in frustration after just getting a 1-1 draw. It was a very tight match, and even though Mahrez gave City the lead early in the game, the reality is that the English team never managed to fully take control of the game as Leipzig had a very sound tactical plan and Gvardiol rewarded with an equalizer in the second half.

This draw has resulted in a lot of people in England commenting on how the side is struggling to fully gel with striker Erling Haaland, despite his massive output this season. They shouldn’t have any problem beating Leipzig in Manchester, but the same was probably said before the first leg, so you never know.

The Goal of the Week results are in… 🔥#UCLGOTW | @Heineken pic.twitter.com/N1fx1fKw18

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 24, 2023