On Wednesday, the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals stage ended with a thrilling victory for Barcelona against London's Chelsea.
After this stage, only eight teams remain in the Champions League title race: Madrid's Real, Barcelona, Sevilla, Turin's Juventus, Roma, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Munich's Bayern.
There weren't many surprises in the quarter-finals stage. In a negative sense, the only surprise was Manchester United's defeat against the Sevilla team, which had a tough season in Spain.
EuroFootball.com shares observations from the quarter-finals stage.
Experience. It can be confidently said that experience played a huge role in this stage. Juventus and Real Madrid once again showed why they played in the final last season and were underrated before the quarter-finals stage. Both clubs did not have a significant advantage in terms of skill over PSG and Tottenham, but their cold-bloodedness, experience in such matches, focus, clear adherence to game plans, led these clubs to the quarter-finals.
Class: There were two pairs in this quarter-finals stage where one player almost decided everything. Lionel Messi sent Chelsea into a tailspin in both matches. In London, the Argentine wasn't as prominent, but he once again proved why he is rightfully considered the greatest footballer of all time. French Sevilla representative Wissam Ben Yedder also did not lag behind Messi. After coming on as a substitute at Old Trafford, the Frenchman scored two goals against Man Utd and instantly eliminated the English giant from the title race.
Disappointment. Representatives of the English Premier League started their Champions League campaign with a bang - all five clubs that participated in the group stage made it to the quarter-finals, but only Liverpool and Man City remain. Tottenham, Chelsea, and Man Utd have already finished their European campaigns this season. Without a doubt, the biggest disappointment is the United club, which was considered a strong favorite to beat Sevilla but failed to prove its superiority in two matches.
Effortlessly. Three teams practically secured their tickets to the quarter-finals after the first leg matches - Bayern, Man City, and Liverpool. The Munich and Liverpool teams crushed their opponents in the first match with a 5-0 result, while Pep Guardiola's troops scored four goals against Basel. All three clubs could play more calmly in the second leg matches, and that reflects in the results. All three teams have a massive attacking potential, but they haven't faced serious challenges in the Champions League this season, so their true strength will be tested in the next stage.
Next time. The Paris Saint-Germain team, which was considered one of the favorites to reach the final before the season started, probably had the least luck. Real Madrid is having a tough season in Spain, but to get eliminated from the tournament by the reigning champions twice in a row must be painful. PSG, which invested impressive amounts in stars like Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, left empty-handed - losing both matches and rightfully exiting the tournament. The PSG galaxy failed to shine in the decisive match, where a fierce battle was expected, and they bid farewell to their dream until next year.
Unlucky. The London Chelsea team also didn't have luck, facing the almost unbeatable Barcelona this season. However, it wasn't as challenging for the Blues to contain the Catalans as it was to find success. In the first clash, a sublime goal by Willian put Chelsea ahead, but a defensive error cost them an away goal. A similar situation occurred in Barcelona - good attacking displays, fateful fortune, and defensive and goalkeeper mistakes led to their elimination from the tournament. Chelsea deserved more, but Barcelona's players' class was the decisive factor in this tie.
Records. Two of the most prominent football personalities - Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - have entered the history books for a reason. Ronaldo stood out in both matches against PSG and tied Ruud Van Nistelrooy's legendary record of scoring at least one goal in nine consecutive Champions League matches. Messi's matches with Chelsea were also statistically successful - the Argentine scored a double yesterday, becoming the fastest player to reach the milestone of 100 goals in this tournament.
Dry run. Only Liverpool, who didn't spare 75 million euros to strengthen their defense in winter, managed to keep a clean sheet in both matches. Loris Karius kept his goal safe against Porto both away and at home. Only seven other clubs managed not to concede a goal in at least one match: Man City, Barcelona, Bayern, Sevilla, Porto, Man Utd, and Roma.
Spain 2:0 England. The Premier League has once again failed to live up to its name. Man City and Liverpool made it to the quarter-finals, but it was naive to expect that they could overcome the challenge of Basel and Porto. Tottenham and Chelsea faced serious opponents, but that shouldn't be an excuse. Manchester United disrupted the Premier League favorites' status by losing to Sevilla. The victory of the Spanish teams was a bitter pill for Premier League fans. The fact that the Spaniards had three teams in the quarter-finals, while the English had five, and the same three Spanish teams progressed to the next stage while only two from England did - was a harsh reality check for the Premier League.
Aivaras Katutis
