The last 16 promised heavyweight clashes and it delivered. As some European giants fell, others stood up to be counted and head towards a blockbuster final eight. The Champions League is heating up nicely.
The moral of this week’s Champions League story is that being fearless can reap rewards – ask PSG and Lamine Yamal. In different ways, PSG and Yamal showcased that being fearless can provide an element of dangerous unpredictability for your opposition.
Few gave PSG hope of coming from a goal down in Paris to knock Liverpool out at the fortress of Anfield. However, that is exactly what Luis Enrique‘s side did as one of the tournament favourites crashed out.
PSG limited the amount Anfield could play a factor by being brave and going at Arne Slot’s men. It might not have been as dominant a display as in Paris but the Parisians never stopped pushing for goals, refusing to sit in and allow the Anfield cauldron to eat them alive.
Yamal meanwhile was fearless because, as all the best young players are, he wasn’t afraid to make a mistake. With that mentality and his special ability with a ball at his feet, the 17-year-old superstar ran the show in a performance that deserves the incoming praise.
Star player – Lamine Yamal
There has been a lot of talk lately about whether there has been a more impressive and complete 17-year-old than Lamine Yamal in the past.
The La Masia star rose from prince to the king of Barcelona in a flash and he has the footballing world at his feet.
Not only is Yamal the future for club and country, expect him to play a key part if Barcelona win the Champions League this season.
Yamal’s performance as Barcelona cruised past Benfica on Tuesday night was beyond superlatives. It was the teenager’s most impressive performance for his boyhood club and he already has an abnormal amount of those for his age. To set up one and score another when Barcelona had work to do to progress? That is what you call coming up clutch.
UEFA EUROS;Lamine Yamal was incredible at EURO 2024
Superstars always do when their team needs them the most, and Yamal is the definition of a superstar. The Spaniard oozed class as he terrorised poor Samuel Dahl from the off and never let up.
Barcelona’s opener was scored by Raphinha, but made by Yamal’s tricky feet. The magician picked the ball up in space on the right wing before driving at Benfica‘s defence, selling a dummy, accelerating away and finding composure to dink a perfect cross for Raphinha to volley home. It was a calm finish to an ice-cold move created by a kid having fun in his back garden.
After Nicolas Otamendi‘s goal gave Barcelona a brief setback, Yamal went one better this time to restore the hosts’ lead on the night.
Yamal picked up a loose ball again in acres of space but what came next was special. As the youngster cut inside, a heavy touch made you think the angle was against him and with a wall of bodies ahead, a goal looked improbable.
However, players like Yamal don’t live by the normal rules.
His curling effort from the edge of the box sensationally found the bottom left-hand corner as Yamal once again wrote his own. It was a magical moment from a special player who is becoming used to delivering on the big stage.
If Yamal does have further levels to reach, then the player he could become is hard to imagine since he is already one of the world’s best. At his age, you expect Yamal will only continue to grow – a frightening prospect for the rest of the world.
A unique gift for Barcelona and Spain.
Surprise package – Atletico Madrid
I know what you are thinking: how can Atletico Madrid win this award after crashing out on penalties? Well the answer is simple, taking the pros of Champions League knockouts to penalties after losing the first leg comes as a surprise. Also in the context of the Madrid derby in Europe and Real‘s recent record of beating their city rivals, Atletico did do better than expected.
It was a spirited display at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in front of a raucous home support and Diego Simeone‘s side did well to win the second leg 1-0 and force penalties.
The home side took the lead early on through a brilliant team goal which Conor Gallagher stabbed home and in classic Simeone style, they dug deep to take the game to the lottery of penalties.
Admittedly Atletico did receive a bit of good fortune when the usually clutch Vinicius Junior skied a penalty after Kylian Mbappe was brought down at the end of an electric run. But they also caused Real problems throughout and on another day could have added to their lead.
However heartbreaking another Champions League exit at the hands of their bitter rivals will be, Atletico Madrid once again proved why they are a side to avoid in Europe. You just know they will be back amongst the big guns again next season too, forever punching above their weight.
Simeone wouldn’t have it any other way.
Team of the week – PSG
PSG were unlucky not to win this award last week after a dominant display at home to Liverpool, ultimately ending in a cruel 1-0 defeat. There will be no denying their place this week though as PSG went to Anfield and did what few gave them hope of doing: progress.
Even though the tie was decided on a penalty shootout lottery, PSG weren’t supposed to make it that far. All the pre-match talk was about how PSG blew their hope of progressing in Paris and Liverpool would have too much at the fortress of Anfield. However, it was PSG who levelled the tie after withstanding a predictably fast start from Liverpool.
The Parisians are as much of a threat on the counter with their pace in attack as they are when controlling the game, and makes them so dangerous.
Their only goal of the tie came from a counter and the frightening pace of Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele. After making a well-timed run, Barcola received the ball from Dembele inside the box before returning Dembele the favour with a clever through ball. The pass was initially intercepted by Konate but the onrushing Dembele won it back before tapping in from close range.
FABRIZIO ROMANO ON X;No player in top 5 leagues has scored more goals than Ousmane Dembélé in 2025… …making it 21
goals (!) since January 1st.
It wasn’t well dealt with from a Liverpool perspective, but it was explosive and gritty from Dembele who got the goal his performance in the first leg deserved.
Despite Liverpool having the better of the second half, PSG defended heroically, showing another side to their game. Between the sticks, Gigi Donnarumma stepped up where Alisson did last week.
As the fascinating tie between two giants went to extra-time, PSG upped their level and created the best chances before a penalty shootout decided the contest. PSG kept their cool in the shootout and Donnarumma was the hero, making two big saves as Luis Enrique’s won 4-1 to progress.
Few predicted PSG to still be in Europe by this stage, but after handing Arne Slot his first major setback as Liverpool manager, it will be hard to bet against them now. It will take a great team with a superstar or two to beat them. Barcelona perhaps?
Moment of the week – PSV ultras watch AFC Wimbledon vs Cheltenham
I can’t imagine this was a crossover that anyone could have saw coming but alas here we are! A relatively low-key night of League Two action took an unexpected turn on Tuesday night. The PSV ultras had already gone above and beyond by going to watch their side in the second leg against Arsenal after losing the first leg 7-1.
However, they must have wanted to make a bit more of their trip than see their side inevitably crash out of Europe and they made the brilliant decision to watch some vintage League Two football.
The PSV fans took over a decent part of AFC Wimbledon 9,000 capacity and sang their hearts out throughout in surreal scenes. How Wimbledon fans really felt about the disturbance after their side lost an important game in their fight to make the play-offs is hard to know.
But it will be a story for the club and League Two to tell for years to come. I can’t imagine anyone there will be forgetting the night PSV came to Wimbledon anytime soon…