During the UEFA Champions League round of 16, the second leg of the knockout stage will continue, with two more top teams boarding the quarterfinals.
Premier League leaders Arsenal battled for 120 minutes, eliminated Porto in a penalty shootout, and returned to the quarterfinals after 14 years. Barcelona defeated Napoli 3-1, and after Xavi announced his departure at the end of the season, he has been unbeaten in 9 consecutive games.
Arsenal penalty 4-2 Porto
In the first leg, they suffered a 0-1 victory at Dragon Stadium, and the Gunners struggled to turn the tables at home. In the 41st minute, Erde scored straight and Trossard scored from a far angle, equalizing the total score to 1-1.
In the second half, Erdegao scored a goal, but the referee ruled that Havertz had fouled first and the goal was invalid. 41 year old defender Pepe is strong and has defended multiple times to resolve dangerous situations. During regular time and extra time, the Gunners failed to score again and could only enter a penalty shootout.
Gunners goalkeeper Raya scored a crucial moment and saved penalties from Wendell and Gardner, helping the team pass the penalty shootout 4-2. With a total score of 5-3, he eliminated Porto and reached the quarter finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2010.
Gunners goalkeeper Raya scored a crucial moment and saved penalties from Wendell and Gardner, helping the team pass the penalty shootout 4-2. With a total score of 5-3, he eliminated Porto and reached the quarter finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2010.
Raya became the goalkeeper with the most penalty saves in a single game in Arsenal’s Champions League penalty shootout history, and the first Gunners goalkeeper to save a penalty in a Champions League since Almunia in 2009.
In this game, Raya made three successful saves in 120 minutes, maintaining a clean sheet and two penalty shootouts. 54 touches, with a pass success rate of 73%, and 9 successful long passes of 20. Sofa scored 8.5, the highest score in the game, and was also selected as the best player of the game.
The three new signings signed by Artetasia at the window, and the champion Rice, needless to say, have always made stable and outstanding contributions, enough to compete for the Premier League Player of the Season. In the early stages of joining, there were many doubts, and even Laya and Havertz, who were criticized as “substandard goods,” performed better and better in the middle and later stages of the season, and their reviews reversed.
Last weekend’s header victory helped the Gunners reach the top of the Premier League standings. Havertz won 10 out of 13 aerial matches against Porto, making him the second player to achieve this in the last four seasons of the Champions League knockout stage. He also scored a steady penalty shootout. By the way, Havertz made 21 out of 21 career penalties.
Ta Shuai looks at people’s eyes, it’s still very impressive!
Barcelona 3-1 Napoli
In the first leg, Napoli drew 1-1 and moved to Barcelona’s home ground for another game. The Red and Blue Legion started smoothly, with young players Fermin and Cancelo winning two goals in just 2 minutes in the 15th and 17th minutes. Rahmani scored a goal for the away team in the 30th minute.
In the 83rd minute of the second half, Barcelona played a brilliant match, with Lewandowski receiving a cross from Roberto to secure the victory. In the end, Barcelona defeated Napoli 3-1 and eliminated the opponent with a total score of 4-2.
Barcelona made it to the quarter finals for the first time after the 2019-20 season. In the summer of 2020, Barcelona was slaughtered by Bayern Munich in a single round of the quarter finals, leaving behind painful memories. In the following three seasons, Barcelona’s Champions League results were in the round of 16, eliminated from the group stage, and eliminated from the group stage.
Harvey’s announcement in January that he would resign at the end of the season boosted the team’s form, with 9 games, 6 wins, and 3 draws in all competitions remaining unbeaten. After the game, Harvey said, “I have said before that after I make a decision (to leave in the summer), the players will take a step forward.”
The biggest surprise for Barcelona in this match was 17-year-old center back Couberto (born on January 22, 2007), who made his debut in the Champions League with outstanding performance, contributing 5 clearances, 3 steals, 6 100% wins in 6 matches, and 1 interception. After the game, he was elected as the official best of the game.
Rich families gather here! The top 8 of the Champions League have produced 6 seats
After several weeks of fighting, six spots have been determined in the quarter finals of this season’s Champions League, including Bayern Munich, Paris Saint Germain, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Barcelona.
The remaining two UEFA Champions League round of 16 matches will take place tonight: Atletico Madrid will face Inter Milan at home, with a 0-1 loss in the first leg; Borussia Dortmund faced PSV Eindhoven at home and drew 1-1 in the first leg.