Liverpool, Barcelona, and Inter Edge Closer to the Quarterfinals with Away Wins
Liverpool, Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Bayern Munich took crucial steps toward the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals with vital away victories in the first leg of the Round of 16. The night also saw Bayern Munich secure a dominant 3-0 win over fellow German side Bayer Leverkusen.
Despite challenges, these teams gained a clear advantage in their respective ties, especially Liverpool, who struggled at the Parc des Princes against Paris Saint-Germain. The home side dominated much of the match and could have won by a significant margin if not for the heroics of Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
However, the Reds clinched a dramatic late victory through substitute Harvey Elliott, who replaced Egyptian star Mohamed Salah in the 86th minute. Just moments after coming on, Elliott capitalized on a swift counterattack and a precise pass from fellow substitute Darwin Núñez to score the winning goal, stunning the PSG players and fans alike.
Meanwhile, at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Barcelona secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Benfica despite playing with ten men from the 22nd minute following the red card shown to young defender Pau Cubarsí.
Brazilian winger Raphinha netted the match’s only goal in the 61st minute after intercepting a misplaced pass from defender António Silva. He surged forward and unleashed a powerful strike from the edge of the box, beating Ukrainian goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin. This marked Raphinha’s ninth goal in as many Champions League matches this season.
Bayern Munich, on the other hand, asserted dominance in an all-German clash, cruising to a 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena. The visitors were reduced to ten men in the 62nd minute after French defender Nordi Mukiele received his second yellow card.
Harry Kane led Bayern to their first victory in seventh encounter against Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen, scoring twice in the 9th and 75th minutes (the latter from the penalty spot), taking his tally to nine goals in ten UCL appearances this season. Jamal Musiala also found the net (54’), marking his third goal in the competition.
This win ended Bayern’s struggles against Leverkusen, as Alonso had remained unbeaten in six previous encounters against the Bavarian giants (three wins, three draws) since taking charge in October 2022.
In Italy, Serie A leaders Inter Milan took a significant step toward the quarterfinals with a valuable 2-0 victory over Dutch side Feyenoord Rotterdam. Goals from French forward Marcus Thuram (38’) and Argentine striker Lautaro Martínez (50’) sealed the win, though Polish teammate Piotr Zieliński missed a penalty (64’).
Thuram opened the scoring with a stunning finish, directing a cross from Nicolò Barella into the net with a brilliant first-time strike. Martínez then doubled the lead early in the second half with a close-range effort after a precise assist from Zieliński, surpassing Sandro Mazzola to become Inter’s all-time top scorer in the Champions League with 18 goals.
Inter had a chance to extend their lead further when VAR awarded them a penalty for a foul on Thuram by Quilindschy Hartman. However, Feyenoord goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther denied Zieliński’s attempt, making a crucial double save to keep his team’s hopes alive.
