The first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals gave fans a lot to be excited about. Both Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid needed to play perfect games if they wanted to have a chance of advancing to the semifinals. Bayern Munich and Inter Milan carried out an even game, and either team could end up being the one to take the lead in the rematch. Despite Aston Villa heading into the rematch two goals down, they were determined not to give PSG the promotion without a fight. All in all, there was a lot to look forward to during the two matchdays.
The game between Aston Villa and PSG opened up quickly. Ten minutes after kickoff, Achraf Hakimi made it a 0:1 for the guests. Closer than ever to moving through to the semifinals, the Parisian team pressed harder. Their efforts led to a second goal, this one scored by Nuno Mendes with an assist by Ousmane Dembele. At that point, the aggregate score of the two games was 1:5 in favor of PSG.
Aston Villa answered in the 34th minute. John McGinn passed the ball to Youri Tielemans, who put it in the top left corner of the goal. After the break, they managed to equalize the score after McGinn’s own shot. Only two minutes later, they scored once more, this time thanks to the efforts of Ezri Konsa and Marcus Rashford. This put the aggregate score at 4:5.
Even though only one goal separated the English team from extending the game, they did not manage to score it. In the end, it was PSG who advanced into the semifinals.
Barcelona headed into the rematch with a decided advantage, having previously won 4:0 in their home stadium. Their advancing into the semifinals seemed all but secured. The game they played in Dortmund showed that it was not the only possible outcome.
Borussia opened the score in the 11th minute when Guirassy converted a penalty brought on by the actions of Barcelona’s goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczęsny. This was the only goal scored in the first half, but Borussia extended their lead soon after the second half began, once again due to Guirassy’s efforts. The team would still need to score at least twice to have a chance of advancing.
Borussia conceded an own goal after an action created by Fermin Lopez. About twenty minutes later, Guirassy scored for a third time, making it a hat trick. Even that wasn’t enough for the German team. Borussia was the unquestionably better team in the rematch, but the lead built by Barcelona was too significant for them to overcome.
Heading into the rematch, Inter was at a slight advantage, having won the first leg of the quarterfinals 1:2. The game began rather slowly, with no goals scored during the first half. It picked up in the 52nd minute, when Harry Kane, assisted by Leon Goretzka, got past Inter’s defense. His goal equalized the aggregate score, leveling the playing field for the remainder of the match.
Inter was quick to answer. Lautaro Martínez scored after a corner, putting his team in the position to advance to the semifinals. Only three minutes later, Benjamin Pavard made it 2:1 for the Italian team to the excitement of all home fans.
At that point, Bayern was in a tough position. They were only one goal behind in the match, but two goals behind in the aggregate, and there was less than half an hour on the clock. Inter conceded one goal after a header from Eric Dier. Knowing that they had the advantage of both time and score, the Italian team spent the last minutes of the game viciously defending. The strategy worked. Bayern could not score again and Inter advanced into the next round of the Champions League. They will play against Barcelona in the semifinals.
In the days leading up to the game, Real’s players expressed confidence that they could overcome the unfavorable score. They were in a tough situation, having lost 3:0 in the first match they played against the English team.
Just like in the game between Inter and Bayern, the first half saw no change in score. Real didn’t play as well as many people expected them to, and Arsenal could afford not to push for another goal. The Gunners had a chance to raise the score when a penalty was awarded to them early in the game. Bukayo Saka was the one to take it, but his weak shot made an easy save for Thibaut Courtois.
Saka redeemed himself in the second half when he scored the opening goal of the game in the 65th minute. Due to the efforts of Vinicius Junior, Real was quick to answer. Still, with around 20 minutes of regular time left, they were three goals away from a tie. The score would stay at 1:1 until the added time, in which Gabriel Martinelli increased Arsenal’s lead. Real lost 1:5 in the aggregate, having been knocked out by the team they claimed not to be scared of.
In the semifinals, Barcelona will face Inter, while PSG will have the opportunity to play against Arsenal. All four have truly earned their spot in the next stage of the Champions League. Borussia, Bayern, and Aston Villa still impressed during their two matchdays, making their opponents work for the promotion. The biggest disappointment of the quarterfinals was Real Madrid. They played two underwhelming games and deservedly lost their spot in the semifinals.
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