Arsenal will play a Madrid team in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, but it is not entirely clear which after a tight first stage of the last at Santiago Bernabeu.
Seeking to win the Champions League for the third time in four seasons, Real Madrid will take a 2-1 lead in the return match against the rivals of the city of Atletico Madrid after a match lit by three excellent goals.
Rodrygo cut off from the right and made a wonderful fourth minute finish beyond Jan Oblak to put Los Blancos in front, only for Julian Alvarez to surpass him with a spectacular long strike which was leaned in the upper right corner in the 32nd minute.
It is a strike by Julián Alvarez 😮💨
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– Football on TNT SPORTS (@footballontnt) March 4, 2025
But it is another former Manchester City striker who would have the last word, Brahim Diaz escaped three defenders from Atletico before shooting beyond an helpless Oblak to put the men from Carlo Annleotti a thin edge.
If they keep it at Metrpolitano next week, the holders will face Arsenal, who essentially sealed their place in the quarterfinals with an incredible rout 7-1 of PSV Eindhoven.
Real Madrid takes the lead against the game race 📈
Brahim Díaz’s glossy leg game opens the angle for a shiny curling effort 👏
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– Football on TNT SPORTS (@footballontnt) March 4, 2025
The first half goals of Jurrien Timber, Ethan Nwaneri and Mikel Merino put Arsenal in command. Noah Lang withdrew one back from the penalty place before half-time, but Martin Odegaard marked a second half and Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori splint also made the tie on bar the formality of a second leg without Jeopardy.
Aston Villa is not as comfortable, but they are also in charge of their draw of the last 16 times after a remarkable late collapse of the Brugge club.
It seemed that the sides returned to Villa Park at 1-1 after the cancellation of the opener of Leon Bailey by Maxim de Cuyper. However, Brandon Mechele put his own net eight minutes of time and Christos Tzolis gave a penalty that Marco Asensio converted to put villa on the verge of equality with Liverpool or Paris Saint-Germain.
Everything is to play between Borussia Dortmund and Lille, however, after the Ligue 1 team retaliated to claim a 1-1 draw at the Iduna Park signal. Karim Adeyemi’s vicious bass strike gave Dortmund the advance, but Hakon Arnar Haraldsson slipped at the end of a large team move to keep Lille firmly in the mixture for the last eight.
