European football giants Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Arsenal booked their places in the quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League after dominant performances in the round of 16 second leg matches.
Defending champions Paris Saint Germain delivered a commanding display against Chelsea FC, winning 3 0 in London and sealing an emphatic 8 2 aggregate victory. Early pressure paid off when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring before Bradley Barcola doubled the lead with a well taken strike assisted by Achraf Hakimi. Substitute Senny Mayulu added a third to complete a dominant night for the French side.
Manager Luis Enrique praised his team’s performance as PSG continued the strong form that saw them lift the title last season. Their next opponent will be decided between Liverpool FC and Galatasaray SK.
Meanwhile Real Madrid comfortably advanced after defeating Manchester City 2 1 in the second leg and progressing 5 1 on aggregate. A red card for Bernardo Silva early in the match made the task even harder for City. Vinícius Júnior converted a penalty and later added another goal to seal the victory while Erling Haaland scored for the hosts.
Real Madrid are now expected to face FC Bayern Munich in a high profile quarter final clash.
In England Arsenal continued their impressive season by defeating Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2 0 to secure a 3 1 aggregate win. Goals from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice ensured a comfortable victory for the Premier League leaders. Coach Mikel Arteta expressed satisfaction with his team’s overall performance as they progressed to the next stage.
Arsenal are set to meet Sporting CP in the quarter finals after the Portuguese side produced a remarkable comeback against Bodø/Glimt. Sporting overturned a 3 0 first leg deficit by winning 5 0 after extra time in Lisbon.
Goals from Gonçalo Inácio and Pedro Gonçalves started the comeback before a penalty from Luis Suárez forced extra time. Late strikes from Maxi Araújo and Rafael Nel completed the turnaround and secured Sporting’s place in the quarter finals for the first time in decades.