Barcelona scored seven goals while Liverpool rebounded with four, transforming tightly contested Champions League matches on Wednesday into decisive victories that propelled both teams to the quarterfinals.
Atletico Madrid withstood a thrilling fightback from Tottenham, ensuring that Spain secured three spots in the quarterfinals while England managed none in this week’s round-of-16 matchups.
Bayern Munich’s Commanding Victory
Bayern Munich experienced the easiest path to the quarterfinals, defeating Atalanta 4-1 on Wednesday, culminating in a 10-2 aggregate score. This victory sets up a highly anticipated quarterfinal clash against Real Madrid.
Barcelona’s Goal Surge
Barcelona unleashed a goal frenzy against Newcastle, concluding with a thrilling 7-2 victory after a competitive first half. The match turned decisively in Barcelona’s favor following a penalty kick by Lamine Yamal just before halftime, bringing the score to 3-2.
Robert Lewandowski added two goals, while Fermín López and Raphinha also found the net, capitalizing on a crumbling Newcastle defense.
Liverpool’s Strong Performance
Liverpool secured a 4-0 win against Galatasaray at Anfield, successfully overturning a one-goal deficit from the first leg in Istanbul. Although Mohamed Salah missed a penalty during first-half stoppage time, he contributed significantly in the second half with two assists and a goal.
This performance could mark a turning point for Liverpool, alleviating pressure on coach Arne Slot amid an inconsistent season.
Atletico Madrid’s Resilience
Atletico Madrid demonstrated resilience against Tottenham, who managed to equalize twice during the match. Xavi Simon’s late penalty allowed Tottenham to secure a 3-2 win on the night, but Atletico advanced on aggregate.
With Tottenham and Newcastle eliminated, only Arsenal and Liverpool progressed from the six English teams that started in the competition.
Quarterfinal Matchups
In the quarterfinals, Real Madrid will face Bayern Munich, marking a significant encounter between the competition’s most successful teams. Liverpool will meet defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, with the first leg set for Parc des Princes.
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will face each other again shortly after their recent domestic cup semifinal, while Arsenal will take on Sporting Lisbon, who last reached this stage in 1983.
Barcelona’s Home Dominance
Barcelona has been formidable at home, winning all eight of their matches at Camp Nou this season across various competitions, each time scoring at least three goals. The 7-2 win over Newcastle stands as their most impressive performance to date.
Coach Hansi Flick noted the visible improvement in the team’s confidence during the second half of the match.