Going through?
Arsenal
Arsenal’s troubled relationship with the Champions League has meant the Gunners have struggled for true highlights during their many attempts to win the trophy. As London’s biggest club, watching Chelsea trousering the trophy twice in the last 15 years has been painful for Arsenal. Since losing the 2006 final in Paris, probably the Emirates Stadium’s greatest night was the 2-1 defeat of Barcelona in February 2011. Except it was followed by a gut-punching second-leg 3-1 loss in Spain. Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat of Real Madrid was even better than the win over Barça in 2011: the champions downed in style, Arsenal the better team, a keynote win to show how Mikel Arteta’s management career is developing. And a night to shelter from the pain of failing to challenge properly for the Premier League title this season. Arsenal were patched-up, with a teenager at left-back in Myles Lewis-Skelly, an unproven central defender in Jakub Kiwior and an emergency striker in Mikel Merino. Madrid were still blown away.
Paris Saint-Germain
Like Arsenal, can the Parisians bury the ghosts of so many Champions League disappointments? After the Zlatan Ibrahimović years, Neymar and Lionel Messi and the departure of Kylian Mbappé, this version of PSG looks the most likely to claim the title. Unai Emery, the Aston Villa manager, doubtless had all sorts of plans for his former club but it is PSG’s blend of individual skill that opposing coaches have struggled with. Désiré Doué’s strike was unstoppable, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s goal was irresistible. The blend of defensive nous and attacking flair was too much for a well-drilled Villa team as they went down to a 3-1 defeat. Quality told in Paris. When a full-back is scoring goals like Nuno Mendes for the third then it becomes a question of when, not if, PSG lift the crown. Look out Arsenal in the semis.
Barcelona
Robert Lewandowski said the first time he saw Lamine Yamal in training he was immediately sure the then-15-year-old was a star of the future. The future is now, and Lewandowski, 19 years the teenager’s senior, is the beneficiary of a Barcelona attack that tore Borussia Dortmund to ribbons, with Lamine Yamal flying down the wing and through whatever spaces he could find. Barcelona reached 144 goals for the season, with Lewandowski scoring another double. It can be hard to believe Barcelona are a club going through all kind of profit and sustainability problems when they still pack such star power. Finances mean La Masia products like Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, Alejandro Balde, Pedri and Gavi must form the team’s backbone, an echo of the club’s most glorious days. A first semi-final in six seasons beckons, as may a first Champions League title in a decade.
Going out?
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti’s touchline demeanour shifted from his usual calm to helplessness. At the Emirates, the problems of the nu-Galáctico approach were laid bare. Mbappé may have scored 33 goals in 48 matches, but his presence has moved the dial a notch too far. It was another of those evenings when the English public get to see nothing like the best of Jude Bellingham. Eduardo Camavinga was overrun in midfield and eventually committed two yellow card offences. David Alaba at left-back was given the Bukayo Saka treatment and was never allowed a moment’s rest, and Federico Valverde suffered on the right of a makeshift defence. Will Ancelotti’s crown slip off? Losing the La Liga battle with Barcelona may make his position untenable if next week is the end (for this season) of the club’s quest for 16 European Cups. Tuesday marked the first time Madrid have gone two Champions League matches without scoring since 2009. Without Thibaut Courtois, it might have been far worse.
Bayern Munich
At least Thomas Müller, Bayern’s sole survivor from the 2010 final “FC Hollywood” loss to Inter, and who has announced his imminent departure from the club, kept the fires burning with a typically smart finish. Until the veteran’s contribution as a sub in Tuesday night’s 2-1 defeat Bayern seemed likely to be the latest team to crash on the rocks of Inter’s supreme defence. If Bayern’s attack was lacking, their patched-up defence was the leading problem for Vincent Kompany, their coach. Davide Frattesi’s 88th-minute winner in Munich came after Carlos Augusto burned down the right-hand side past Konrad Laimer, who has been playing out of position for much of the season. To keep their chances of reaching the final, which they will host, alive, Bayern must win at San Siro, where Inter have conceded just once in the Champions League this season.
Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund have used the Champions League as a sanctuary from domestic troubles but there was nowhere to hide on Wednesday. The eighth-placed team in the Bundesliga were tortured in Barcelona, with goalkeeper Gregor Kobel seriously overworked. Serhou Guirassy had a couple of decent chances but couldn’t repeat his group-stage feat of scoring twice against Barcelona. Instead, Lewandowski scored two to help sink his former club. “I am optimistic, but I have to be a realist,” said Dortmund coach Nico Kovac after his team’s 4-0 defeat. “Our chances of going through are minimal.” Infinitesimal, more like.
A good week for
Declan Rice (Arsenal)
A player who costs £100m needs signature moments. Few Arsenal fans think that money was wasted on Rice, though others have wondered if his goal and assist output could be better. Was all that money spent on a player who does most things well but nothing outstandingly? Perhaps not now. Free kicks are a new string to Rice’s bow despite his proficiency from corners. Two beauties, the first bent round the wall, the second clattered where even Courtois could not reach, provided two golden goals. He became only the fifth player to score twice from a direct free-kick in tournament history, joining Rivaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Hakim Ziyech.
Lautaro Martínez (Inter)
In the battle of the classic centre-forwards, Inter’s Argentinian captain prevailed over Harry Kane. England’s skipper had just fluffed a chance, crashing the ball off the post after getting his angles wrong from Michael Olise’s pass, when Martínez scored his goal. Marcus Thuram’s flick was deft but left Martínez plenty to do. Using the outside of his boot, the ball was beyond Jonas Urbig before Bayern’s young keeper had a chance to fully react. Martínez has a mixed reputation, mostly because of his disappointing 2022 World Cup, but he is Inter’s great dependable – his goal made him the first Nerazzurri player to score seven goals in a Champions League campaign since the great Samuel Eto’o in Inter’s 2009-10 triumph.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG)
Why is the Georgian such a fixture in this column? Because there is nobody in modern football like him. As with many of the best players he barely looks like a footballer but his combination of pace and withering skill is reminiscent of someone as exalted as George Best. When Kvaratskhelia is on form – which can be variable, as with all classic wingers – there is little defenders can do to stop a player whose talent is married to a powerful physique. His roll of the ball under his feet as he crashed past Villa defenders to score was a touch of maverick artistry. More please, much more.
