The first edition of the Champions League Play-offs is now behind us and even though there were some doubts about the format coming into the new season, they proved to be a success, as they were entertaining and unpredictable.
Having said this, there were also a few ties which were pretty one-sided. Brest faced PSG and, having suffered a 0-3 defeat at home, they looked hopeless in the second leg. Brest attempted an almost impossible comeback in the first 20 minutes, but after they conceded the first goal, it was clear all chances of qualifying for the next round were lost and the goals just kept on coming from Luis Enrique’s side. PSG handed their compatriots a 7-0 thrashing and are looking like serious contenders for the title. A similar thing happened to Sporting, who also lost the first leg 0-3 to Borussia Dortmund. In the second leg, they managed to hold their own and come out with at least a draw.
PSV overcame two-time champions Juventus 4-3 on aggregate by scoring an extra-time winner and have now qualified for the last 16 in back-to-back years. Benfica and Monaco delivered an instant classic in the second leg, as their matchup also went right down to the wire. Benfica’s narrow 1-0 win in the first leg proved to be the deciding factor, as the goal fest in the second leg ended up in a draw. Although it was a heartbreaking loss for Monaco, it looks like it will turn out to be for the best, seeing as this young and talented team will have gained some experience from playing Champions League football for the first time since 2019. Dutch side Feyenoord upset AC Milan and Bayern just about secured their spot in the last 16 with a 94th-minute winner after having a tough time breaking down Celtic’s defence. Atalanta disappointingly fell to Club Brugge, in a tie where more was expected from them. Having won the Europa League last season, Atalanta didn’t manage to live up to the expectations and crashed out of the Champions League, losing 2-5 on aggregate.
The most awaited matchup was Real Madrid against Man City, seeing as they faced off for the fourth year in a row. In the first leg, Real Madrid defeated Man City in a “Real Madrid-esque” last-minute comeback. Los Blancos won the first match 3-2 and looked to have everything in their favour to also win the second leg, as Man City were missing some key players due to injury. Kylian Mbappé showed everyone why Real Madrid have been so keen on signing him these past few years, netting his first Champions League hat-trick for his new club and securing a 3-1 win to eliminate Man City from the competition. Following this defeat, Man City are looking to rebuild their team to hopefully once again be able to compete for the title next season.
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