The first four quarter-finalists of this season’s Champions League were confirmed on Tuesday night, with Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Sporting progressing to the last eight after a mix of dominance and drama across Europe, Idman.Biz reports.
The standout story came in Lisbon, where Sporting delivered one of the most remarkable turnarounds of the campaign. After losing 0-3 in the first leg, the Portuguese side demolished Bodo/Glimt 5-0 after extra time to win the tie 5-3 on aggregate. Goncalo Inacio and Pedro Goncalves set the tone, Luis Suarez converted from the penalty spot, and late goals from Maxi Araujo and Rafael Nel completed an extraordinary comeback that will be remembered for years.
Arsenal, by contrast, enjoyed a far more controlled evening. Following a 1-1 draw in Germany, Mikel Arteta’s side secured a 2-0 win at home against Bayer Leverkusen to progress 3-1 on aggregate. Eberechi Eze opened the scoring with a superb strike before Declan Rice sealed the result, sending the London club into a quarter-final meeting with Sporting.
Real Madrid once again underlined their dominance over Manchester City in Europe, eliminating the English champions for the third consecutive season. Having won 3-0 at home, Carlo Ancelotti’s side followed it up with a 2-1 victory in Manchester. Vinicius Junior scored twice, while City’s hopes were effectively ended after Bernardo Silva was sent off in the first half, leaving the tie finishing 5-1 on aggregate.
Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain also progressed with ease. Luis Enrique’s team cruised to a 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, completing an emphatic 8-2 aggregate victory. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Bradley Barcola and Senny Mayulu were all on target as the French side once again demonstrated why they remain among the favourites for the trophy.
