Champions League Roundup

Champions League Roundup

Time Stamp: March 10, 2024 11:13 AM

Welcome to The Game Haus’ Champions League Roundup. This week, four teams booked their ticket to the quarter-finals. This round of games featured clear winners, close games, and a comeback.

Bayern Munich vs. Lazio

Lazio were surprise winners in the first leg of this matchup, winning 1-0 thanks to a well-placed penalty from Italian striker Ciro Immobile. Bayern registered 17 shots and had 61% of the possession in this game but had no shots on target.

They controlled the game’s pace in the first 36 minutes of the second leg, with 57% of the possession and 11 shots to Lazio’s two shots. But it was at this moment that Lazio nearly doubled their lead in the series through a misplaced header from Immobile. He peeled off at the back post and was unmarked when he headed a ball just wide of the goal.

A minute later, Bayern found the equalizer through English striker Harry Kane, heading a ball off a ricochet past Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel. Provedel managed to get his fingertips on the ball, but his efforts did not suffice as the ball rolled slowly across the goaline.

Bayern then took the lead in the series right before the end of the first half when Dutch center-back Matthijs de Ligt assisted German midfielder Thomas Müller, who headed a fast-moving ball past Provedel to make the aggregate 2-1 in favor of Bayern.

In the second half, Lazio never found a foothold, registering only three shots, none on target. Bayern put the series to bed in the 66th minute when Kane tapped a deflected shot from German winger Leroy Sané into the back of the net. Bayern finished the series 3-1 winners.

Real Sociedad vs. Paris Saint Germain.

La Real hosted PSG, looking to turn things around after a flat first-leg performance that ended in a 2-0 loss. In their previous meeting, La Real registered no shots on target and only 37% of the possession.

In the second leg, PSG again dominated possession, holding 57% of the ball. Sociedad, however, still managed to create chances to score, registering 14 shots with seven on target. PSG comparatively had 10 shots with seven on target.

In the 15th minute, PSG scored through French superstar Kylian Mbappé. He seemed trapped on the end line but quickly moved to his right, creating an angle for a well-placed shot in the far corner.
The first half ended 3-0 in favor of PSG on aggregate, and PSG would remain in the driver’s seat for the rest of the game.

In the 55th minute, PSG put the series to bed after Mbappé ran onto a through ball, resulting in a one-on-one with Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro. Mbappé had so much time and space that he was to slow down before picking his spot at the near post, firing PSG into a 4-0 lead on aggregate.

Despite PSG’s lead, Sociedad kept trying to score and eventually succeeded in the 89th minute. Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino scored from a half-volley that found its way into the back of the net after squeezing through the legs of PSG defender Lucas Beraldo.

Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig

Madrid and Leipzig were very evenly matched in the first leg. Madrid had 15 shots to Leipzig’s 14, and Leipzig had nine shots on target to Madrid’s 3. The teams split possession evenly and even played a similar number of passes. Leipzig had 541 passes to Madrid’s 548. The difference was a determined run from Spanish midfielder Brahim Diaz past three defenders, ending in Diaz placing a beautiful curled effort past Leipzig goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi.

Thus, the second leg began with Madrid 1-0 up in the series. Leipzig started the match well, with their best chances coming from Belgian forward Loïs Openda. He placed two shots just wide of the goal from the edge of the box in the first 15 minutes of the match.

Openda again had a good chance in the 40th minute. Following a good touch from Spanish midfielder Dani Olmo’s corner, he rifled a shot high and wide of the goal.

Madrid would eventually open the scoring in the second half through Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior. Madrid won possession in their third of the pitch, allowing English midfielder Jude Bellingham to carry the ball briskly through midfield. When Bellingham arrived in the attacking third, he passed to Vinicius, who made a clever run across the defense to get open. Vinicius then placed a fast, first-time shot past Gulácsi, making the score 2-0 on aggregate.

However, Leipzig would not go away and got a goal back through Hungarian defender Willi Orbán, who scored a diving header off a cross from German full-back David Raum in the 68th minute.

Leipzig heavily pursued the goal that would send the game to extra-time for the remainder of the game. They had eight shots in the last 35 minutes of the game, with their best chance coming from Dani Olmo, who nearly placed a chip shot into the far corner of the goal in the 92-minute.

The series concluded 2-1 in favor of Madrid.

Manchester City vs. F.C. Copenhagen

City comfortably won the first leg with a score of 3-1. Furthermore, they had 79% of the possession and registered 27 shots. Copenhagen, on the other hand, only had four shots.

City also controlled the second game, retaining 69% of the possession, although the shot numbers were similar, as City had 12 shots to Copenhagen’s 11.

City got off to a blistering start, scoring twice in the first ten minutes. City defender Manuel Akanji scored a volley from a Matheus Nunes corner in the fifth minute, and Argentinian winger Julian Alvarez scored from the left edge of the box in the ninth minute. He was a bit lucky, though, as the ball hit Copenhagen’s goalkeeper Kamil Grabara in the hands before falling into the back of the net.

Copenhagen did not go quietly despite the challenges and scored a well-worked goal in the 29th minute. Norse winger Mohamed Elyounoussi passed to Icelandic Striker Orri Oskarsson, who backheeled it back to Elyounoussi, who scored with a first-time shot.

Star striker Erling Haaland got on the scoresheet just before the first half concluded, controlling a long ball in the box and finishing at the goalkeeper’s near post.
This goal brought the aggregate scoreline to 6-2, and the score would remain 6-2 as City booked their ticket to the quarter-finals.

Thank you for tuning in to our Champions League Roundup.

Keep up with The Game Haus further coverage on the Champions League throughout the week.

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