5️⃣ things we learned from Wednesday's Champions League action | OneFootball

The Champions League last-16 went out with a bang Wednesday evening with two dramatic games. Here is what we made of the events in Germany and Spain.

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A fortress reignited

Most of us remember when the Signal Iduna Park was arguably the most intimidating ground in Europe when it came to the big games under the lights.

And while that feeling seemed to slip away in the years after Jürgen Klopp’s departure, the pitch below the Yellow Wall is starting to swallow opponents whole once again.

Using their home crowd to ease past PSV Wednesday evening, Borussia Dortmund gave us a reminder of just how big the occasion can be in that stadium.

While they may not have the most talented squad of the star-studded clubs remaining in the competition, the Signal Iduna Park can serve as a battleground for Edin Terzić’s men where they can set the agenda.

The only way to beat Inter

Inter have been impeccable this season, sitting with just one loss in Serie A through 28 games and sailing a comfortable 16 points clear at the top.

After making it all the way to the final against Manchester City last season, it seemed that this could be the year that Inter could head into the last-eight as one of the true favourites to win the competition.

But sometimes the luck doesn’t go your way, and drawing Diego Simeon’s Atlético Madrid in the knockout rounds is about unlucky as you can get in the Champions League.

Simeone’s side knew exactly how to handle the Serie A leaders, and once the game got to extra-time you just knew the experienced Colchoneros would take over.

Inter will likely come back stronger, but this season did feel like a real chance.

The chance was there

PSV have been a breath of fresh air this season on both the domestic and continental fronts.

Peter Bosz’s side are cruising in the Dutch league, having remained unbeaten in their opening 25 league matches. The Eindhoven outfit currently have a 10-point lead at the top of the division.

On the continent they have been just as exciting, qualifying from a tricky group comprised of Arsenal, Lens, and Sevilla.

But the occasion seemed just a little too big for the Dutch side Wednesday evening, seemingly crumbling under the pressure in Dortmund.

They created a flurry of big chances to pull off an unlikely result, but fluffing their lines became a regular occurrence on the night.

It would have been some sight to see the Boeren make it to the last-eight for the first time since the 2006/7 season, but the gap in quality from the top teams in Europe can’t be ignored.

A stark reminder

Jadon Sancho has been much maligned in recent seasons, and a falling out with Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag amid a spell of woeful form won’t help that.

But upon returning to Borussia Dortmund, we’ve begun to see signs of life from the once prolific winger.

With his cool strike from the edge of the box to give BVB the lead early on in Wednesday’s clash with PSV, Sancho reminded us all just how good he can be when he is happy, and in the mood to make a difference on the pitch.

Sancho’s strike saw the Englishman score goals in back-to-back games for the first time since November 2021.

Is he back for good!?

Just how they drew it up

This team just won’t go away.

Despite the latter stages of the Champions League being riddled with European giants, an Atlético Madrid in this kind of mood could just be the toughest draw.

Seeing Los Colchoneros win a low-scoring tie on penalty-kicks brings back memories of the great Atleti sides of the 2010s that were not only winning domestic trophies, but consistently knockout Europe’s big-boys on the world stage.

But yet another season in which Atleti have qualified for the last-eight makes us ask the question, is there really any difference between them and Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich’s of this world?