OneFootball
Alex Mott·25 February 2021
OneFootball
Alex Mott·25 February 2021
And with that, the first legs of this seasonâs Champions League last 16 fixtures are all complete.
Letâs hand out some awards, shall we?
Just how good are Manchester City right now?
Pep Guardiolaâs side went to Borussia Monchengladbach this week and never looked in any danger whatsoever, beating their German rivals 2-0 thanks to goals from Bernardo Silva and Gabriel Jesus.
It means that City have now won 19 games in a row, and 12 away from home in all competitions â a new English football record.
LaLiga used to be the dominant force in Europe, the league with the most stars and the most technicians .
Recently though, football on the Iberian peninsula has been in the doldrums.
That played out in this round of the Champions League with only Real Madrid winning their first leg.
Atalanta hosted the mighty Real Madrid on Wednesday in what should have been one of La Deaâs greatest club moments.
It very quickly, though, went from dream to nightmare.
Remo Freuler was given a straight red card for a foul on Ferland Mendy inside the opening 20 minutes and despite battling hard for the remaining 70, eventually lost 1-0.
And manager Gian Piero Gasperini knew exactly who to blame at full-time.
What a player Bayern Munich have on their hands here.
Jamal Musiala became the second-youngest person ever to score in a Champions League knockout game this week as he netted the second in the Bavarian sideâs comprehensive 4-1 win over Lazio.
A brilliant low drive gave Hansi Flickâs men the advantage in Rome, and just to complete his excellent week, then declared his international status to Germany.
Euro 2020-bound?
The Champions League knockout stages so far this season have been all about the new generation.
Erling Haaland, Kylian MbappĂ©, Jamal Musiala and Jadon Sancho have all impressed but one (old) man went against the grain on Tuesday and showed that life in Europeâs top club competition doesnât end at 30.
Olivier Giroud was the only goalscorer as Chelsea went to Atletico Madrid and won 1-0 on Tuesday.
The Frenchman was excellent all night but his performance was capped by a stunning overhead kick to put the Blues in the driving seat going into the second leg.
Atlético Madrid have been exceptional this season. Seemingly strolling towards a LaLiga title and heavy favourites for their clash with Chelsea in the last 16.
But since the turn of the year, the wheels have totally fallen off Diego Simeoneâs side, but the Argentine coach tried desperately to hammer those wheels back on at the Wanda this week by parking the proverbial bus and not letting it move an inch.
Atleti tried their old tricks â as the above image indicates â but it just wasnât enough.
Itâs going to be an uphill battle at the Bridge in two weeks time.