UEFA Champions League

We're halfway through the Champions League round-of-16 fixtures and Manchester City are among the teams in great position to earn a spot in the quarterfinal.

Manchester City earned a 2-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach Wednesday while Real Madrid edged Atalanta with a 1-0 victory.

It was a relatively low-scoring day overall considering the high level of talent on the four rosters involved.

Erling Haaland remained the clear goalscoring leader through the latest matchday with eight overall, although there is plenty of time for others on the list to catch up in the coming weeks. Here are the current leaders:      

        

• 8: Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
• 6: Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Alvaro Morata (Juventus), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea)
• 5: Alassane Plea (Borussia Monchengladbach), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
• 4: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla), Ferran Torres (Manchester City), Diogo Jota (Liverpool), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Full leaderboard available on UEFA.com

       

Manchester City have been dominant in the Premier League, and their dominance has carried over into the Champions League with another strong performance.

The English squad has incredible depth with many players capable of contributing on the attack, a strength that was showcased in this match.

It was left back Joao Cancelo who helped create the opening goal with a perfect lob to Bernardo Silva.

Beautiful ball from João Cancelo and Bernardo Silva gets his head on it 💥 pic.twitter.com/vjWQnhULji

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 24, 2021

Cancelo then played a significant role in the second score with a cross that led to a Gabriel Jesus score:

Joao Cancelo ➡️ Bernardo Silva ➡️ Gabriel Jesus ➡️ ⚽🔥 pic.twitter.com/U8CjXsawNo

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 24, 2021

Even with Kevin De Bruyne on the bench, Manchester City had no problem creating opportunities against Gladbach.

Advancing through to the next round is not a guarantee, but the visitors put themselves in great shape with the win. 

In the other match of the day, Real Madrid was gifted an early advantage when Remo Freuler was booked with a red card in the 17th minute.

17 minutes in and Atalanta are down to 10. 😳 pic.twitter.com/jKtBecBkVY

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 24, 2021

It forced Atalanta to play with 10 men for the majority of the match, limiting the opportunities for the home squad.

Real Madrid still struggled to do much with it in a battle that remained scoreless through the 80th minute. The Spanish squad controlled possession and took nearly all of the shots yet couldn't get good looks at the net as Atalanta stayed extremely disciplined defensively.

In the 86th minute, Ferland Mendy finally broke the deadlock with a screamer from well outside the box:

FERLAND MENDY. 86TH MINUTE. ON HIS WEAK FOOT. 😳 pic.twitter.com/oXAD7y8V9J

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 24, 2021

Real Madrid had an 18-2 advantage on shots and nearly every player attempted at least one before Mendy came through with the goal:

Ferland Mendy is Real Madrid's ninth starting outfield player to attempt a shot against Atalanta...

...and he scores. 😅 #UCL https://t.co/oA9HVaVGWr

— Squawka (@Squawka) February 24, 2021

The left back also drew the early foul that led to the red card to complete an impactful day. 

Though it wasn't always pretty, Real Madrid did what was needed to be in control going into the second leg.

The Champions League will return on March 9 with the second leg of these round-of-16 ties, beginning with Sevilla against Borussia Dortmund and Juventus vs. Porto.

Real Madrid ran their winning streak to five matches across all competitions with a 1-0 victory over Atalanta in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy.

To close out January, Madrid's hopes of winning a league title seemed to be slipping away following a third defeat in four matches. They proceeded to reel off four straight wins and now sit just three points back of leaders Atletico Madrid, who have a game in hand.

With Wednesday's result, Zinedine Zidane's squad now have one foot in the Champions League quarterfinals, too, thanks to Ferland Mendy.

The Frenchman broke the deadlock in the 86th minute. Luka Modric laid the ball off outside the 18-yard box, and Mendy used his weaker right foot to curl his shot into the back of the net.

FERLAND MENDY. 86TH MINUTE. ON HIS WEAK FOOT. 😳 pic.twitter.com/oXAD7y8V9J

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 24, 2021

Mendy was front and center for the two biggest moments of the night.

Referee Tobias Stieler made himself a figure of controversy in the 17th minute when he sent off Atalanta midfielder Remo Freuler.

17 minutes in and Atalanta are down to 10. 😳 pic.twitter.com/jKtBecBkVY

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 24, 2021

There's no question Freuler was guilty of a foul when he impeded Mendy. However, many questioned whether the contact on the Madrid left back amounted to a straight red card:

Even Spanish TV struggling to see how that was a straight red...

— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) February 24, 2021

Referee Tobias Stieler interprets Remo Freuler’s tackle as a denial of a goal scoring opportunity...such a small margin. It almost seems unfair.

With VAR at refs disposal, he didn’t even double check his judgement call on a monitor. An argument can be made for DOGSO, yes but...

— Nico Cantor (@Nicocantor1) February 24, 2021

How is that a red? DOGSO? #AtalantaRealMadrid

— Gabriele Marcotti (@Marcotti) February 24, 2021

The Spanish giants were unable to capitalize on their man advantage for the remainder of the half. Isco's free kick immediately after Freuler's exit went into the wall, and Real Madrid managed just two shots on target in the opening 45 minutes.

In the first minute of first-half stoppage time, Toni Kroos found Casemiro on the edge of the six-yard box, but Pierluigi Gollini made a great save on the Brazilian's point-blank header.

The red card, meanwhile, meant Atalanta could ill afford to throw too many men forward, and Duvan Zapata was subbed off with an injury in the 30th minute. Those two factors combined to stifle a club that has scored the second-most goals (53) in Serie A.

Because he doesn't often set his side out to defend, Gian Piero Gasperini will probably be somewhat content Atalanta surrendered only one away.

Zidane, on the other hand, will have mixed emotions. The result speaks for itself, but Madrid's inability to create much of anything in the final third prior to Mendy's goal was surprising given both their recent form and Freuler's red card.

They may yet win, but this feels the most feeble Madrid since the 1970s, which was also when they couldn't sign star foreigners - in that period because of restrictions, as opposed to resources.

— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) February 24, 2021

https://twitter.com/TomFornelli/status/1364687425499496458

The performance continued a collective lackluster effort from Spanish clubs in this year's knockout stages.

La Liga has four representatives still alive in the Champions League, which may not be the case for very long.

Barcelona suffered a heavy 4-1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain last week, while Sevilla and Atletico Madrid trail by one goal heading into their second legs. Real Madrid at least may be able to carry the La Liga banner in the quarterfinals.

What's Next?

The clubs will meet again at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano in Madrid for the second leg on March 16. Before that, Atalanta face off against Sampdoria on Sunday in Serie A action. Only one point separates them from fourth-place Roma. Madrid are back in action Monday, where they'll put their winning streak on the line against Real Sociedad. 

Robert Lewandowski helped Bayern Munich pick up right where it left off in Tuesday's Champions League round-of-16 fixtures. 

Bayern earned a 4-1 win over Lazio in the first of a two-legged tie while Chelsea began its knockout round with a 1-0 victory over Athletico Madrid.

An early goal by Lewandowski help move him up the list for the top scorers of all time in the competition:

134 ⚽ Cristiano Ronaldo
119 ⚽ Lionel Messi
72 ⚽ Robert Lewandowski

Lewandowski is now the third-highest scorer in Champions League history 🌟 pic.twitter.com/geLk1yOnVq

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 23, 2021

The striker now has four UCL goals this year to climb the 2020-21 goalscoring chart. With the way his team played in this match, he could have plenty of time to finish as the top scorer for the second straight season. Here are the current leaders as the knockout stage progresses:      

• 8: Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
• 6: Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Alvaro Morata (Juventus), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea)
• 5: Alassane Plea (Borussia Monchengladbach), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
• 4: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla), Ferran Torres (Manchester City), Diogo Jota (Liverpool), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Full leaderboard available on UEFA.com

       

Bayern Munich is the defending champion at this event and a favorite to win again, especially after dismantling Lazio in the first leg Tuesday.

Lewandowski opened the scoring in the ninth minute when he capitalized on an early mistake by the Italian side.

Lazio gift Lewandowski his 72nd #UCL goal 🎁 pic.twitter.com/zuPs7zBln5

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 23, 2021

While Lewandowski is very familiar with scoring on this level, 17-year-old Jamal Musiala soon followed with his first career Champions League goal.

17-year-old Jamal Musiala makes his opportunity count. His first #UCL goal. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/piSOscmzJ7

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 23, 2021

17 - Jamal Musiala is the second-youngest player to score in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League, after Bojan (17 years and 217 days), who netted against Schalke in the quarter-finals in 2007-08. Burgeoning. https://t.co/yTSsq2h2IH

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 23, 2021

The Bundesliga leaders continued to pile it on as the match progressed to come away with the easy win.

Kingsley Coman does the work and Leroy Sane grabs the rebound.

The defending Champs are not messing around 💥 pic.twitter.com/24YrhZjIk4

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 23, 2021

Joaquin Correa scored in the second half for Lazio but the club will need a lot more of that in the second leg. Bayern remains as talented as any club in this tournament and will be extremely difficult to beat going forward.

There was more drama in the other match as Chelsea earned the 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid.

The match was being played in Bucharest, Romania because of COVID-19 restrictions and neither team appeared too comfortable early with a 0-0 halftime score. Chelsea controlled the majority of possession thanks to sharp passing but failed to get too many quality chances near the net.

It appeared the match was headed to a scoreless draw until Olivier Giroud came through with a stunning goal in the 68th minute.

🚲 GIROUD 🚲

(🎥 @UCLonCBSSports) pic.twitter.com/MF0kzLzka7

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 23, 2021

Though it was initially ruled offside the goal was confirmed by VAR, helping Giroud earn his sixth goal in the competition despite just two starts. He is now tied for second on the scoring list behind only Erling Haaland (8).

Atletico Madrid couldn't find an equalizer and finished the match without a single shot on goal. 

This matchday will continue Wednesday with Atalanta hosting Real Madrid and Manchester City traveling to face Borussia Monchengladbach. Each of these teams have deep attacks with any number of players who can score, but Alassane Plea and Karim Benzema are among those who can climb the list of top scorers.

Chelsea came away as 1-0 winners from the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday at Arena Nationala in Bucharest, Romania.

The sides were forced to play on neutral ground because of COVID-19 restrictions in Spain that prohibited Chelsea from making the trip to Madrid.

Olivier Giroud's overhead kick was the fixture's decisive score. The goal was the subject of a video review after the Frenchman was originally judged to be offside. Subsequently replays showed Atletico defender Mario Hermoso had the final touch, thereby nullifying the offside, before Giroud's incredible piece of individual skill:

Worth the wait. Olivier Giroud with a spectacular finish. 🚲 pic.twitter.com/VT5ojrD2NS

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 23, 2021

‘Target man Olivier Giroud’ 😏 pic.twitter.com/BaADCxoiJB

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 23, 2021

Chelsea's form has turned around upon naming Thomas Tuchel as their new manager on Jan. 26. They drew with Wolverhampton Wanderers one day later before reeling off five straight wins. A draw with Southampton last Saturday ended the streak.

Atletico's results have been a little more patchy after they looked like the clear favorites to win La Liga. Los Rojiblancos took five points from their last four league fixtures. Real Madrid are now just three points back in second place, though Atletico have a game in hand.

That perhaps explains why Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone adopted a more defensive approach.

Atletico playing 6-3-1 in defence lol

— Phil Kitromilides (@PhilKitro) February 23, 2021

Diego Simeone moving away from his new attacking approach and getting back to his roots with a deep-lying 541. Atletico looking like they'd be perfectly happy with a 0-0.

— Andy West (@andywest01) February 23, 2021

Timo Werner forced Jan Oblak to make a save at his near post in the 39th minute, which was the closest either side came to scoring in the first half.

That is naughty Mason Mount 😯 pic.twitter.com/2gXqoSavDD

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 23, 2021

Atletico remained rigid as the second half got underway.

Atletico Madrid trying out a new 6-2-2 formation against Chelsea 😅 pic.twitter.com/pwZmept2mH

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 23, 2021

The match opened up a bit more as Chelsea made better use of the possession it enjoyed. That, in turn, left the Blues a bit more exposed on the counterattack.

On the whole, Chelsea were deserved victors. They finished with 59 percent of possession and failed to allow a single shot on target from their opponents.

While Simeone seemed to be playing for the draw, a 1-0 loss isn't the end of the world because overcoming a one-goal deficit isn't an impossible task. The club toppled reigning champions Liverpool 3-2 at Anfield in the round of 16 in last year's tournament.

Chelsea will also be without Jorginho and Mason Mount for the second leg because oof yellow cards they picked up Tuesday night.

From a neutral perspective, Giroud's goal was a welcome development because it will force Atletico to abandon the defensive shell they deployed. Simeone already displayed a change in tactics when he brought on Moussa Dembele, Lucas Torreira, Renan Lodi and Vitolo within the space of three minutes deep into the second half.

Tuchel, meanwhile, will be feeling comfortable about his squad's chances of advancing to the quarterfinals—especially with a crucial away goal in a tiebreaker.

This isn't the kind of performance that will live long in the memory of supporters, but the Blues made the leaders in La Liga look pretty ineffective. Snagging an away goal and keeping a clean sheet was a great outcome.

         

What's Next?

The second leg is scheduled for March 17 at Stamford Bridge. In the meantime, Atletico are back in league action at sixth-place Villarreal on Sunday, when in a major Premier League clash, fifth-place Chelsea are home against second-place Manchester United.

What a day of football.  

The second day of the Champions League Round of 16 took place Wednesday, with two one-goal thrillers: Borussia Dortmund beating Sevilla 3-2 and Porto shocking Juventus 2-1. 

Both games had plenty of drama, brilliant performances and head-scratching moments. Let's break down the winners and losers from an exciting evening on the pitch.  

                  

Winner: Erling Haaland

Erling Haaland and UCL dominance, name a more iconic duo. 

The Borussia Dortmund striker added to his legend Wednesday, scoring two more fantastic goals to lead his side to victory:

17 #UCL goals in 13 appearances. Erling Haaland cannot stop scoring. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/V46XFMK9QY

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 17, 2021

THAT'S ✌️ FOR ERLING HAALAND 🤖 pic.twitter.com/MFtrepBfNF

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 17, 2021

This man's goal-scoring prowess in Europe's premier competition is just absurd at this point:

Goals in their first 13 #UCL appearances—

Cristiano Ronaldo: 0
Lionel Messi: 3
Robert Lewandowski: 6
Raul: 8
𝐄𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐚𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝: 𝟏𝟖 pic.twitter.com/KKWIPV0oHI

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 17, 2021

Erling Haaland. #BorussiaDortmund #UCL pic.twitter.com/L3oTa7aXXO

— Julie Foudy (@JulieFoudy) February 17, 2021

The only two players to score 18+ UCL goals before their 21st birthday.

Mbappe and Haaland are the future. pic.twitter.com/nQes3NEofk

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 17, 2021

Are you ready for a world where the fandom of Mbappé argues day and night with the fandom of Haaland?

Does it ring any bell? pic.twitter.com/3k7zvGETUq

— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) February 17, 2021

erling haaland is a mechanized goal scoring god

— tim cato (@tim_cato) February 17, 2021

Dortmund needed both of those goals, too, as a shaky finish saw Sevilla nearly draw even in the closing minutes. Things got nervier than expected for the German side, but Haaland's brace was enough to give them the early advantage in the draw, with the second game back home. 

                 

Loser: Wojciech Szczesny and Juventus' Composure

Here's what the first minute of the game looked like for Juve:

https://twitter.com/UCLonCBSSports/status/1362133026944258062

And here's the first minute of the second half:

First half: Juve concede within 63 seconds

Second half: Juve concede within 20 seconds

😳 pic.twitter.com/Wy3ee9fHKA

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 17, 2021

Big yikes. 

It would be harsh to lay all of the blame on Wojciech Szczesny for the two goals. On the first, a dreadful back pass was the main culprit. On the second, he was beaten from point-blank range.

But Champions League games are won and lost on the margins, and Szczesny could have done better on both. On the first, his initial pass left his defender in a tough spot, and his reaction to the back pass was just slow enough to leave an opening for the goal. On the second, well, no goalkeeper wants to get beaten at his near post. 

Should Szczesny be saving that? What are we saying? (it's a yes from me, much as it is an honour to concede a goal to Moussa Marega)

— Andy Brassell (@andybrassell) February 17, 2021

Well if you wanted to describe Juve in the CL you could just show that 1-2 between Szczesny & Bentancur

— David Amoyal (@DavidAmoyal) February 17, 2021

All in all, two lapses of concentration from Juventus that cost them the first leg and put them in a one-goal hole. If Juventus are going to make a run at the quarterfinals, they'll need to clean that up. 

                    

Loser: Sevilla's Clean-Sheet Streak

Sevilla had gone seven games without allowing a goal. Mo Dahoud quickly took care of that:

THE CUT INSIDE. THE STRIKE. 🔥

Mo Dahoud's first #UCL goal is a rocket. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/8DpDh6qWLW

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 17, 2021

Oh, and that Haaland guy got involved, too:

Sevilla concede one goal in nine games before tonight - Haaland sets up one and scores two in first half.

— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) February 17, 2021

Sevilla's defense simply couldn't handle Dortmund's blistering counter-attack. To be fair, more than a few clubs will struggle against Dortmund's talented attackers. 

But it's a part of the game Sevilla will need to shore up if they're to have any shot of erasing a one-goal deficit and moving on to the quarterfinals. 

Erling Haaland can't stop scoring.

The Norwegian striker played a pivotal role in Borussia Dortmund's 3-2 victory over Sevilla in Wednesday's round-of-16 action in the UEFA Champions League.

Juventus, meanwhile, suffered a surprising 2-1 defeat to Porto. It represents another setback in a season that could see their streak of nine straight Serie A titles come to an end.

With Wednesday's brace, Haaland climbed to the top of the UCL scoring chart.

• 8: Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
• 6: Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Alvaro Morata (Juventus), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
• 5: Alassane Plea (Borussia Monchengladbach), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
• 4: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla), Ferran Torres (Manchester City), Diogo Jota (Liverpool), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Mergim Berisha (RB Salzburg)

Full leaderboard available on UEFA.com

          

Dortmund fell behind in the seventh minute thanks to a goal from Suso, which encapsulated BVB's season. Suso's shot appeared to take not one but two deflections to leave Marwin Hitz with no chance to make the save.

Mahmoud Dahoud brought his club level in the 19th minute with a thunderous right-footed effort from outside of the box.

THE CUT INSIDE. THE STRIKE. 🔥

Mo Dahoud's first #UCL goal is a rocket. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/8DpDh6qWLW

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 17, 2021

From there, the spotlight belonged to Haaland.

17 #UCL goals in 13 appearances. Erling Haaland cannot stop scoring. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/V46XFMK9QY

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 17, 2021

THAT'S ✌️ FOR ERLING HAALAND 🤖 pic.twitter.com/MFtrepBfNF

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 17, 2021

The 20-year-old burst onto the scene at FC Red Bull Salzburg thanks to his blistering start to the 2019-20 campaign. He had 16 goals in 14 league fixtures while finding the back of the net eight times in the group stage of the Champions League.

Many expected him to slip a bit as he adjusted to tougher competition in the Bundesliga. Instead, he has almost single-handedly carried Dortmund's attack.

😏 Mr Champions League?

🇳🇴 Erling Haaland is the first player to score 18 goals in his first 13 games in this competition 🔥#UCL pic.twitter.com/9ZIjMpzi9y

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 17, 2021

13 UCL matches
17 goals

Erling Haaland is 20 years old 🤯 pic.twitter.com/DepcabFaqv

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 17, 2021

Dortmund sit sixth in the Bundesliga, six points behind fourth-place Wolfsburg, putting them in serious jeopardy of missing out on the Champions League in 2021-22. With Haaland in this kind of form, they may get a lifeline in the form of a UCL trophy.

For Juventus, the Champions League is the one honor that has so far eluded them during their run of Serie A dominance. Their wait may have to continue for another season.

Tuesday's match couldn't have started much worse for Juve. Almost exactly at the one-minute mark, Rodrigo Bentancur delivered a poor back pass to Wojciech Szczesny that Mehdi Taremi pounced on to give Porto a 1-0 lead.

https://twitter.com/UCLonCBSSports/status/1362133026944258062

Whatever manager Andrea Pirlo said in his halftime team talk had the opposite of its intended effect. Porto's initial attack in the second half culminated in a goal for Moussa Marega.

First half: Juve concede within 63 seconds

Second half: Juve concede within 20 seconds

😳 pic.twitter.com/Wy3ee9fHKA

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 17, 2021

Federico Chiesa got a goal back for The Old Lady in the 82nd minute to leave them with a slightly easier task ahead in the second round.

Because of his accomplishments as a player, Pirlo probably won't get the axe after one season like Maurizio Sarri, regardless of what happens in the coming months.

A second successive round-of-16 exit would undoubtedly be a tough pill for the club's hierarchy to swallow all the same.

FC Porto had a dream start to the Champions League knockout stage with a 2-1 win over Juventus.

Mehdi Taremi and Moussa Marega got on the scoresheet for Porto, which opened each half with an early goal to grab a stunning lead in the two-legged round-of-16 matchup.

Cristiano Ronaldo was held scoreless Wednesday at Estadio do Dragao in his home country of Portugal, leaving Juventus with an uphill battle to advance.

The trip to the quarterfinal will be decided in the second leg March 9 at Juventus Stadium in Turin, Italy.

The first leg couldn't have began any worse for Juve, which conceded the opening goal in just over a minute.

https://twitter.com/UCLonCBSSports/status/1362133026944258062

63 - Mehdi Taremi's goal for Porto after 63 seconds is the quickest scored in the Champions League knockout stages since David Alaba scored for Bayern Munich in the quarter-final against Juventus in April 2013 after 24 seconds. Opportunist.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 17, 2021

Two months of preparation for this CL & 61 seconds in Rodrigo Bentancur gets a beautiful assist for Porto. 🤦🏽‍♂️

— Adam Digby (@Adz77) February 17, 2021

Rodrigo Bentancur was trying to pass it back to the keeper but it was Mehdi Taremi who found the ball for the quick score.

The second half saw a similar start as Moussa Marega scored for Porto in a matter of seconds after intermission.

First half: Juve concede within 63 seconds

Second half: Juve concede within 20 seconds

😳 pic.twitter.com/Wy3ee9fHKA

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 17, 2021

Juventus can't get a worse start to the second half than the firs.... never mind 2-0 Porto

— Siavoush Fallahi (@SiavoushF) February 17, 2021

The Juventus defense on that second Porto goal gets worse with every time you watch it back.

It’s a type of sloppy carelessness we’ve hardly seen from them on the defensive end since this Scudetto run began. #UCL

— Matteo Bonetti (@Bonetti) February 17, 2021

Wilson Manafa dribbled through the defense and no one marked Marega for what became an easy goal.

While the defensive mistakes contributed to the goals, Juventus had nothing going offensively either with little creativity in the final third.

Juventus have had some terrible centre midfields since 2016…this one tonight may be the worst yet

Bentancur, Rabiot & McKennie unwatchable 1st half. Zero creativity. So easy for Porto. They could play til Xmas & not concede

Pirlo needs to change something, no idea what #PORJUV

— Carlo Garganese (@carlogarganese) February 17, 2021

Juve have been horrendous so far. Just a lot of tepid nothingness on both sides of the ball.

— Seb Stafford-Bloor (@SebSB) February 17, 2021

Juventus looks like a collection of players that just met before kickoff and have no idea how to play together.

Porto leading 2-0, 64th minute. Juve better find an away goal or the return leg in Turin is going to be a brutal climb for Pirlo's men.

— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) February 17, 2021

Porto controlled only 35 percent of possession but they were happy to stay back with a compact line to prevent any looks at the net.

The Italians only had one shots on goal in the first half and three in the first 80 minutes before a late charge.

Federico Chiesa came through with a clutch goal for Juve in the 82nd minute to keep hope alive.

Juventus get an away goal! pic.twitter.com/gHwlgqoTQb

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 17, 2021

Not only important at this stage, that was a brilliant finish by Chiesa. #ForzaJuve

— Thom Craver (@thomcraver) February 17, 2021

The Serie A club couldn't complete the comeback, but the away goal could be extremely valuable going into the second leg.

Porto is sometimes overlooked in this event compared to the clubs from the bigger leagues across Europe, but the squad showed Wednesday it can compete with the best in the world. Juventus will need to improve in all areas in order to survive this difficult test.

The Champions League returned on Tuesday with the round of 16, and two fantastic matchups featured during knockout play.

When the final whistles blew, PSG earned a dominant 4-1 away win over Barcelona—led by a Kylian Mbappe hat trick—while Liverpool got back on track vs. Leipzig with a 2-0 win. 

Below, we'll break down the winners and losers from Tuesday's action. 

       

Winner: Kylian Mbappe

How good is this guy?

Mbappe torched Barcelona, scoring three goals and coming close to a fourth. Absolute class. 

KYLIAN MBAPPE 😤 pic.twitter.com/d2kx9IjCMq

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 16, 2021

Kylian Mbappe putting on a show at Camp Nou 💥 pic.twitter.com/iIfnk2UJnF

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 16, 2021

KYLIAN MBAPPE IS MAKING CAMP NOU HIS PLAYGROUND. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/sKHS0NXcim

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 16, 2021

He's on a different level. 

Getting to see Lionel Messi, the GOAT, face off against a player like Mbappe—who has all the makings of a becoming a legend himself—is always a treat. On Tuesday, Mbappe got the better of his attacking counterpart.

Kylian Mbappé is only the third player in Champions League history to score a hat-trick against Barcelona, the first to do so in the knockout stages.

After 24 years, Andriy Shevchenko and Faustino Asprilla have some company. #UCL pic.twitter.com/QiTxrf9nyA

— Squawka (@Squawka) February 16, 2021

This Kylian Mbappe display is a proper generational performance isn't it? Ronaldinho at the Bernabeu and Ronaldo at Old Trafford vibes...

— Matt Jones (@MattJFootball) February 16, 2021

A hattrick from @KMbappe. We may be witnessing the changing of the guard.

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) February 16, 2021

Verratti & Mbappe have absolutely toyed with Barca today. Massive performance. Pochettino now needs to manage his players carefully. #UCL

— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) February 16, 2021

Picking up four away goals and a win is one heck of an evening for PSG as they took a crucial first step toward advancing to the Champions League quarterfinals. They have Mbappe to thank for the scoring onslaught.

                          

Loser: Sergino Dest and Barcelona's Back Line 

While PSG's attackers flourished, Barcelona's defense suffered. So poor was 20-year-old American Sergino Dest that he was subbed out in the second half. 

On Dest.. brutal is harsh. But it wasn't good. Barca is just getting steamrolled in its own backyard. The frustrating thing for Dest is that getting forward is his best attribute but he doesn't seem to be able to do it enough in big games for Barca https://t.co/Gnda1lLgs6

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) February 16, 2021

Sergino Dest leaves in the 70th minute.

Promising 1st half, but 2nd half Dest became overwhelmed as PSG's midfield dominance led to steady diet of looks for Mbappe, who ran Dest ragged.

Dest not great, but Barcelona's midfield getting owned & rusty Pique as much to blame today

— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) February 16, 2021

Granted, the rest of the back line wasn't much better, and the midfield didn't exactly help the stressed defense. There isn't room for cracks in the foundation against the elite attackers PSG possesses, and Barca paid the price for those weaknesses. 

Barcelona when Mbappe’s coming at them: pic.twitter.com/QUnSdhkyTy

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 16, 2021

Pique trying to stop Mbappe: pic.twitter.com/bjpaJ9XVgq

— GOAL (@goal) February 16, 2021

Pique with long walk back to bench around sideline - impressive in its way how he worked so hard to be back for tonight, but not gone well / ran into worst opponent possible in Mbappe.

— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) February 16, 2021

Pique further massacring his reputation tonight. #UCL

— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) February 16, 2021

Barcelona have conceded 12 goals in their last two Champions League knockout games 💀 pic.twitter.com/AU76h64F4S

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 16, 2021

If Barcelona has any chance to recover in this matchup, it will have to start at the back. 

                          

Winner: Liverpool's Return to Form

The Reds have been dreadful in the Premier League of late, dropping three straight games. But they appeared to get their mojo back on Tuesday. 

They can thank Mo Salah and Sadio Mane for that:

Mo Salah. Clinical. 💥 pic.twitter.com/2JoAQicTTZ

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 16, 2021

53' — Mo Salah
58' — Sadio Mane

Liverpool are cooking. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/pDX3nEywHg

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 16, 2021

They're not dead, but giving Liverpool confidence wasn't what you wanted to do to a team with their talent, in their slump.

— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) February 16, 2021

FT: Leipzig 0 #LFC 2: Big morale-boosting win for Klopp's side. Really impressive European performance. Better team throughout, pressed well as a unit and punished some awful mistakes thanks to clinical finishes from Salah and Mane. Now reproduce that in the Merseyside derby.

— James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) February 16, 2021

Liverpool weren't exactly world-beaters against Leipzig, and both of their goals were the result of huge gaffes from their opponents (more on that below). But sometimes, you just need to get a win to turn things around, no matter how it comes. And Liverpool kept the clean sheet too. For a team that has been struggling, it was a much-needed result.

        

Loser: Leipzig's Defense

You've already seen the goals above. You know how hard to watch they are for Leipzig supporters. 

Leipzig's defending is letting them down big time today. Conceding tons of space. As for Tyler Adams, he's not at fault but I think he'd be at least helping on defensive side more if he was based in the middle. Few cover as much ground as him, playing out wide limits that.

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) February 16, 2021

On that evidence, Leipzig are no Leicester 😉

— Arlo White (@arlowhite) February 16, 2021

What will really stick in their craw is that this was a winnable game. Even a draw would have sufficed. Now they have to travel to Anfield, down two away goals, and find a way to erase a significant deficit against one of Europe's most dangerous clubs.

A tough evening for the Bundesliga side.

The Champions League resumed Tuesday with a pair of round-of-16 fixtures.

The last time Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain met in the Champions League knockout stage, Barca famously won 6-1 to overturn a 4-0 defeat in the first leg.

Tuesday belonged to PSG as a hat trick by Kylian Mbappe helped them cruise past Barcelona in the second half and win 4-1.

KYLIAN MBAPPE IS MAKING CAMP NOU HIS PLAYGROUND. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/sKHS0NXcim

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 16, 2021

Liverpool, meanwhile, earned a much-needed 2-0 victory over RB Leipzig.

Mbappe's performance helped him catapult up the goalscoring chart, and he's now only one behind the leaders:

• 6: Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Alvaro Morata (Juventus), Erling Braut Haaland (Borussia Dortmund), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
• 5: Alassane Plea (Borussia Monchengladbach), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
• 4: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla), Ferran Torres (Manchester City), Diogo Jota (Liverpool), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Full leaderboard available on UEFA.com

             

Barcelona and PSG combined for a thrilling opening 45 minutes. Lionel Messi scored the first goal from the penalty spot in the 27th minute, and Mbappe answered back in the 32nd minute to bring the Parisians level. In general, little separated the two clubs.

Barca v PSG the best first half of any game I’ve seen this season. Started at a high tempo and has been relentless. Verratti playing three midfield roles in one. Messi coming deep to great effect. Ter Stegen seemingly with his boots on the wrong feet. Gueye unable to NOT tackle.

— Michael Cox (@Zonal_Marking) February 16, 2021

HT #ChampionsLeague #UCL#FCBarcelona 1 (1.32 xG)#PSG 1 (1.35 xG)#BarcaPSG shot map ➡️ https://t.co/GwAXmsrolf pic.twitter.com/ZeGOKVAFdi

— Sporting Life FC (@SportingLifeFC) February 16, 2021

Mbappe made it a 2-1 game in the 65th minute. Barcelona was unable to clear a pass across the box by Alessandro Florenzi, and the 22-year-old was in the right place to slam home an easy goal.

Kylian Mbappe putting on a show at Camp Nou 💥 pic.twitter.com/iIfnk2UJnF

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 16, 2021

Moise Kean doubled PSG's advantage five minutes later to put Barca in serious danger of bowing out in the round of 16.

Barcelona sit third in La Liga but eight points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, who also have a game in hand. The Champions League provided manager Ronald Koeman with a way to salvage something from an otherwise forgettable season.

Instead, Tuesday underscored why Messi is arguably better off leaving the Catalan giants behind.

Elsewhere in Europe, it feels like far longer than a few months have transpired since Liverpool put five goals past Atalanta in the group stage. The Reds' attack has been sporadic in recent weeks, and they may struggle to qualify for next year's Champions League.

A sequence near the end of the first half against Leipzig summed up the club's current form. Roberto Firmino headed the ball in from close range, but the linesman had raised his flag for a goal kick prior to Sadio Mane's flick into the box. Replays showed the call could've gone either way:

Was it a goal? 👀 pic.twitter.com/6n2jVDB0Ks

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 16, 2021

Leipzig provided a helping hand for Liverpool early in the second half.

In the 53rd minute, Marcel Sabitzer struck an ill-advised back pass directly into the path of Mohamed Salah. Sabitzer had his head in his hands before the ball even found the back of the net.

Mo Salah. Clinical. 💥 pic.twitter.com/2JoAQicTTZ

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 16, 2021

Five minutes later, Nordi Mukiele failed to clear a long pass over the top by Curtis Jones. That allowed Mane to run clean through on goal, and he fired a low shot past Peter Gulacsi.

Leipzig looked threatening over the remainder of the match but couldn't break Liverpool's defense down. Although the Reds won't have their usual raucous atmosphere at Anfield on March 10, you'd expect them to protect a two-goal lead at home in the second leg.

Looking ahead to Wednesday, Porto host Juventus, while Borussia Dortmund will hope to get back on track away to Sevilla.

Kylian Mbappe has Paris Saint-Germain one step closer to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals after a 4-1 win over Barcelona.

Mbappe tallied a hat trick at the Camp Nou on Tuesday to help PSG win the first leg of the round-of-16 tie.

The Ligue 1 club was short-handed with Neymar ruled out because of a hip injury, but the attack thrived even without the Brazilian. The team will now try to hold the lead through the second leg set for March 10 at the Parc des Princes.

Lionel Messi scored the opening goal of the match, but Barcelona couldn't keep up in the second half, putting them in danger of their earliest elimination in this event since 2007.

Even with proven stars all over the pitch, Mbappe stood out in this match with the ability to do nearly anything he wanted with the ball.

He scored three goals, including the equalizer in the first half and the go-ahead goal in the second to play a key role in PSG's victory.

KYLIAN MBAPPE 😤 pic.twitter.com/d2kx9IjCMq

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 16, 2021

Kylian Mbappe putting on a show at Camp Nou 💥 pic.twitter.com/iIfnk2UJnF

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 16, 2021

KYLIAN MBAPPE IS MAKING CAMP NOU HIS PLAYGROUND. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/sKHS0NXcim

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 16, 2021

Kylian Mbappé is the FIRST visiting player to score 2 goals in a UCL KO match at the Camp Nou.

Baby 🐐 pic.twitter.com/g6oUdrA7sw

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 16, 2021

It was impossible not to be impressed by the 22-year-old no matter where he was on the field:

Mbappe. Unreal. So much fun to watch. #UCL #BarcaPsg

— Brian Stultz (@brianjstultz) February 16, 2021

Something special almost always happens when the ball is at foot of Mbappe. #PSGBAR

— James Starks II (@_JamesStarks) February 16, 2021

Mbappe really enjoying himself / putting on show now.

— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) February 16, 2021

Mbappe so explosive in tight spaces, but also becoming a supreme playmaker in the way all the great forwards do.

— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) February 16, 2021

Mbappe putting a performance for the ages.

— Lucas Navarrete (@LucasNavarreteM) February 16, 2021

Moise Kean added to the lead with a goal off a free kick in the 70th minute, giving Paris Saint-Germain a significant advantage through the first match.

Moise Kean scores goals. Pass it on. 😏 pic.twitter.com/e7B20du7hM

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 16, 2021

Barcelona appeared to be in decent shape in the early going as Messi netted a goal from the spot in the 27th minute.

Lionel Messi scores his 28th goal in 27 round of 16 games. No one has scored more goals in this stage of the knockouts 🔥 pic.twitter.com/A9tKcWlzNV

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 16, 2021

The score came after Frenkie de Jong drew a penalty from a foul in the box, although the call was heavily debated:

Neymar's immediate reaction to the Barcelona penalty. pic.twitter.com/NYudzPRnWB

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 16, 2021

Tough penalty to call on Kurzawa....I get it took away De Jong's legs.....but "did it?"

Messi with a perfect pen and he's feeling it. #UCL

— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) February 16, 2021

That is accidental on PSG, but you still took away DeJong's legs so.. Its a penalty.

— Maximiliano Bretos (@MaxBretosSports) February 16, 2021

It was confirmed by VAR that Layvin Kurzawa made contact with De Jong, putting Messi in position to give his club a 1-0 lead.

The match went into halftime tied 1-1, but there was no shortage of drama as the clubs combined for 15 shots in the opening 45 minutes, with seven on goal.

There were chances for both sides in the second half as well, although it was PSG that took advantage. Barca was sloppy in the final third and failed to get anything going in open play.

Adding the inability to slow down Mbappe and it was a one-sided result.

Both of these clubs have the talent to compete for the Champions League title this season, but the tough draw meant only one will make it out of the round of 16. Paris Saint-Germain are in great shape halfway through and will try to seal the win in the next leg.