UEFA Champions League

Manchester City fought back to overcome Real Madrid 2-1 in the first leg of their 2020 UEFA Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday in the Spanish capital.

Gabriel Jesus notched his fifth goal of the competition, and Sergio Ramos was handed his marching orders late in the game, collecting a 26th red card of his career.

Cristiano Ronaldo couldn't stop Juventus slipping to a surprise 1-0 defeat at Lyon, with the Italian champions failing to grab an away goal in the first leg.

                

Wednesday's Results

Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City

Lyon 1-0 Juventus

             

Top Scorers

Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich): 11

Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund, Red Bull Salzburg): 10

Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur): 6

Dries Mertens (Napoli): 6

Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich): 6

Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain): 5

Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City): 5

Raheem Sterling (Manchester City): 5

Heung-Min Son (Tottenham Hotspur): 5

Memphis Depay (Lyon): 5

Mauro Icardi (PSG): 5

Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan): 5

                 

Wednesday Recap

City achieved one of the greatest European nights in their history as they came back from the brink of defeat to snatch a victory in Spain.

The Premier League champions appeared ready to sit deep and play a possession game against Madrid, and a dour first half didn't prepare fans for an exciting finale.

Real took a surprise lead after 59 minutes when City's defence collapsed under pressure, but the opener only served as fuel for Pep Guardiola's men.

Guardiola started the game with Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero on the bench, and he called on the former to help change the direction of the result.

Sterling combined with Kevin De Bruyne, helping the Belgian to find Jesus for the equaliser with 12 minutes left.

The goal triggered a late rush from City, and Sterling was brought down in the box by Dani Carvajal five minutes later.

De Bruyne had ice in his veins as he made sure of the win from the penalty spot, and there was further misery for Real when Sergio Ramos was shown a red card for a late foul on Jesus.

It was a spectacular comeback by City, and Zinedine Zidane appeared to have no answer for Guardiola's tactics.

The Catalan told BT Sport he was delighted with the response from his team:

"It's just the first step, it's not over. We'll enjoy the moment!"

A crucial turnaround for Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City side.

🎙 @DesKellyBTS pic.twitter.com/XrUWNlbwil

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 26, 2020

Lyon will travel to Turin with a vital one-goal advantage over Juve for the second leg of their clash after victory at the Groupama Stadium.

Lucas Tousart netted the only goal after 31 minutes for the Ligue 1 outfit, and Juve's slow start on the night contributed to their defeat.

Ronaldo was the visitors' biggest threat as he raided the box, and Juve believed they had made it 1-1 with just three minutes left, but Paulo Dybala's effort was ruled offside.

Lyon were defensively sound on the night. The French team stopped Juve's attack in their tracks, allowing them few scoring opportunities.

The home side created few chances during the match, but importantly, they denied Juve from having a single shot on target.

Manchester City earned a dramatic 2-1 win over 10-man Real Madrid on Wednesday in the first leg of the 2020 UEFA Champions League last 16 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Isco broke the deadlock for Real on 59 minutes after multiple errors in City's defence, with the goal coming against the run of play.

City composed themselves and produced a comeback when Gabriel Jesus headed home an equaliser with 12 minutes to spare.

Dani Carvajal then brought down Raheem Sterling in the box for an 83rd-minute penalty, with Kevin De Bruyne making no mistake from the spot.

Sergio Ramos was shown a straight red for denying Jesus a goalscoring opportunity with four minutes remaining, and Madrid collapsed at the end as City turned on the style.

City’s night at the Bernabeu 🥳 pic.twitter.com/PR5lwYAx9T

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 26, 2020

The Premier League champions set up defensively for the first leg, with Sergio Aguero and Sterling both starting on the bench.

Vinicius Jr. was handed the start over Gareth Bale for the injured Eden Hazard, but Zinedine Zidane's side struggled to break down their opponents for most of the night.

City were happy to keep the ball in their own half, despite the vocal disapproval of the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium crowd. However, Pep Guardiola's men appeared comfortable and relaxed in their ambition of frustrating Los Blancos. 

There was disappointment for City defender Aymeric Laporte, with the Frenchman suffering an injury and forced off after just 33 minutes, but City continued to contain Madrid with relative ease.

The Sky Blues showed more intent after half-time, and Riyad Mahrez's curling shot narrowly missed the top corner.

City appeared to be in the ascendency and ready to pounce, but a spell of defensive errors allowed the hosts to score.

Vinicius beat Kyle Walker to the ball as the visitors failed to retain possession. The Real forward squared a pass to Isco, who took the opportunity to fire past Ederson. The momentum temporarily built for Real, and Ramos should have scored when he lashed an effort over the bar.

City's composure seemed to have fall off, and Guardiola's game plan appeared dented, prompting the Catalan to bring on Sterling.

Zidane quickly responded by swapping Vinicius for Bale, but Sterling's impact was immediate as he combined with De Bruyne. The Belgian's cross sailed over Ramos, and Jesus was waiting in the six-yard box for a simple header. VAR confirmed there was no foul on Ramos during the pass.

Real suddenly appeared anxious and bewildered, and their opponents wrestled control of the game in the closing stages.

Sterling was involved once again as he beat Carvajal, and the left-back fouled the England international for a penalty. De Bruyne was cool and calm as he found the bottom corner against Belgium team-mate Thibaut Courtois.

The Bernabeu atmosphere was extinguished as Ramos was sent off for a foul on Jesus, and Guardiola's men collected a vital win to take back to Manchester.

           

What's Next?

Both teams feature in important encounters on Sunday. Los Blancos welcome Barcelona in La Liga, while the Sky Blues take on Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium. City host Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League tie on March 17.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus were left stunned after Lyon produced a 1-0 win in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League last 16 on Wednesday night.

A 31st-minute goal from Lucas Tousart, who helped render Ronaldo virtually anonymous at the Groupama Stadium, proved enough for the side seventh in Ligue 1 to earn a valuable aggregate lead ahead of the return fixture in Turin on Tuesday, March 17.

Lyon boss Rudi Garcia is usually defined by letting his teams off the leash to pursue goals in maverick fashion, but the 56-year-old tweaked things to try and keep Juve's danger men in check.

Garcia deployed a double midfield pivot in front of the Lyon defence, with Tousart and January import Bruno Guimaraes shielding the back line brilliantly. Former Athletico Paranaense enforcer Guimaraes caught the eye early and often:

Early signs are that Bruno Guimaraes looks well at home at this level.

Lyon's January signing always available for a pass and using the ball tidily, showing a good range of passing. #OLJuve

— Robin Bairner (@RBairner) February 26, 2020

Hard-pressed to recall a more exceptional Champions' League 1st half debut than the shift put in by Bruno Guimarães so far.

— Get French Football News (@GFFN) February 26, 2020

There was ample skill to go with the silk, thanks to the pace of Karl Toko Ekambi and Moussa Dembele, as well as the technique of Houssem Aouar. The latter was given a platform to play by the dual destroyers behind him, and he duly proceeded to boss a midfield populated by under-performing stars such as Miralem Pjanic and Adrien Rabiot.

It was Aouar's quick feet and vision that proved the catalyst for Tousart's goal, with the scorer rewarded for making a rare foray forward:

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1232766286251384833

A BIG goal for the home side!

Lyon take the lead against Juventus, with Lucas Tousart converting from close range...

Look out for the goalkeeper's celebration 😅 pic.twitter.com/Xo82tC2DYi

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 26, 2020

Juve struggled to muster a response, with neither Rabiot nor Pjanic able to give Ronaldo the supply he needed. Maurizio Sarri finally reacted by hooking Pjanic for former Arsenal playmaker Aaron Ramsey on 62 minutes.

Ramsey soon began getting involved in the final third, producing a testing shot from the edge of the area after being played in by Paulo Dybala. Rodrigo Bentancur was the next to break from midfield, ending his run by teeing up Alex Sandro, but the left-back's attempt was blocked by last-ditch defending.

Sandro was involved again when Dybala went close, with the latter dragging his shot inches wide after a fine cross from the defender. The miss prompted more reshuffling from Sarri, who introduced Gonzalo Higuain at the expense of Juan Cuadrado for the final 20 minutes.

Ramsey got Ronald involved for a rare sighter in the 84th minute, but the 35-year-old, who had been starved of service, couldn't find his range.

https://twitter.com/BonettiESPN/status/1232772728593305600

Juve had been made to look ordinary with Ronaldo kept under wraps. The decorated veteran's supporting cast isn't doing enough to pick up the slack, leaving this team a long way removed from being potential Champions League winners.

   

What's Next?

Juve host third-place Inter Milan on Sunday in a crucial match in the Serie A title race. Meanwhile, Lyon will be in Ligue 1 action on the same day against Saint-Etienne at home.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said Manchester United might "suffer" financially if the club don't qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

Patric Ridge of Goal reported the Norwegian told a news conference he hopes the Red Devils find a route into Europe's top competition next season, with his team set to play Club Brugge on Thursday in the UEFA Europa League knockouts:

"We're a big club and we've got good finances but the longer you're out the more you suffer, so it's an ambition to get back into the Champions League.

"For footballing reasons and financially it will help the club. We've got to focus on this competition, then the league on Sunday and then FA Cup."

United welcome Brugge to Old Trafford for the second leg of their last-32 tie after a 1-1 draw in Belgium.

Solskjaer's men remain fifth in the Premier League, and winning the Europa will open the door to a Champions League qualification spot.

Chelsea are three points clear of United in fourth. Solskjaer added his team must perform to advance on Thursday, but said the club can't rely on the Europa as their only path back to the top table of European football.

"I think we need to take one game at a time. Both [qualification routes] are possible. In a cup competition, you never know. It might be a bad day.

"You can't rely on winning this. There are some good teams in it and we need to get past Brugge. We're looking forward to the game."

United's net debt rose by £73.6 million over the last year, according to the club's financial reports for the second quarter of 2019-20. The Old Trafford giants now carry a net debt of £391.3 million. Total revenues have slumped by 19.3 per cent to £168.4 million.

Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward addressed Tuesday's financial report, declaring United are working towards "winning trophies with a team playing entertaining, attacking football." Woodward added the recent purchase of Bruno Fernandes was an "important step" towards achieving the team's ambitions.

United have provided promising displays since Solskjaer took over from Jose Mourinho in December 2018, but they have struggled to get results against teams in the bottom half of the table.

Defeats to Burnley, Watford, Bournemouth, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Crystal Palace have contributed towards United's position outside of the Champions League places.

Fernandes has immediately shown he can inspire United to better performances, and Solskjaer has the remaining 11 Premier League matches to prove his team can take the next step in their development.

Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic were critical of Barcelona's squad planning after they were held to a 1-1 draw at Napoli in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. 

Busquets and Arturo Vidal will be suspended for the second leg of their last-16 tie, while Gerard Pique suffered an ankle injury in added time at the Stadio San Paolo.

Per Sport, Busquets said: "We had Arturo's red card, I hope Pique's thing is nothing. We'll take [the second leg] on with what we are. We're a small squad, unfortunately the planning was like this."

He added: "We are a small squad; we don't have players of this profile to attack. We have to reinvent ourselves."

Rakitic was also asked about Barcelona lacking depth in their squad, per Marca: "Yes, but this was already known to those responsible. The solution is what it is. Those of us who are here are going to join forces because we have a very important game in the return [leg]."

Busquets was booked in the match, taking him to three yellow cards in the Champions League this season, while Vidal earned two yellow cards for fouling and clashing with Mario Rui late on, leaving Barcelona in a precarious position:

Injured: Suarez, Dembele, Alba, Roberto, Pique
Suspended for the second leg: Busquets, Vidal
⁰⁰
👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/nwH4SyKv17

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 26, 2020

Football writer Dermot Corrigan put it in further perspective:

Unless Jordi Alba and / or Sergi Roberto are back from injury, Barca will have just 10 senior outfield players available for the second leg on Mar 18 [that not including Pique who's hurt ankle now].

— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) February 25, 2020

Barca manager Quique Setien was able to offer some hope, though, per ESPN FC's Samuel Marsden:

Setien hopeful (confident, even) that Sergi Roberto and Jordi Alba will return for second leg vs. Napoli on March 18

— Samuel Marsden (@samuelmarsden) February 25, 2020

Pique did not appear to be moving with much difficulty as he left the stadium, either:

Piqué not looking too bad leaving the stadium... https://t.co/HtSWTW8HCz

— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) February 25, 2020

Even if the trio are able to recover in time for the second leg on March 18, the club's activity in the January transfer window did them no favours.

Firstly, the club banked on Ousmane Dembele's fitness after Luis Suarez was ruled out for four months following knee surgery and so did not sign another forward.

After Dembele suffered a hamstring tear at the start of February and was subsequently ruled out for six months, the club had to sign Leganes' Martin Braithwaite as an emergency recruit, and he will only be eligible in La Liga.

What's more, the club allowed Jean-Clair Todibo, Carles Perez, Carles Alena and Moussa Wague—centre-back, winger, midfielder and full-back, respectively—to leave the Camp Nou on loan.

Under normal circumstances the quartet may not have got much game time—they'd made just 14 starts between them in the first half of the campaign—but their cover could have been invaluable during the run-in given Barca's injuries and suspensions.

Serge Gnabry has said he enjoys playing in London after he scored twice in Bayern Munich's 3-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie. 

Gnabry twice combined with Robert Lewandowski in three second-half minutes to get Bayern on their way before the Polish striker all but put the tie out of Chelsea's reach with his 76th-minute strike:

https://twitter.com/brfootball/status/1232415300446031878

This is what a player in form looks like! 🔥

Gnabry and Lewandowski combine again brilliantly and the winger is ice-cold with the finish 👊

6️⃣ goals in his last 2️⃣ visits to London. And counting. pic.twitter.com/oomdh60PUO

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 25, 2020

The former Arsenal winger has now netted six goals in London this season after his four-goal performance against Tottenham Hotspur back in October in the Champions League group stage:

https://twitter.com/RichJolly/status/1232413367375212550

Gnabry played for Arsenal between 2011 and 2016, and he explained after Tuesday's victory why he likes coming back to the English capital, per BT Sport (h/t MailOnline's Oli Gamp):

"I've got a lot of friends here. A lot of them were in the stands tonight, and it seems like they're giving me some kind of power. I always enjoy coming back."

The 24-year-old added that, despite their three-goal cushion, Bayern "need to be prepared" for the second leg at the Allianz Arena on March 18 as the tie is "still open" for Chelsea:

"I've got a lot of friends here, a lot of them were in the stands, they must be giving me some kind of power. I always enjoy coming back."

Another successful return to London for Serge Gnabry 👊

🎙 @DesKellyBTS pic.twitter.com/G4N4efILyK

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 25, 2020

Realistically, though, the German champions already have a foot in the quarter-finals.

When the last-16 draw was made, Bayern were fifth favourites to win the Champions League behind Manchester City, Liverpool, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

After the completion of six of the last-16 first-leg fixtures, they now head the market, per Caesars Palace.

Last season, they were knocked out by eventual champions Liverpool in the last 16, but they look a different proposition this term under Hansi Flick.

Bayern last reached the final of the Champions League when they won it in 2012-13, but they have reached four semi-finals since then.

After Tuesday's performance there will be plenty backing them to get a sixth title this season, and come the quarter-final draw, the German giants will be a club to be avoided. 

Napoli boss Gennaro Gattuso said his side will be prepared when they take on Barcelona in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie. 

The Partenopei held the Catalan giants to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday in Naples.

"We know the difficulties we are going through," Gattuso said, per Goal's Dejan Kalinic. "We will buy helmets and armour. We will get all the necessary [tools] and will play the next game. Nothing is over."

The Italian also reserved praise for his side. He told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Goal's Sacha Pisani), Napoli had to adapt their approach because of Barcelona's attacking threat, which he felt they did well:

"They force you to defend deep, and we had to play like that, because if there were spaces back there, they could really hurt us.

"I think they barely grazed us tonight, they hardly had a single shot on goal. They could've been there all night and not scored, but we conceded after one single error. They didn't hurt us, it barely tickled."

Dries Mertens gave Napoli the lead in the 30th minute with a superb strike from the edge of the area (U.S. only):

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1232404313902854144

Antoine Griezmann replied for the visitors in the second half (U.S. only):

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1232415558790008840

Arturo Vidal was sent off late for two bookable offences. He caught Mario Rui with a late challenge before an aggressive confrontation with him (UK only):

Griezmann's goal was one of only two shots Barca had on target at the Stadio San Paolo, but football writer and broadcaster Carlo Garganese was unhappy with the way Napoli set up against them:

Napoli treated this Barcelona like they are Klopp’s Liverpool. They are not. They are very beatable and vulnerable when they are playing away from Camp Nou. Very frustrating that Napoli never pressed and gave it a go. #NAPBAR

— Carlo Garganese (@carlogarganese) February 25, 2020

Tuesday's match was the fifth time Barca have played away from home under Quique Setien since he took charge in January.

In their previous four, they made life difficult for themselves in 2-1 and 3-2 wins over Ibiza and Real Betis, respectively, either side of defeats at Valencia and Athletic Bilbao.

Barca, being at home in the second leg with an away goal under their belts, have the slight edge in the tie.

However, they'll be without the suspended Vidal and Sergio Busquets, who picked up a yellow card to earn a one-match ban.

He was one of Barca's top performers on Tuesday, per Squawka's Muhammad Butt:

Sergio Busquets vs. Napoli (A)
134 touches
121 passes attempted
109 passes completed
86 passes in opp. half
6 interceptions
1 tackle
1 chance created
1 second assist
1 yellow card#TheGrandmaster pic.twitter.com/S8qqOQqDwW

— Muhammad Butt (@muhammadbutt) February 25, 2020

The Blaugrana will still be able to call upon the likes of Frenkie de Jong, Arthur and Ivan Rakitic, but Busquets' absence in particular will leave them more vulnerable.

Mertens has six goals and one assist to his name in seven Champions League appearances this season, so with him in the side, Napoli pose plenty of threat to Barcelona.

Frank Lampard said his Chelsea side were "outclassed in pretty much every department" by Bayern Munich in their 3-0 UEFA Champions League loss at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. 

Serge Gnabry's double and Robert Lewandowski's goal in the last-16 first leg all but ended Chelsea's chances of making the quarter-finals of Europe's premier club competition this season.

It was the Blues' heaviest home defeat in the Champions League, and it could have been worse:

3 - Chelsea's 3-0 loss to Bayern Munich is their heaviest ever margin of defeat in a home game in European competition. Humbled. #CHEBAY pic.twitter.com/7fogH1yN2T

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 25, 2020

Chelsea 0 Bayern Munich 3 at FT. Scoreline does not actually reflect just how much better than Chelsea they were. Very sharp, very impressive. Chelsea hopelessly outclassed.

— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) February 25, 2020

Lewandowski's goal in the 76th minute summed up Chelsea's night as four Blues players were left for dead by the superb Alphonso Davies in the build-up:

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1232419370896412673

Lewandowski's first goal in the knockout stages in two years!

Put on a plate by Alphonso Davies, absolutely rapid 🔥 pic.twitter.com/JaVHwcxsmT

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 25, 2020

Lampard made no excuses after a chastening 90 minutes for his Chelsea side, per BT Sport (h/t MailOnline's Daniel Matthews):

"That's football at this level. The levels of Bayern Munich were fantastic. ... It was a harsh lesson of reality for the players. If you go for 90 minutes you have to show more than we showed. ... [The players] need to use this to a positive effect. It might not feel like that this evening, but they need to understand the levels in the Champions League when you reach the knockout stages. They outclassed us in pretty much every department, so it was quite sobering."

Lampard, who was part of the Chelsea side that shocked Bayern to win the 2012 Champions League final, added that he would "never say the door is closed" on making the quarter-finals:

"It's a reality check for the work that needs to be done."

A chastening night for Frank Lampard and his young Chelsea side. A chance to refocus and rebuild.

🎙 @DesKellyBTS pic.twitter.com/brkRbdx4M8

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 25, 2020

But the Blues will need a performance better than anything they have shown this season if they are to overturn the deficit in the return leg on March 18, not least as Jorginho and Marcos Alonso will miss the game due to suspension.

Perhaps more concerning for Lampard and Chelsea is how they respond to such a chastening loss when they return to Premier League action at Bournemouth on Saturday.

The Blues have won just five of their last 15 games in the English top flight and are only clinging on to fourth spot in the table due to the inconsistencies of the clubs below them:

Movement in the top half of the table#PL pic.twitter.com/GZ9PVIKGW7

— Premier League (@premierleague) February 23, 2020

It will take a miracle for Chelsea's Champions League campaign to continue beyond the last-16 second leg this season.

But they still have control over whether they return to the tournament next season. They could be aided in their task by the fact fifth place may secure Champions League qualification after Manchester City's two-year UEFA ban.

Chelsea need to find some consistency quickly, though, because a couple more poor results could see them drop as low as eighth depending on how their competitors fare. 

Real Madrid and Manchester City go head-to-head at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday in the first leg of the standout last-16 tie in the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League. 

In Wednesday's other fixture, Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus visit Lyon as they continue their campaign to win a first Champions League since 1996.

                         

Wednesday's Fixtures

Lyon vs. Juventus: 8 p.m. GMT, 3 p.m. ET, BT Sport 3 (UK)

Real Madrid vs. Manchester City: 8 p.m. GMT, 3 p.m. ET, BT Sport 2 (UK), TNT (USA)

Both matches can be streamed live via BT Sport Player and B/R Live.

         

Wednesday Odds (via Caesars)

Lyon 33-10, Draw 9-4, Juventus 19-20 

Real Madrid 17-10, Draw 27-10, City 13-9 

                                       

Pep Guardiola won the Champions League twice in his first three seasons in a senior management role at Barcelona.

Since he last triumphed with the Blaugrana in 2010-11, though, he has been unable to lead a team to even another final.

In his three-year spell at Bayern Munich, he oversaw three consecutive campaigns to the last four, but City have never got past the quarter-finals with Guardiola in charge.

Real boss Zinedine Zidane, meanwhile, has a quite astonishing Champions League record as a manager after guiding Los Blancos to three consecutive titles in his first spell in charge of the club between 2016 and 2018:

Unbeaten!

Zinedine Zidane has never lost a Champions League knockout match as manager...as Man City provide the latest test

📰 Today's front coverhttps://t.co/fcoVqBDUAw pic.twitter.com/Iqv4rqo3PY

— AS USA (@English_AS) February 25, 2020

That record is likely to be threatened by the Sky Blues, who will be more motivated than ever to go deep in Europe's elite tournament this season because they may not be back in the competition for another two years:

HUGE NEWS

Manchester City have been banned from the Champions League for two years and fined 30 million euros after committing serious breaches of Uefa's club licensing and financial fair play regulations. pic.twitter.com/QWjNp6tBWf

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 14, 2020

The Spanish giants also go into Wednesday's first leg on the back of a defeat to Levante in La Liga, which saw them lose the initiative in the title race to Barcelona.

Zidane is also without big-money summer signing Eden Hazard, who is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a broken ankle.

Juve, meanwhile, beat SPAL 2-1 away in Serie A on Saturday to preserve their narrow lead over Lazio, and Ronaldo was on the scoresheet once again:

Cristiano Ronaldo has now scored in 11 straight matches -- equaling the Serie A record 👏 pic.twitter.com/1RevMRhCr6

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) February 22, 2020

The Portugal international's form will be crucial to the Turin side's progress in the Champions League as his record in the tournament's knockout rounds is remarkable:

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1116023624845144064

In Lyon, the Old Lady have been handed a relatively generous last-16 tie. They are seventh in Ligue 1 after a run of just one win in five. 

Juventus cannot afford to be complacent, but if they can win Wednesday's away leg, they should have little trouble converting that lead into a quarter-final berth after the second leg at the Allianz Stadium on March 17. 

Serge Gnabry's love affair with London continued on Tuesday night in the UEFA Champions League, when the former Arsenal winger found the net twice for Bayern Munich against Chelsea. 

Gnabry's brace helped Die Roten cruise to a comfortable 3-0 win in the first leg of their last-16 tie at Stamford Bridge. It helped to have Robert Lewandowski in form, with the gifted No. 9 assisting Gnabry's goals and scoring one of his own.

Lewandowski's performance was in sharp contrast to the sluggish display of Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman toiled in relative obscurity on a night when the Blues failed to get players close enough in support of the 33-year-old.

While Giroud yearned for more from those around him, Antoine Griezmann seized the initiative himself to help Barcelona earn a 1-1 draw in Napoli. Griezmann's vital away goal cancelled out Dries Mertens' opener and gave the Blaugrana an advantage they will need in the second leg, when midfield enforcers Sergio Busquets and Arturo Vidal, the latter of whom was shown two yellows late on, will miss out through suspension.

   

Tuesday Scores

• Chelsea 0-3 Bayern Munich
• Napoli 1-1 Barcelona

Winner: Serge Gnabry

Gnabry must have heard London calling again when he scored his fifth and sixth goals in the city this season. After finding the net four times during October's 7-2 win at Tottenham Hotspur in the group stage, Gnabry was just as ruthless against the Blues.

October: Four goals vs. Tottenham
February: Two goals vs. Chelsea@SergeGnabry has spoken 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/ZSqqFZTnST

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 25, 2020

He was on the fringes of the game for most of the first half, but the 24-year-old came to life after exchanging passes with Lewandowski six minutes after the restart, before returning the ball the striker's way on the flank.

Gnabry continued his run and met Lewandowski's low, swept cross emphatically after a costly slip from Cesar Azpilicueta had wrecked Chelsea's defensive structure.

Gnabry's second goal was even better, made once again by Lewandowski, who found space brilliantly behind Reece James. His pass released Gnabry who made an angled run from inside to out, before turning back into the box and nudging a classy finish into the bottom corner.

Both goals showcased the calmer, more refined finishing Gnabry has cultivated since leaving the Gunners and returning to Germany in 2016. His movement, pace, power and eye for goal have helped Bayern move on from the days of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben and still remain one of the heavyweights at this level.

Loser: Olivier Giroud

The contrast in Gnabry's night and the suffering of ex-Arsenal teammate Giroud was staggering. While Gnabry had players queuing up to supply him with chances, Giroud saw little in the way of support.

Any team starting the target man is sending a clear message about its strategy. He thrives when operating with his back to goal and joined by midfield runners whom he can feed with his artful link play, some of the best in the game.

Without players running off and beyond him, Giroud's natural limitations are exposed. His lack of pace and variety in his movement means he's rarely going to scare a defence or win a match on his own.

It’ll be a long 90 minutes for Chelsea at this rate. The plan is clearly to use Giroud’s hold-up play to escape Bayern’s high press, but they’re not collecting any of the second balls #CHEBAY

— Liam Twomey (@liam_twomey) February 25, 2020

Bayern were unfazed by dealing with the big man, soon rendering Giroud obsolete until he was substituted for Tammy Abraham a minute after the hour mark. Frank Lampard made the call, but the Chelsea chief had hardly helped Giroud's cause by failing to get enough pace around him.

Even so, a trying night means Giroud is likely destined to go back to the fringes of Lampard's squad.

Winner: Antoine Griezmann

All season long there has been a feeling Griezmann has disappointed in a Barca shirt. He moved to the Camp Nou from Atletico Madrid in a deal worth €120 million in the summer, a price tag the France international has sometimes appeared weighed down by.

However, a closer look at the numbers reveals Griezmann is rounding into form as a key member of a depleted Barcelona forward line. The goal in Naples was his 14th in all competitions this term.

The finish was a simple one, with the 28-year-old sweeping in a Nelson Semedo cross. Yet the way he found space in the box and timed his move to the ball was reminiscent of peak-Atleti Griezmann.

9 - Antoine Griezmann has scored his first away Champions League goal since February 2017 for Atletico Madrid against Bayer Leverkusen; each of his nine goals in the competition between that strike in 2017 and today had been scored at home. Equaliser. pic.twitter.com/IJbdS6fB2Z

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 25, 2020

That player is good enough to help Barca lift the trophy, despite the injuries to Ousmane Dembele and Luis Suarez. The Griezmann of three to four years ago is the partner Lionel Messi needs to ensure the Argentinian doesn't buckle under the weight of carrying the attacking load.

By adding a goal in Europe to the one he scored against Getafe in La Liga earlier this month, Griezmann now has two in his last three games. It's proof he's upping his game for the business end of the season.

  

Loser: Barca Midfield Depth

Having Griezmann and Messi at his disposal means Quique Setien can rest easy about the quality of his attack for the second leg on March 18. The bigger problem will be plugging holes in a midfield worn thin by the suspensions facing Busquets and Vidal.

Busquets was booked four minutes into the second half after taking out Napoli goalscorer Mertens. It was a needless infraction and one that wasted a composed and artful display from the cultured holding midfielder.

Knowing Busquets would miss out only made Vidal mixing it up with Mario Rui late on all the more baffling. The pair's initial clash earned Vidal a booking in the penultimate minute, with his anger toward Rui drawing a second yellow.

RED CARD! Arturo Vidal gets two yellow cards for one incident - first for a tackle and the second for going in on Marco Rui with his head.#NAPBAR #UCL pic.twitter.com/zB3xcUjJdf

— GOAL (@goal) February 25, 2020

Being sent off is nothing new for Vidal, but Barca need a player with his tenacity to limit the effectiveness of Napoli playmaker Fabian Ruiz in the return fixture. Frankly, Setien's options are less than inspiring, with Ivan Rakitic out of form, while Arthur Melo and Frenkie de Jong are struggling to convince.

The problem highlights the paucity of quality and depth in an area that used to define Barcelona's success during the trophy-laden era of Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez.