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Arsenal beat German side Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 to go through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League whilst Chelsea and Manchester City exit the competition.
Chelsea were beaten heavily again by PSG, losing 3-0 at Stamford Bridge as the French go through with an aggregate score of 8-2. City also faced a home defeat losing 2-1 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate to the tournament’s most decorated club, Real Madrid.
Arsenal 2 Bayer Leverkusen 0
Arsenal had work to do in the second-leg of their round of 16 tie after an underwhelming performance in Germany saw them snatch a draw in the final minute through a Kai Havertz penalty.
The hosts started the game on the front foot and came close to scoring twice from their well-rehearsed corner routines, with Gabriel forcing two outstanding saves from Leverkusen goalkeeper Janis Blaswich to keep the match level.
However, Blaswich was powerless to prevent the Gunners just after the half hour mark. Eberechi Eze brought the ball under control at the edge of the box, turned sharply, and unleashed a powerful strike that flew into the top of the net, marking his first Champions League goal.
Mikel Arteta’s side maintained their momentum after the break, and Rice sealed the victory by chasing down a Leverkusen clearance before powering his shot from outside the box into the bottom corner.
With the result secured, Arteta was able to rest several key players ahead of Arsenal’s Carabao Cup Final clash with Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday.
Arsenal will face Sporting in the quarter-finals after the Portuguese side staged a dramatic comeback from 3-0 down before kick-off to put five past Bodo/Glimt in their second-leg game.
Chelsea 0 PSG 3
The Blue’s already had a mountain to climb after getting thrashed 5-2 by the competitions reigning champions in Paris a week earlier.
What Chelsea couldn’t afford to do was give up an early goal and that’s exactly what they did leaving the home fans stunned.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia pounced on a mistake in the Chelsea back line before slotting the ball past Robert Sanchez in just the sixth minute.
Things went from bad to worse for the hosts as just minutes later when Bradley Barcola doubled the lead in the 15th minute, leaving Chelsea all but out with 75 minutes still to play.
In the second half, PSG continued to manage the game effectively. Senny Mayulu added the third goal in the 62nd minute, adding to Chelsea’s frustration. Boos from the Chelsea fans were heard as the team fell further behind and at the final whistle.
With the aggregate score at 8–2, PSG advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals, where they will face either Liverpool or Galatasaray, depending on the outcome of their tie.
Manchester City 1 Real Madrid 2
Like Chelsea, City were forced to attempt a comeback from a three goal deficit, after being beat 3-0 in the first-leg of their round of 16 tie at the Santiago Bernabeu.
If the Citizens had any hope of a comeback they needed to make a bright start to the match and get an early goal, but this didn’t happen.
In face it was Madrid who extended their lead inside the half hour mark when Vinícius Júnior scored from the penalty spot after a handball on the goal line by Bernardo Silva, who was shown a red card following a VAR review.
The incident left City down to ten men for much of the match and shifted the momentum firmly toward Real Madrid.
Pep Guardiola’s side responded well despite being a man down and managed to equalise in the 41st minute, with Erling Haaland scoring before half-time to briefly raise hopes of a comeback. However, Madrid controlled much of the second half and limited City’s opportunities.
In added time, Vinícius struck again to seal the victory, finishing clinically to complete his brace and secure the win on the night. His performance earned him the match’s standout honours as Real Madrid closed out the tie comfortably, winning 5-1 on aggregate.
Madrid will face the winner of Atalanta v Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.
