The Champions League has moved into its decisive stages. Just eight
teams are still in Europe's most prestigious club competition, and after
four entertaining first legs that number will soon be halved, leaving
solely the continent's elite.
But who were the players and teams that really stood out across the four matches on Tuesday and Wednesday? And what will coaches have taken from these first clashes in order to improve come the return fixtures?
Here are six lessons from this week's opening clashes, as another classic round of top-class football comes to a close.
At this stage of the Champions League campaign, it is still far too early to make sweeping predictions. But an utterly dominant display in the Santiago Bernabeu suggests at least one truth about the competition—Real Madrid, despite inconsistent league form, are the team of the moment in Europe.
Dortmund, without key players from last year's final run through transfer activity and injury, are a shadow of their former selves. But the systematic manner in which they were taken apart by Madrid still should send a shudder running down the spine of all the teams remaining in the Champions League.
It was perhaps the toughest challenge of Diego Simeone's coaching career. Not only was the Atletico Madrid boss forced to make an unenviable trip to the Camp Nou and Barcelona for the quarter-finals, but he would have to do so without Diego Costa, goalscorer extraordinaire for the Colchoneros this year.
Despite the loss of the Spain international, who was forced off early in Tuesday's match, Simeone saw events pan out almost exactly as he had planned. A patient, supremely disciplined performance was capped by a wonderful strike from Diego, the man drafted in to replace Costa.
Although Neymar dragged Barca back into the game toward the end, it is advantage Simeone for now in the battle of the Argentine trainers.
With 70 percent of possession away to Manchester United, 15 shots and nine of those hitting the target, Bayern Munich, as is their wont under Pep Guardiola, played like the home team at Old Trafford. Despite all that pressure, however, they still needed a late goal from Bastian Schweinsteiger to avoid a surprise defeat.
The Bayern stalwart is still just 29, but it feels like he has been around forever and a big part of that is how he reads his team-mates' play so fluidly. He knew exactly where to be 23 minutes from the end, latching on to Mario Mandzukic's nod-down and equalising impeccably.
Schweinsteiger, however, will not be around for the second leg. A thoughtless yellow card in the dying minutes was his second of the match, and the resulting expulsion will see him suspended for the return. Bayern do not lack squad depth or quality; but the midfielder is one man it is never easy to replace.
Sweden international and eccentric striking superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been immense for Paris Saint-Germain throughout their march to the quarter-finals. Ibra has "Zlatanned" his way to 10 goals in the tournament, a figure only bettered by the equally fearsome Cristiano Ronaldo.
But when the forward is firing blanks, the French champions have no problem in turning to his Argentine understudies in order to secure an encouraging result against Chelsea.
Both Ezequiel Lavezzi and substitute Javier Pastore were on target against the Londoners, helping PSG to a 3-1 victory that puts one foot in the last four. With that strength in depth supporting Zlatan, the Paris club will be hard to beat for any team.
Sometimes, statistics can tell the observer an awful lot about the match they have just watched. Take Barcelona, who bombarded Atletico Madrid with 11 shots on target during their quarter-final clash, with a yield of just one goal as the away team took a valuable 1-1 draw.
The reason for that was the magnificent display of the Colchonero's on-loan goalkeeper, 21-year-old Thibaut Courtois.
The Belgium international may have been beaten toward the end, but his athleticism, talent and poise between the posts made a fool of the notion that goalkeepers are best at a more advanced age. Have no doubt; the Chelsea player will be one of the world's best keepers in very little time.
The last time Real Madrid were paired up against Dortmund in a Champions League knockout tie, they suffered at the hands of one of football's natural-born goalscorers. Robert Lewandowski was not around this time, however, and there was only one man who was going to make the headlines for hitting the head.
The Portugal international notched his 14th goal of the 2013/14 competition when he rounded Roman Weidenfeller and finished calmly. That strike leaves him level with one Lionel Messi for the most scored in a single Champions League campaign.
The landmark could be shattered as early as the second leg, but with Madrid seemingly certain to advance, Ronaldo will have more opportunities to further increase his tally.
SOURCE: Bleacher Report
But who were the players and teams that really stood out across the four matches on Tuesday and Wednesday? And what will coaches have taken from these first clashes in order to improve come the return fixtures?
Here are six lessons from this week's opening clashes, as another classic round of top-class football comes to a close.
Madrid a Formidable Prospect for Any of Remaining Teams
At this stage of the Champions League campaign, it is still far too early to make sweeping predictions. But an utterly dominant display in the Santiago Bernabeu suggests at least one truth about the competition—Real Madrid, despite inconsistent league form, are the team of the moment in Europe.
Dortmund, without key players from last year's final run through transfer activity and injury, are a shadow of their former selves. But the systematic manner in which they were taken apart by Madrid still should send a shudder running down the spine of all the teams remaining in the Champions League.
Atletico Can Still Compete Without Diego Costa
It was perhaps the toughest challenge of Diego Simeone's coaching career. Not only was the Atletico Madrid boss forced to make an unenviable trip to the Camp Nou and Barcelona for the quarter-finals, but he would have to do so without Diego Costa, goalscorer extraordinaire for the Colchoneros this year.
Despite the loss of the Spain international, who was forced off early in Tuesday's match, Simeone saw events pan out almost exactly as he had planned. A patient, supremely disciplined performance was capped by a wonderful strike from Diego, the man drafted in to replace Costa.
Although Neymar dragged Barca back into the game toward the end, it is advantage Simeone for now in the battle of the Argentine trainers.
Schweinsteiger Will Be Missed Dearly
With 70 percent of possession away to Manchester United, 15 shots and nine of those hitting the target, Bayern Munich, as is their wont under Pep Guardiola, played like the home team at Old Trafford. Despite all that pressure, however, they still needed a late goal from Bastian Schweinsteiger to avoid a surprise defeat.
The Bayern stalwart is still just 29, but it feels like he has been around forever and a big part of that is how he reads his team-mates' play so fluidly. He knew exactly where to be 23 minutes from the end, latching on to Mario Mandzukic's nod-down and equalising impeccably.
Schweinsteiger, however, will not be around for the second leg. A thoughtless yellow card in the dying minutes was his second of the match, and the resulting expulsion will see him suspended for the return. Bayern do not lack squad depth or quality; but the midfielder is one man it is never easy to replace.
PSG's Argentine Pair Worthy Foils for Zlatan
Sweden international and eccentric striking superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been immense for Paris Saint-Germain throughout their march to the quarter-finals. Ibra has "Zlatanned" his way to 10 goals in the tournament, a figure only bettered by the equally fearsome Cristiano Ronaldo.
But when the forward is firing blanks, the French champions have no problem in turning to his Argentine understudies in order to secure an encouraging result against Chelsea.
Both Ezequiel Lavezzi and substitute Javier Pastore were on target against the Londoners, helping PSG to a 3-1 victory that puts one foot in the last four. With that strength in depth supporting Zlatan, the Paris club will be hard to beat for any team.
Thibaut Courtois Will Be Among Elite Shot-Stoppers
Sometimes, statistics can tell the observer an awful lot about the match they have just watched. Take Barcelona, who bombarded Atletico Madrid with 11 shots on target during their quarter-final clash, with a yield of just one goal as the away team took a valuable 1-1 draw.
The reason for that was the magnificent display of the Colchonero's on-loan goalkeeper, 21-year-old Thibaut Courtois.
The Belgium international may have been beaten toward the end, but his athleticism, talent and poise between the posts made a fool of the notion that goalkeepers are best at a more advanced age. Have no doubt; the Chelsea player will be one of the world's best keepers in very little time.
Cristiano Ronaldo Will Make Scoring History
The last time Real Madrid were paired up against Dortmund in a Champions League knockout tie, they suffered at the hands of one of football's natural-born goalscorers. Robert Lewandowski was not around this time, however, and there was only one man who was going to make the headlines for hitting the head.
The Portugal international notched his 14th goal of the 2013/14 competition when he rounded Roman Weidenfeller and finished calmly. That strike leaves him level with one Lionel Messi for the most scored in a single Champions League campaign.
The landmark could be shattered as early as the second leg, but with Madrid seemingly certain to advance, Ronaldo will have more opportunities to further increase his tally.
SOURCE: Bleacher Report
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