UCL Review: First Leg Ro16

Atalanta run riot in Bergamo, Haaland stunned PSG, a frustrating night for Juve and Pep steals the show in Madrid.

The first leg of the UCL Round of 16 just ended, and we will discuss the happenings in the various fixtures.

Valencia's bid for UCL KOs progression hit wavy moments at Atalanta. It was a disappointing night for the visitors as Atalanta run riot in Bergamo. Josip Ilicic's form in 2020 paid dividends as he got on the score sheet to register his first CL goal of the campaign. Valencia looked disjointed and caught lost in possession often, giving the home side chances to break and cause damage. Hateboer got on the end of these breakaways to help seal the victory with two goals heading into the second leg. A consolation for Albert Celades' men but the damage, already done as it ended 4-1.

Liverpool enjoyed moving the ball from left to right without having to trouble Jan Oblak in post. The reds were slow in transition allowing Atletico Madrid to get the defensive shape intact all through the game. Jurgen Klopp has called on the Anfield magic in the 2nd leg and is hoping to get the expected results. Saul Niguez's goal separates the two sides after he got on the end of a loose ball from a corner. 

Erling Haaland again stole the show as he became the youngest player to reach double figures in the CL. His brace against Tuchels' star-studded side was enough to take them through with Neymar halving the deficit. He reaches ten goals now and can get more if Dortmund go through. Lucien Favre will look to build on the confident performance when they visit Paris. 

Jose Mourinho's Spurs did not cover themselves in glory when Timo Werner's shot from the spot away from home got the German outfit a step closer to qualification. Spurs could not get a grip on the game as Julien Nagelsmann dominated the midfield. The introduction of Lamela and Ndombele was brilliant but still lacked the cutting edge to get Spurs back in the tie. 

At the Stadio San Paolo, Dries Mertens got Napoli in the lead on the half-hour mark. Genaro Gattuso was cautious in his approach after the goal but some good work down the right from Semedo to find Griezmann got the scores level. Barcelona kept pushing but had no answers. Vidal got sent off after a double yellow for indiscipline. Quique Setien has another chance at the Camp Nou after a not-so-disappointing UCL debut as manager.

Bayern Munich was at their absolute best when they visited Chelsea. Two quick goals in the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half from Gnabry and the 3rd from Lewandowski helped the Bavarians steamroll past the blues. Alphonso Davies got a great balance in attack and defense. Chelsea needs to be more daring in the return leg. A tough trip to the Allianz Arena for Frank Lampard, can he overturn the tie? 

Pep Guardiola cut a frustrated figure for large parts of the game. At the hour mark, Man City had twice as many attempts on goal as Real Madrid but was down by Isco's goal. A tweak in formation got De Bruyne freed, he assisted Gabriel Jesus and later converted from the spot after Carvajal brought down Sterling in the box in the final quarter of the game. Zidane lost control in the second half after holding Pep's side. 

Lyon managed to win the first leg at home against Juventus. Ronaldo was mostly starting plays rather than getting on the end of them. Juve's midfield lacked dynamism and the final passes to cut through defences. Houssem Aouar broke away from Sandro to find Lucas Toussart who was charging through the middle. A buoyant and noisy crowd in the Groupama stadium after the final whistle. The second leg in Turin awaits.

Player of week: Hans Hateboer (Atalanta)

Goal of the week: Haaland's second vs PSG

What will be your picks? Leave your comments.

UCL: Ro16 part 2

Red Hot Bayern face Chelsea at the Bridge; Setien's first CL trip, Lyon hosts Juve and Pep makes a return to Spain.

The sequel of the Round of 16 continues this week as teams seek to be in good standing before the return legs. 

Bayern Munich is firing on all cylinders and a tough trip against Frank Lampard's blues is not an easy task. Hans-Dieter Flick has gotten a full grip on this team. They went through the group stages without a defeat and the 7-2 mauling away from home against Tottenham is one that still lingers in our minds. Chelsea got the advantage the last time both teams met. Frank Lampard managed to do an elite double over Jose Mourinho, and that should be enough boost to go into this tie. Lampard has his squad strengthened with the arrival of Tammy Abraham but faces the conundrum of having to choose between Tammy and Giroud as the latter was a class act over the weekend. 

Barcelona will be far away in Naples as they seek to put last season's disappointments behind them. A not-so-convincing performance in the group stages but secured a place in the knockouts. Setien faces Gattuso in his first UCL tie with the Catalan giants. He may have had some stick thrown at him for his gameplay, but a win allows him to win the hearts of his fans. Gattuso has gotten good results recently and will up this tie as a test to see how he matches up against the best. Messi got back on the scoresheet after his goal drought. Gattuso must get his team to stop the magic of Lionel Messi. Manolas gets to do this job, but a collective effort from Napoli could prevent Messi from being trigger-happy. 

Lyon will wait for the arrival of Juventus at the Groupama Stadium. Rudi Garcia has not impressed in the competition. He faces the Old Ladies of Italian football with a hungry Ronaldo - scoring in his 11th consecutive Serie A match. Memphis Depay is out for the rest of the season. Lyon comes into the tie without their talisman but can call on Dembele and Aouar to see this tie through. Sarri has depth in his squad and can call on any when the need arises. Dybala has not hit top gear this season. De Ligt and Bonucci form that great defensive pairing at the back for Sarri. Qualification depends on this defence to shut out the Lyon attack.

Pep's Man City will do a flight to the Spanish capital to take on Zinedine Zidane's men. Zidane has had an on-and-off season. Injuries have been a bother to his team's progress. He will be without Eden Hazard but can call on the likes of Vazquez and Isco to deliver. Vinicius has not hit the heights expected of him though. Federico Valverde has been a revelation this season. Pep bolsters his squad with the arrivals of Laporte at the back. Manchester City have struggled without him, and his return is very much appreciated. Pep eyes this competition after City's 2-year ban from UEFA. A good result away from home against the competition's best will get his 3rd UCL trophy.

UCL: Ro16 Part 1

Leipzig faces Mou's Spurs, Tuchel back to Signal Iduna and Liverpool continues its title defence at Atleti.

The storms may have calmed in northwestern Europe and European football returns after a long break. The first quartet of games will take place this week and the remaining four, next week. 

With all four games happening at the same time, Valencia goes to Atalanta after their narrow escape in Group G. They bid for another chance in Italy when they face Atalanta in Bergamo. Albert Celades edged Ajax to ensure qualification into this round. A lone goal was just enough to do the business. Atalanta also comes into this game with some nerve. It took a final group game magic. Josip Ilicic has eight goals in 2020 and can cause an upset for the Spanish visitors although he never found the back of the net in the group stages. Valencia on paper looks the better side but underestimating Atalanta will be at their peril. 

Tottenham Hotspur and RB Leipzig lock horns at the Tottenham stadium. Julien Nagelsmann secured Leipzig through to the knockouts to make it top of their group. His team has not been convincing but have taken the results when necessary. Their results domestically have been unusually sparse and have been knocked off first place in the Bundesliga. They are advantaged to have the first tie away from home. Timo Werner will be looking to get on the scoresheet for the RedBull sponsored side. Mourinho however after bolstering his squad during the winter break should have a good run in the knockouts stages. He will be without Son and Kane, but Steve Bergwijn could give the attacking impetus required. The defensive issues befalling Mou continues, and solutions are needed to ensure progress to the next round. 

Thomas Tuchel will be in the away dugout when he returns to the Signal Iduna in this exciting clash. He knows the ground so well but comes in as head coach to ensure progress with Les Parisiens. The French side has been bootless in this part competition over the years and may not have Neymar available, but Mauro Icardi and Mbappe can fill in the void as they were exceptional in the group stages. Lucien Favre will be looking to shatter the dreams of the visitors as he can now rely on the services of the goal machine, Erling Haaland. The grapple with Internazionale to ensure qualification was admirable. They have it all to do when they face their former boss. The Yellow Wall as always will be boisterous until the final whistle is blown. 

Arguably the best team in European football now will continue their title defence at the stadium that helped secure their sixth. Jurgen joked about having the home dressing room to have the same kind of energy in the final last year. He also lavished praise on Diego Simeone for his good works with Atletico Madrid. He will have a full squad back for the first time this season as he faces Atleti. A good result away should be enough to get them through. Joao Felix is a doubt for the clash, but Diego Costa returns. Carrasco also returns after his spell in China. The criticism from fans is the unwillingness of Simeone to change his style bearing the limitless attacking forwards he has. The diversity in attack is mouthwatering, and a tweak could see better results and fans happy. 

Part one of the knockouts is upon us, let's tuck in and enjoy it as it unfolds.