Champions League Knockout Phase Recap: Key Insights and What Lies Ahead
Explore the results and scenarios for teams like Real Madrid, PSG, and more in the ongoing Champions League knockout stage.
Half of the first legs of the knockout phase playoffs of the Champions League are now complete with no matches ending in draws on Tuesday. Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund will feel good about their chances heading into their second legs after registering victories by three goals but Juventus and Real Madrid also took care of business in their matches.
Manchester City 2, Real Madrid 3
Team: Manchester City
What went wrong: Ederson
How to fix it: City have already tried dropping Ederson for Stefan Ortega previously, so the best fix for dealing with Ederson’s issues won’t be found until the summer when tough transfer decisions will need to be made. But heading to Madrid for the second leg, City will need at least a brace from Erling Haaland to have a chance. City have now dropped four Champions League games after leading and few teams are better at coming from behind than Real Madrid. It has been clear for a while that things aren’t quite right with this City team and it could lead to them failing to reach the round of 16.
VINI JR SETS UP JUDE BELLINGHAM IN 92’ TO MAKE IT 3-2 🤯
City were 2-1 up in the 86th minute 😳 pic.twitter.com/eSifuLSSvX
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 11, 2025
Team: Real Madrid
What went right: Being Real Madrid
How to do it again: There is no team that, no matter how they play in a game, inspires more confidence in an eventual victory than Real Madrid. From a goal off of Mbappe’s shin to heroics from Jude Bellingham, Los Blancos got the job done despite missing key players.
Brest 0, PSG 3
Team: Brest
What went wrong: Came up against Ousmane Dembele on the wrong day.
How to fix it: While Brest are in their Champions League debut, coming up against PSG almost sealed their fate.
Juventus 2, PSV 1
Team: PSV
What went wrong: Injuries
How to fix it: PSV were going to be up against it without Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi.
Sporting CP 0, Borussia Dortmund 3
Team: Sporting CP
What went wrong: Missing Ruben Amorim
How to fix it: For Sporting to do anything, Viktor Gyokeres needs to go nuclear and that may not be possible.
Scenario: As long as Dortmund don’t lose by more than two goals, they’ll advance to the round of 16. Sporting will need to win by three goals in regulation to force extra time and a potential penalty shootout.
