And just like that, another exciting week of UEFA Champions League action is here. I’m Pardeep Cattry with the latest as a group of European heavyweights look to book their spot in the last eight.
📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Monday, March 10
🇮🇹 Serie A: Lazio vs. Udinese, 3:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+. CBS Sports Golazo Network
🏴 EPL: West Ham vs. Newcastle, 4 p.m. ➡️ USA Network
Tuesday, March 11
🇪🇺 UCL: Barcelona vs. Benfica, 1:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇺 UCL: Liverpool vs. Paris Saint-Germain, 4 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🌎 CCC: Columbus Crew vs. LAFC, 8:30 p.m. ➡️ FS1
⚽ The Forward Line
❓ Can PSG mount a comeback at Liverpool?
The headlining act of Tuesday’s Champions League action will be Paris Saint-Germain’s trip to Liverpool, where the Reds hope to hang onto their thin one-goal lead from last week’s first leg, despite getting outplayed by the French champions. The big question facing both teams: Was last week’s game a fluke or a sign that a dramatic second leg is in store?
The jury’s still out on Liverpool, to some degree. There’s no question that they are amongst Europe’s top teams and will likely have the trophy haul by season’s end to prove it – they currently have a 15 point lead in the Premier League and are the favorites in Sunday’s EFL Cup final against Newcastle United (you can catch the action only on Paramount+). Last week’s trip to Paris, though, encapsulated a vulnerability that has quietly followed the Reds for the last few months. They are still winning at impressive rates, but their margins of victory are getting slimmer – they averaged 2.52 goals per game across all competitions before the new year and now sit at 2.1, and their goals against average jumped from 0.81 to 0.89. Their expected goals average has also slid from 2.32 per game to 2.01 as the consequences of fixture congestion come into play.
The differences in form are, of course, marginal and last week’s game at PSG is an outlier compared to their other games this season, regardless of the result. PSG’s ability to outplay Liverpool the way they did last week, outshooting them 27 to two and boasting 70.1% of the ball, is as much a signal that the Reds need to actually deliver on Tuesday as it is that the visitors have it in them to make the second leg equally as compelling as the first. PSG’s first European season since Kylian Mbappe’s departure has been complicated, but last week’s first leg was a huge vote of confidence in Luis Enrique’s vision for the youth-focused team. Ousmane Dembele’s eight shots against Liverpool demonstrate that he’s still in the middle of a terrific run of form, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s five shots prove yet again that he was a great addition in January. If anyone can deliver the Champions League’s biggest upset, it just might be a PSG team that aims to peak at the right time.
🔗 Midfield Link Play
🇩🇪 Leverkusen’s uphill climb against Bayern gets harder
Bayer Leverkusen may have fully unraveled during the nightmarish second half of their 3-0 loss at Bayern Munich in the Champions League last week, but anyone who remembers seeing the word “Laterkusen” on their social media timelines over and over last year might have been reluctant to count out the Bundesliga champions at home this week.
Overcoming that three-goal deficit, though, will be harder than they would like this week. Midfielder Florian Wirtz will miss the next several weeks with a ligament injury in his right knee, which he suffered in Saturday’s loss to Werder Bremen after coming on at halftime, but playing just 14 minutes. The 21-year-old has easily been one of Leverkusen’s most impactful players with 15 goals and 12 assists across all competitions, and only four players have played more minutes than he has this season.
Where exactly manager Xabi Alonso goes from here is a big question, especially since his team has to complete the unlikely task of coming back from a three-goal deficit. Bayern’s own deficiencies in defense might help matters – Vincent Kompany’s side have just three clean sheets in 11 Champions League games this season, and are coming off a surprise 3-2 defeat to Bochum over the weekend. Pulling off the upset without Wirtz is going to be a tall task, though Alonso is also choosing to frame it as an opportunity to demonstrate something new about Leverkusen.
⚽ Must-see highlights
The back line is in place, with top stories including Liverpool’s match against PSG and Leverkusen’s matchup with Bayern. Keep an eye out for Christian Pulisic, as he continues to shine in the Italian league.
