Champions League Roundup – Juventus Helpless in Madrid, Man City’s Comeback

It the last two games of the first legs of the Champions League round of 16, Atletico Madrid and Manchester City clinched big triumphs. Both sides already stepped with one foot in the next round, and they are awaiting the rematches without any pressure.

Atletico defeated Juventus, 2-0, while City came back from behind with 10 players to beat Schalke, 2-3.

Everybody expected to see a tough fight in Madrid, between Atletico and Juventus. These two sides are probably the best in Europe when it comes to defending, which is why the final result gives a huge advantage to Diego Simeone’s team.

Home team’s center-back duo, Diego Godin and Jose Maria Gimenez scored both goals for the Madridians, who allowed only one goal at Wanda Metropolitan in this edition of the Champions League.

The scores came in the late part of the second halftime, both after set pieces, which is one of the biggest weapons of Simeone’s team. At first, Gimenez beat Szczesny following Griezmann’s corner, in the 78th minute.

That advantage was doubled with Godin’s goal five minutes before the end.

In general, Juventus was inferior and without any notable chances during that part of the contest, despite having a bigger share of the possession and circling around Atletico’s box.

Massimiliano Allegri is aware of that, and he openly admitted that the home team completely neutralized his team in the latter 45 minutes.

“We could not play worse than we did in the second half. We knew Atlético don’t allow you to play well but we did not adapt to their game, and they punished us,” he said.

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1098348752891461632

Meanwhile, despite having a two-goal lead, Diego Simeone is warning everyone, that the battle is not over yet, saying that his team will have to work hard in Turin, no matter the outcome.

“We know it will be difficult in Turin, I’m sure we will have to suffer a lot. I don’t see other way to do it,” they feisty Argentinian stated at the press conference.

Many expected from Cristiano Ronaldo to continue his domination against Atletico, but the Portuguese failed to deliver tonight.

He was well guarded throughout most of the game, and in the situations when he had a chance to score, goalkeeper Jan Oblak was there to stop him.

In the second match of the night, which took place at the fantastic Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Manchester City showed once again, why are they considered to be the best team in the world at the moment.

The Sky-Blues were a goal behind, and had one player sent off (Otamendi), yet they managed to make a late surge, turning the game upside down in just five minutes.

Leroy Sane who came in off the bench scored a beauty from the free-kick, leveling the result with 5 minutes to go. And then in the last moments of the regular part, goalkeeper Ederson sent a pass towards Raheem Sterling who skillfully accepted the ball and placed it in home team’s net.

“A slight nudge in the back, my first touch was a good one, and then I saw the far corner open up, and I had to take the opportunity and was just glad it went in,” Sterling explained how he managed to score.

It was a dagger which silenced the entire crowd except for a few thousand English fans who were in delirium.

Previously, Sergio Aguero opened the match after 18 minutes, with his seventh straight goal on the road in the Champions League. It is something never seen before in England.

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1098367516001357824

Manchester City won 13 of their previous 14 games in all competitions, scoring 52 goals.

Guardiola’s machinery is unstoppable at the moment, and they could win the first trophy of the year already this Sunday when they face Chelsea in the finals of the English Football League Cup.

Regarding the Champions League, the rematches will take place on the 12th of March.