Author name: Omar Rodríguez

The first-leg matches of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 have come to an end, with both expected results and a few surprises that set up an exciting second leg as teams battle for a place in the quarter-finals of the competition. Manchester United and Real Sociedad draw In a clash between two of the tournament’s title contenders, Manchester United and Real Sociedad played out a 1-1 draw. United took the lead early, but the Spanish side responded with an equalizer and came close to securing the victory. This result leaves everything open for the second leg. Roma won at the last minute In another thrilling match, Roma came from behind to beat Athletic Club 2-1, after trailing 0-1. A dramatic 90+3’ goal from Eldor Shomurodov sealed the comeback, taking advantage of Athletic playing with 10 men since the 85th minute. This result gives the Italian side an edge in a very evenly matched tie. Frankfurt staged a comeback against Ajax Similar to the Roma match, Eintracht Frankfurt overcame an early deficit against Ajax to win 1-2. With the return leg set to take place in Germany, Frankfurt will have both a home advantage and a one-goal lead, while Ajax will need a strong performance to turn things around. With nine players, Lazio secured the win Lazio earned a crucial victory against Viktoria Plzen, but not without drama. First, they were saved by a VAR-overturned goal in the 13th minute, then they took the lead before Plzen equalized. The Italian side suffered two red cards in the 77th and 90+3rd minutes, but despite being two men down, Gustav Isaksen scored the winner at 90+8’. AZ shocked Tottenham Tottenham’s Premier League struggles followed them into the Europa League as they suffered a 1-0 loss to AZ Alkmaar. A 18th-minute own goal was enough to give the Dutch side the advantage, and they even looked closer to scoring a second than Spurs did to equalizing. Tottenham will now have to overturn this deficit at home. Lyon outclassed FCSB In Romania, FCSB failed to capitalize on their home advantage as Lyon came away with a comfortable 1-3 win. This gives the French side a solid lead heading into the second leg in France. Rangers defeated Fenerbahce The Scottish side Rangers secured a 1-3 away win against Fenerbahce in Turkey. This result puts them in a strong position heading into the second leg in Glasgow. Bodo/Glimt, the surprise of the tournament Finally, Bodo/Glimt continues to be the surprise package of the tournament. The Norwegian side, largely unknown before the competition, dominated Olympiacos with a 3-0 victory. This gives them a huge advantage for the return leg in Greece. The second-leg matches All eight second-leg matches will be played on Thursday, March 13. Cover photo: X (@EuropaLeague)

The first-leg matches of the Champions League Round of 16 have concluded, leaving thrilling results. Among the standout victories were those of Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Liverpool. The first-leg clashes of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 delivered intense matchups and provided insights into which teams might advance to the quarter-finals. Notably, Arsenal’s dominant win and the victories of Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Liverpool stole the spotlight. Aston Villa with a Strong Chance to Qualify Aston Villa visited Club Brugge and secured a crucial 3-1 away victory in Belgium. The two-goal advantage could prove key in the second leg in England, where Club Brugge will be forced to win by at least two goals to stay in the competition. Arsenal Almost Through to the Quarter-Finals The Gunners left nothing to chance in their away fixture against PSV, demolishing the Dutch side with a 7-1 victory. While PSV is not mathematically eliminated, overcoming a six-goal deficit at the Emirates Stadium seems highly unlikely. Dortmund and LOSC Leave Their Tie Wide Open Borussia Dortmund and LOSC Lille played to the only draw of the Round of 16 so far, finishing 1-1. This result keeps everything open for the return leg in France, where Lille will look to capitalize on home advantage and eliminate last season’s runners-up. Inter Secures a Two-Goal Lead Against Feyenoord Inter Milan also gained a strong advantage for the second leg after securing a 2-0 win over Feyenoord in Rotterdam. The Dutch side now faces a tough challenge to overturn the deficit in Italy. Real Madrid Wins First-Leg Madrid Derby In the much-anticipated Madrid Derby, Real Madrid edged Atlético Madrid with a 2-1 victory. The game featured several scoring opportunities for both sides, but individual brilliance played a decisive role in the final result. Bayern Munich Reasserts Its German Supremacy In an all-German showdown, Bayern Munich dominated Bayer Leverkusen with a 3-0 victory. Despite Leverkusen’s recent rise as a serious contender, this match reminded fans of Bayern’s long-standing dominance in German football. Barcelona Overcomes Red Card to Secure a Win Barcelona faced adversity early in their match at Benfica’s stadium, playing with 10 men from the 22nd minute after Pau Cubarsí’s red card. However, the Blaugrana managed to keep a clean sheet thanks to an outstanding performance from Szczesny and a decisive goal from Raphinha. Liverpool Defeats PSG Despite Minimal Attacks In a match similar to Barcelona’s, Liverpool—leaders of the group stage—faced PSG in Paris. The home side dominated the game, launching 27 shots (10 on target), but Liverpool scored the only goal of the match with their first and only shot on target in the 87th minute. Alisson played a key role in securing the win with a stellar performance in goal. Second-Leg Fixtures Await These 16 teams will return to domestic league action this weekend before the decisive second-leg matches, set for March 11 and 12. Cover photo: X (@ChampionsLeague)

The Round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions Cup has been defined, with six Mexican teams qualifying. The standout matchup is the Clásico Nacional between América and Chivas. The first-leg matches will take place from March 4 to 6, and the return legs from March 11 to 13. Yesterday, Vancouver Whitecaps became the last team to qualify for the Round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions Cup, formerly known as Concachampions, after defeating Saprissa 2-0, securing a 3-2 aggregate victory. With that, all the matches for this stage are set, featuring the presence of six Mexican teams. The Mexican teams and their respective matches Starting with Rayados de Monterrey, they will face Vancouver Whitecaps, while Tigres will go up against FC Cincinnati. Pumas will take on Alajuelense, Cruz Azul will battle Seattle Sounders, and in the most anticipated match for Mexico, América and Chivas will meet in another edition of the Clásico Nacional, this time in an international tournament. These matches will be played between Tuesday, March 4, and Thursday, March 6, for the first leg, and between Tuesday, March 11, and Thursday, March 13, for the return leg. Tigres and Pumas will play their first-leg matches on March 6, while Monterrey, Cruz Azul, América, and Chivas will play on March 5. El Clásico de México 🇲🇽 en Octavos de Final de la #ConcaChampions. 🔜 pic.twitter.com/QBnezVoGAz — Concacaf Champions Cup (@TheChampions) February 15, 2025 For the second-leg matches, on March 11, Tigres and Cruz Azul will play their return matches. On Wednesday, March 12, Monterrey, América, and Chivas will have their second games, and finally, on Thursday, March 13, Pumas will close out their series. The other Round of 16 matchups For the matches without Mexican teams, Columbus Crew will face LAFC in what promises to be an exciting MLS showdown, Inter Miami, led by Lionel Messi, will take on Cavalier, and finally, LA Galaxy, the current MLS Cup champions, will face Herediano.