Author name: Omar Rodríguez

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.

Erling Haaland returned to the starting lineup and secured Manchester City’s victory against Tottenham with a goal in the 12th minute. The Spurs put up a fight, but City held firm. With 47 points, the Sky Blues move up to fourth place in the Premier League standings. Haaland the Hero for the Cityzens After two consecutive defeats against Real Madrid and Liverpool, Manchester City got back to winning ways thanks to a lone goal from Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker had watched those two losses from the bench, but in his return to the starting XI, he delivered a crucial victory for his team against Tottenham. The match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium started well for the visitors. From the outset, the “Android” showed his danger with an early chance, but Spurs’ goalkeeper came up with a vital save to deny him. However, Haaland’s killer instinct paid off just 12 minutes into the game. Jérémy Doku received the ball on the left flank, skillfully worked his way into the box, and sent in a low cross. A slight deflection altered the ball’s path, allowing Haaland to simply tap it into the net at the far post. The Tottenham keeper, already diving to his left due to the play’s momentum, was left helpless. Following Haaland’s goal, City controlled the rest of the first half, creating several promising attacks. However, Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario made key saves, while City’s attackers struggled with precision, preventing them from extending their lead. City Clings to a Hard-Fought Victory The second half turned into a real struggle for Manchester City, as Tottenham relentlessly pushed forward in search of an equalizer. Ederson made crucial saves, while Spurs’ finishing woes kept City alive. The visitors barely survived until the final whistle, with the game’s climax delivering high drama. In the 94th minute, Haaland found the back of the net once again, seemingly sealing the match. However, after a detailed VAR review, the goal was disallowed due to handball. In a physical challenge with two defenders, the Norwegian striker controlled the ball near his chest but unintentionally used his left arm, leading to the controversial decision. Immediately after the disallowed goal, Tottenham had one last chance but failed to convert, leaving City relieved at the final whistle. With this result, City breathes a sigh of relief, climbing to fourth place in the Premier League with 47 points. They are now just one point behind third-place Nottingham Forest, but only one and three points ahead of Chelsea (5th) and Newcastle (6th). This means City’s season finale will be crucial if they want to secure a Champions League spot. Meanwhile, Tottenham remains in the bottom half of the table with 33 points, tied with Manchester United, but ahead on goal difference, placing them 13th in the standings. Cover photo: X (@ManCity)

Liverpool secured a crucial 2-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad, with goals from Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai. The Reds now lead the Premier League with 64 points, 11 ahead of Arsenal. Liverpool Ends Winless Streak at the Etihad After nearly three years, Liverpool finally triumphed at Manchester City’s home ground. Salah was instrumental in the victory, opening the scoring in the 14th minute after a well-executed corner play. His deflected shot found the back of the net to give the Reds the lead. City had a moment of hope when Omar Marmoush scored, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Liverpool then sealed the win as Salah set up Szoboszlai, who placed his shot past Ederson for the 2-0 final score. Salah Chasing Records With a goal and an assist in the match, Salah has now tallied 25 goals and 16 assists in 27 games. With nine matches left, he is nine goals away from Erling Haaland’s single-season record (34) and four assists short of matching the all-time record set by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry (20).

Manchester United avoided defeat with a 2-2 draw against Everton. Beto and Doucouré put the hosts ahead, but Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte equalized. A late penalty for Everton was overturned by VAR, leaving United still struggling in the lower half of the Premier League table. United Salvages a Draw Against Everton The game at Goodison Park started strongly for the hosts, as Everton took the lead in the 19th minute. A chaotic corner kick sequence saw seven headers inside the box before Abdoulaye Doucouré assisted Beto, who slotted the ball into the net. Manchester United failed to respond in the first half, and Everton doubled their lead with a well-executed play. Jack Harrison found himself one-on-one with the keeper, forcing Onana into a save, but the rebound went high, allowing Doucouré to head it home for 2-0. Fernandes and Ugarte Lead United’s Comeback United finally reacted in the second half, and in the 72nd minute, Bruno Fernandes stepped up for a free kick just outside the box, slightly to the left. The Portuguese midfielder struck the ball perfectly, curling it into the bottom left corner to make it 2-1. Then, in the 80th minute, another Fernandes set-piece caused trouble for Everton’s defense. His free kick cross was initially cleared, but the ball fell to Manuel Ugarte at the edge of the box. The Uruguayan midfielder controlled it, set himself up, and fired a powerful shot into the right post, leaving Pickford helpless as the ball hit the net for 2-2. VAR Denies Everton a Last-Minute Penalty Deep into stoppage time (90+5’), Everton was awarded a penalty after Ashley Young was fouled inside the box. However, after a VAR review, the referee reversed the decision, and the match ended level at 2-2. United Still Struggling in the Standings With this result, Manchester United remains 15th in the table with 30 points, tied with West Ham but ahead on goal difference. Meanwhile, Everton sits 14th with 31 points from 26 matchs.  Cover photo: X (@ManUdt)