Four ties were decided this week in the first set of Champions League round of 16 second legs. Here are five takeaways from the midweek action.
Tottenham still looking for big-game formula
It seemed that with a 1-0 lead and Juventus needing two away goals, Tottenham were well on their way to the quarterfinals, but as they have done on more than one occasion under Mauricio Pochettino, they failed to get over the line. Spurs are a brilliant team and have taken some massive steps over the last three years, but their record on the big occasions leaves a lot to be desired. Since the Argentine took over in 2014, Tottenham have won 13, drawn 12 and lost 13 league games against their traditional rivals.
Their domestic cup record is quite similar with Tottenham habitually reaching the latter stages of both the League Cup and FA Cup only to lose to Chelsea, Liverpool or Arsenal when it matters. The question is why. Why is such a talented outfit struggling with the big games? It seems that everyone has their own theory, from mental fragility to the manager’s lack of pragmatism. One thing’s for certain: it cost them once again against Juventus, and it’s a major reason Tottenham are still waiting for a maiden trophy under Pochettino.
Wembley comeback shows Juventus aren’t finished yet
The leadup to this tie was very much focused on Tottenham’s chances of making a deep run in the tournament. With the league out of reach, journalists and fans alike saw Europe as a chance for young stars like Harry Kane and Dele Alli to further establish themselves among the world’s best.
What actually transpired was a Juve comeback which says the Old Lady from Turin isn’t quite finished with the Champions League. For a side that has reached two Champions League finals in the last three years, Juve didn’t get the respect they deserved. Having seen Madrid run away with last year’s final in Cardiff, it seemed the Old guard of Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli were finished. All three played key roles in the Italian upset at Wembley on Wednesday. Buffon denied all members of Tottenham’s attacking quartet in the first half with his performance being overshadowed by his error for Son’s goal.
In the second half, Spurs continued to have the ball although they made few chances out of their possession. It seemed Juventus were heading for the exit, until a three-minute salvo from Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala put them in front. From Dybala’s goal to the end of the match, Juventus’s defense was ruthless, particularly Chiellini, who put in a stunning individual display to deny Kane and co.
Critics will point to their lack of goals and Tottenham’s comfort for much of the tie, but any potential opponent should take heed of this game. Juventus aren’t finished yet.
Ronaldo helps ensure Real remain in the hunt
In the middle of a historically poor season and facing a favorite for this year’s title, few expected to see Real Madrid reach this stage of the Champions League. Once again, the Spanish giants showed their form in La Liga and their form in Europe are worlds apart.
The holders looked at their ruthless best as they strolled into their eighth consecutive quarterfinal at the expense of Paris Saint-Germain. It was Cristiano Ronaldo who rose highest and headed home the opening and all important away goal for Los Blancos. It was his 117th Champions League goal, his 14th in the tournament so far and his 31st goal of the season. It was the ninth consecutive Champions League game that Ronaldo has scored in, equalling the record of Ruud Van Nistelrooy. The Portuguese winger has scored a whopping 22 goals in his last 13 European appearances.
Los Blancos will be eyeing an eighth consecutive semifinal and few sides in the tournaments will be confident of stopping them from going all the way to the final. Out of contention for any silverware at home, Zinedine Zidane’s men will be fully focused on becoming the first team since Bayern Munich in 1976 to win three Champions League titles in a row.
Iker Casillas’ last Champions League appearance?
Tuesday night’s second leg between Liverpool and Porto wasn’t a match for the neutrals. After a 5-0 humbling in the first leg, the Portuguese giants came into the game looking to do the impossible, but rarely threatened any sort of comeback in a scoreless draw.
Though not one remembered for goals, it might go down in the history books as the last Champions League appearance of one of soccer’s greatest ever shot stoppers. In the post match conference, Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas hinted the match in Anfield could be his last appearance in the Champions League: “It’s clear that if it was [my last Champions League game], it would not be a bad way to end as Anfield is a spectacular stadium and it’s a beautiful team to face”.
It was Casillas’s 167th appearance in the Champions League, the most for any player in the competition. He has kept 57 clean sheets, also a record, and has won the tournament four times. He made his debut in the tournament in a group game against Olympiakos in 1999, aged 18. He went on to make another 150 appearances for Los Blancos in the competition, including a cameo in the 2002 final that saw him practically win the trophy for Real, making a number of crucial saves. It’s sad to see such an all-time great bow out in quite underwhelming circumstances, but Casillas has left fans of the game with plenty of memories should this indeed be his swan song in the Champions League.
Next: With elite status on the line, PSG fail once again
Where do PSG go from here?
There’s no shame in losing to the teams PSG have lost to over the last five years in the knockout rounds of this tournament. Real Madrid have won the Champions League three of the past four years, Barcelona have been among the finest outfits in the modern era and their losses to Manchester City were both tightly-contested affairs.
What’s becoming more apparent is that throwing money at the problem isn’t going to solve anything. PSG’s owners spent nearly half a billion on Kylian Mbappe and Neymar this summer and neither was able to prevent Les Parisiens from repeating mistakes of the past.
Zidane said in his post-match press conference the very thing PSG might be lacking: “we trust in what we are doing.” Trusting in a system is one of those important intangibles in soccer, something we can’t often prove as an actual factor to success, but something both the coaching staff and players of any successful side will cite as a factor.
Superstars are important, but a structure is even more so. It’s important so that when your superstar is out injured, for instance, a hard working player like Lucas Vazquez or a talented youngster like Marco Asensio can come on and have an impact. It’s something for the PSG owners to keep in mind when they plunge into their pockets next summer.