The UEFA Champions League witnessed a series of thrilling matches on Wednesday, as Barcelona, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich claimed vital victories to edge closer to advancing to the next stages of the competition.
In Portugal, Barcelona secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Benfica in the first leg of the Round of 16. The only goal of the match came in the 61st minute, courtesy of Raphinha, who capitalized on a defensive error from Benfica. Barcelona faced early pressure from the hosts, but their goalkeeper made a stunning save to deny Kerem Aktürkoğlu in the opening minute. The match was briefly halted in the 35th minute after fans set off fireworks in the stands. Barcelona will now host the second leg at the “Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys” next Tuesday, aiming to seal their place in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, in Paris, Liverpool claimed a precious 1-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the Round of 16. Harvey Elliott scored the decisive goal in the 87th minute, putting Liverpool in a strong position ahead of the return leg at Anfield. Despite PSG’s dominance and numerous chances, Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, was the standout performer, making several crucial saves to keep his team in the game.
In Germany, Bayern Munich returned to winning ways with a commanding 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen, moving closer to the quarterfinals. Harry Kane was the hero of the night, scoring a brace. His first goal came from a header off a superb cross by Michael Olise in the first half, while his second was a penalty in the second half, awarded after a VAR review confirmed a foul by Edmond Tapsoba. Jamal Musiala also found the net after Leverkusen’s goalkeeper, Matej Kovář, failed to handle a routine delivery from Joshua Kimmich. Bayern faced a setback with an injury to goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, while Leverkusen’s troubles deepened with a red card shown to Nordi Mukiele.
