New Delhi: Champions League play-offs kicked off tonight and there was an instant European classic for the dans around the globe, as Manchester City welcomed their usual European rivals Real Madrid at Etihad. Both the sides have been far from their best this season but it is hard to deny that whenever these two meet, something special happens and that’s exactly what happened tonight. When it comes to other fixtures, PSG were also welcomed by Brest while Juventus hosted the Dutch side PSV Eindhoven. Borussia Dortmund were also in action as they travelled to Portugal to face Sporting CP.
Brest 0-3 Paris Saint-Germain
Ousmane Dembélé show for PSG win 🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/xxPnDMjIlx
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 11, 2025
At full time, the two managers embraced warmly, although PSG’s strategy tonight was anything but cordial. Vitinha’s penalty gave them the lead in an exciting first half, and they managed to avoid a few defensive errors from Donnarumma and Hakimi, as well as Sima’s header that went off the post. Brest was once again unable to keep up with Dembele’s speed and talent, as he scored a second goal 20 minutes into the second half after continuing his purple patch with a perfect finish at the interval.
PSG had a chance to score more, but just before Dembele’s second goal, Doue’s attempt was disallowed for offside. In the second half, Brest too had their moments, but they were unable to maintain the pressure for very long. Even though both teams attempted 16 shots in the end, PSG controlled more than 62% of the possession today and had seven shots on goal compared to Brest’s two. Brest was once again disturbed by Dembele, who has now become the first PSG player to score in eight straight games across all competitions since Neymar in 2022. Brest must figure out how to stop Dembele in the second leg, which is scheduled for next Wednesday.
Juventus 2-1 PSV Eindhoven
Who’s been your Man of the Match? ⚪️⚫️ pic.twitter.com/KUIWNW6Qtq
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 11, 2025
Juventus lead PSV 2-1 in Turin at the half of this two-leg Champions League last-16 play-off match. The hosts, who had led 1-0 at the time, quickly fell behind in the second half. PSV equalized at the other end after Lang’s blocked shot had allowed Perisic to cut inside and lash home after Mbangula and Weah had been denied at one end. Veerman, Perisic, and De Jong all had opportunities to finish their comeback, but the Bianconeri would emerge victorious. After PSV equalized, Conceicao came very close, and the Portuguese then set up fellow replacement Mbangula for a close-range strike after PSV goalie Benitez parried his cross. The goal from Mbangula is the difference going into the second leg, and Juventus is scheduled to play either Arsenal or Inter in the round of 16 before the rematch in Eindhoven next week.
Sporting CP 0-3 Borussia Dortmund
Who’s been your Man of the Match? 🟡⚫️ pic.twitter.com/icYtoLGJ8p
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 11, 2025
Sporting CP had a strong start to the match, but it ended horribly, with Borussia Dortmund firmly in control of the two-leg match. Dortmund started the first half slowly and came dangerously close to being penalized when Harder struck the crossbar with a shot. However, you always thought that the visitors may punish their opponents if they could find their touch in the last third, and that’s exactly what happened. The first player to jump in was Guirassy, who put them up with a wonderful header.
Gross, who tucked away with his thigh, and Adeyemi, who was a nuisance to that Sporting CP backline for the majority of the evening, both scored goals as Dortmund punished the hosts twice more as they chased the game and brought on Gyokeres. You could argue that Dortmund was worth the win because they had better chances, but ultimately, it was the quality in crucial areas that mattered. Sporting continued to put in a lot of effort, but after an all-action performance in the opening forty-five minutes, they appeared fatigued. If the Portuguese team wants to win this match from this position, they will need to perform a small miracle.
Manchester City 2-3 Real Madrid
Who’s been your Man of the Match? ⚪️✨ pic.twitter.com/zSez9rUFou
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 11, 2025
In the first leg of their Champions League play-off match at the Etihad Stadium, Real Madrid turns the tide late in the game to win 3-2 on the road against Manchester City! After some excellent work by Gvardiol and Grealish, Haaland jumped in the box to fire home from close range as Man City, who generated 1.6 anticipated goals, took the lead. Guardiola’s team managed to hold out until halftime, but Mbappe found a way to tie the score after the interval.
Ceballos picked out the French forward inside the box, and his scuffed volley slipped into the far corner to make the score 1-1. After Foden was taken down in the box, City took the lead again, and Haaland scored his second goal of the match by slotting away the penalties. Ancelotti’s team turned the tide of the match in the closing minutes by scoring an incredible 3.42 anticipated goals. Vinicius broke into the box after Ederson’s mishandled pass, but the City goalie stopped the Brazilian’s attempt. Diaz received it directly and scored to tie the score.
Vinicius burst through again in the closing seconds of the game, and Bellingham won it by tapping into an empty net after his lobbed effort over Ederson! The La Liga squad has a significant lead heading into their home leg when the two sides play again in Madrid the following week.
The Champions League just keeps on delivering as we had some big clashes heading into the play-offs, where big clubs were in action in the first leg of the competition. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
