The primary half of the brand new Champions League knockout stage playoffs is within the books.
After eight of Europe’s greatest membership groups opened their respective two-game, total-goals-wins sequence on Tuesday, the again half of the sphere nonetheless in competition to hitch eight computerized qualifiers within the spherical of 16 performed their opening match on Wednesday.
These are the most important takeaways.
The Rossoneri have been nothing if inconsistent this season. The teaching change that was made in December and Milan’s lowly place within the Italian high flight standings — one of the vital storied groups in soccer historical past, they’re presently seventh in Serie A — show it.
However the seven-time continental titlists’ lone respite has been the Champions League, or it had been. A loss in Croatia in opposition to Dinamo Zagreb on the ultimate day of the primary spherical value them a bye to the final 16.
AC Milan suffered one other loss on Wednesday at Dutch energy Feyenoord, as Igor Paixão scored the one purpose the hosts would want lower than three minutes into the competition — a purpose that keeper Mike Maignan actually should have prevented:
The excellent news for Milan is that it is solely 1-0 on mixture. An equalizer early within the second leg again residence on the San Siro might swing the sequence again the Italians’ approach. However to stave off elimination subsequent Tuesday, new supervisor Sérgio Conceição will want a greater efficiency. He’ll additionally want extra from U.S. star Christian Pulisic.
Pulisic, the membership’s main scorer this season, was unusually quiet on Wednesday earlier than being substituted after an hour. With Conceição nonetheless integrating new recruits like Kyle Walker and João Félix into his squad, will probably be as much as Pulisic to prepared the ground subsequent week and preserve Milan’s desires of successful an eighth Champions League crown alive. If not, it might be the final we see of the Rossoneri on the planet’s premier membership event till at the least 2026-27.
For the primary 44 minutes of Wednesday’s tilt at an electrical Celtic Park in Glasgow, the Scottish titans gave Germany’s greatest every part they might deal with. However such is the all-world high quality of mighty Bayern that it solely took a half-chance for Michael Olise to place the guests forward of Celtic on the stroke of halftime.
It is potential that Celtic heart again Auston Trusty, who began alongside fellow American defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, might have reacted extra shortly and closed down Olise on his opener, however the Frenchman nonetheless completed it beautifully.
The backbreaking second purpose? There isn’t any query that it was an error, because the hosts left Bayern purpose machine Harry Kane (of all individuals) criminally unmarked on a second-half nook kick:
Celtic managed to claw one again late through Daizen Maeda to salvage slightly little bit of hope because the sequence shifts to Munich. Might a monumental upset occur? As a lot as Bayern, a six-time European champ and the overwhelming favourite to advance even earlier than Wednesday’s victory, have been removed from convincing this season, the Scots should be kicking themselves for not leaving residence on even phrases.
Benefit Benfica, Membership Brugge
It is inconceivable to know what would’ve occurred on Wednesday had Monaco not performed nearly the whole second half down a person. Benfica nonetheless deserves credit score for leaving the principality with a vital 1-0 benefit — and for scoring what turned out to be the decisive purpose lengthy earlier than residence defender Al-Musrati was despatched off within the 52nd minute for selecting up a second yellow card. The Eagles at the moment are in prime place to advance with a tie subsequent Tuesday in Portugal.
Earlier on Wednesday in Belgium, Membership Brugge snared a well-known (though controversial) victory over Serie A aspect Atalanta. The match appeared headed to a 1-1 stalemate earlier than sub Gustaf Nilsson transformed a penalty deep into stoppage time to present the hosts a 2-1 mixture lead. Whether or not the spot kick ought to’ve been awarded is one other matter. Decide for your self:
Both approach, Brugge’s job is clearly removed from performed. And given the contentious approach the opener ended, Atalanta’s gamers and followers might be massively motivated to show the sequence round subsequent week in Northern Italy.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer author for FOX Sports activities who has coated the United States males’s and girls’s nationwide groups at FIFA World Cups on 5 continents. Observe him at @ByDougMcIntyre.
Get extra from UEFA Champions League Observe your favorites to get details about video games, information and extra
