Champions League round of 16 reactions

A spectacle like no other, the Champions League round of 16 left the football world buzzing with conversation after last week's matches. As competition intensifies, more footballing giants have found themselves eliminated from the pursuit of UCL glory. Here are some of our big takeaways from this past round:

Alex: PSG are a team reborn

Despite playing the top team from group play, Paris Saint-Germain completely and utterly deserved to advance against Liverpool across both legs. The French side equalized the tie early and kept their nerve through a penalty shootout to secure advancement.

It’s important to acknowledge the outstanding performances of several PSG players. Gianluigi Donnarumma was an immovable force both before and during the shootout. Nuno Mendes kept Mohamed Salah at bay, and Vitinha orchestrated the midfield with the poise and control of a seasoned general.

For years, Paris has often been seen as incapable of delivering on the biggest stages in Champions League play. While PSG dominated Ligue 1 for as long as time can tell, their European fortunes have been less favorable.

Despite many challenges still ahead, PSG finally broke through that barrier, defeating Liverpool last week. They’ll face another Premier League side in the quarterfinals, Aston Villa, who they’ll be favored to advance against.

As they chase their first-ever UCL title, it ironically feels like this is the most cohesive PSG team we’ve seen in years. While many superstars like Messi, Mbappe, and Neymar have all played for this squad in recent seasons, this Paris team feels more unified and tactically balanced than before.

Alex: Bayern make a statement

The Bayern Munich Leverkusen match-up seemed an even tie going into the round. But it ended up being a one-sided affair. After their Cinderella run last season, Leverkusen, if not already, may have passed the German football torch back to its traditional holder in Bayern Munich.

The current Bundesliga leaders secured a comfortable 5-0 victory on aggregate, courtesy of three goals from Harry Kane. The England international has now netted double-digit goals in this UCL campaign, trailing Barcelona’s Raphina by just one.

Manager Vincent Kompany, all things considered, has had a tremendous first season so far at the helm. Bayern led 3-0 after the first leg, effectively draining the spirit from Leverkusen before the second leg even began.

With this win, Bayern will face another formidable opponent in Inter Milan next round. This matchup promises to be another tight contest, so we’ll see if Bayern can replicate the dominance they displayed against their German rivals.

Owen: Real Madrid plagued by the same problems

Real Madrid escaped with a penalty win over rivals Atletico Madrid courtesy of a nearly unheard-of spot-kick rule.

According to Transfer Markt, Madrid’s squad is valued at nearly $1.3 billion. Atletico’s squad is worth less than half at just $515 million.

Yet, for large portions of the two-leg fixture, Atletico looked better than their in-city rivals.

Since signing Kylian Mbappe over the summer, Real Madrid has looked unbalanced. Carlo Ancelotti’s squad, just two years removed from winning the Champions League, are winning games based on individual brilliance, not team ability.

Madrid’s opening goal in the first leg is an excellent example of this issue. When Federico Valverde collects the ball on the right side of the pitch, there are just three players in white on the same side. Valverde makes a brilliant pass to Rodrygo, who dribbles past two players before putting the ball into the side netting with his weaker foot.

Two players produced a moment of magic while everyone else watched.

Real Madrid’s problem is that all three of their best attackers, Mbappe, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior, naturally play on the left wing. This leaves Ancelotti with a choice: play two of the three out of position or relegate his stars to the bench in favor of a more natural striker and right-winger.

Usually, the Madrid manager has favored talent over chemistry. So did Christophe Galtier and Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint Germain when Mbappe played alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar.

PSG was never able to win the Champions League, and many experts blamed their failures on the lack of cohesion and effort between their three strikers.

Time will tell whether Ancelotti and Real Madrid can overcome similar challenges.

Owen: Playoff fixtures have little effect on round of 16

One talking point coming into the Champions League round of 16 was whether the eight lower-seeded teams would be affected by the two extra games they played to make it to the round of 16.

The result was an even split: four teams that qualified for the round of 16 automatically made it to the quarterfinals, so did four teams that qualified for the round of 16 through the playoff.

With schedule congestion at the forefront of players’ minds due to the expanded Champions League and Club World Cup competitions and the imminent expansion of the World Cup in 2026, it will be interesting to see the fight between competitions and players over the next few years.

Alex Harkins is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email arh6278@psu.edu.

Owen Cameros is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email ohc5024@psu.edu.