by The Champions League came back from its hibernation, albeit not in the most spectacular style. Tuesday’s games went largely as expected with Real Madrid’s 1-0 win over Leipzig, albeit a narrow one, along with Copenhagen being beaten 3-1 by a slick Manchester City. On Wednesday, with Paris Saint-Germain beating Real Sociedad 2-0, Lazio’s 1-0 home win over Bayern Munich was the shock of the week.
The following is a selection of outstanding artists from this week’s under 16 finals.
goalkeeper: Real Madrid needed to beat Leipzig, and they did, barring the rather dubious decision to rule out an early goal from Benjamin Sesko, thanks to a superb performance from Andriy Lunin. The Ukrainian has now replaced Kepa Arrizabalaga as Carlo Ancelotti’s first choice in the absence of Thibaut Courtois. Sesko versus Lunin was a duel that the keeper won hands down, and in the end he made up to nine saves in total to deny Leipzig, a more decisive contribution than any of his fellow star players.
defendant: Much more than a mere protector, Achraf Hakimi He went into the last 16 having created the competition’s most chances from open play, and continued his status as one of the most reliable supply lines in European football with one beautiful pass that could have been Ousmane Dembélé better with it. Paris Saint-Germain didn’t have it all their own way against Real Sociedad – the Moroccans were asked to do a lot of defending in the first half in particular – but what had been a nerve-wracking task ended satisfactorily.
Related: ‘It was like I became Kim Jong-un’: Aleksander Ceferin on Uefa, Super Leagues and Saudi cash
defendant: Real Madrid must at the moment, with central defenders at a premium due to an injury crisis in which David Alaba and Éder Militão are recovering from cruciate injuries. In addition to the much more experienced Nacho, Aurelien Tchouaméni, a defensive midfielder at an elite level, showed his versatility three steps back, just as he did against Girona on Saturday. He was asked to handle the dangerous Sesko in a much more challenging detail than at the weekend, finally coming through for his team.
defendant: It was silly to paint Bayern Munich’s second win in a week as a failure of their frontline but Lazio’s disciplined victory was part of it Alessio Romagnoli. Harry Kane was reduced to potshots from distance and one free-kick during which he slipped in disgrace. Meanwhile Romagnoli was outstanding, delivering some brutal tackles and keeping Bayern off target for the entire game. The Italian international showed the defensive prowess his country is still famous for.
defendant: Lazio hand Adam Marusic and Elseid Hysaj, a Montenegrin and Scot, excelled as she dealt with attacks down the flank from Bayern’s Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sane. Hysaj suffered a rope opening in the first few minutes, only pulling through before having to leave the field through injury. Marusic moved out to the left to replace his team-mate and, just as he joined Musiala, he kept Sane quiet, prompting Thomas Tuchel to withdraw the winger as Bayern grew more desperate in the closing stages.
midfielder: As the start goes, Magnus Mattsson he had one to remember for Copenhagen. In his first game since joining from NEC Nijmegen, in his new club’s first game after a long winter break, he scored when Ederson’s error gifted him the equaliser. His finish from the edge of the box was very well struck. And while City dominated for large parts of the game, Copenhagen’s players chasing shadows, Mattsson showed the efforts that kept the scoreline close. “I’m ready to give everything,” he said of the second step in Manchester, having done so in the home leg.
midfielder: Kevin De BruyneThe early strike for City in Copenhagen was terrible, as was his overall performance for the holders. Belgium have unfinished business in the competition, having crashed out in last season’s final; he missed the group stages completely this season. His goal was usually well built, drilled in with real venom, and he later became a goal provider for Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden. When he finished the 90 minutes by providing the final goal, it shows that his fitness is standing up, another factor to soften any challenger to City’s throne.
midfielder: There are no bigger shoes to fill in European football at the moment than Jude Bellingham’s, though Brahim Diaz he himself created an admirable position. After the former Manchester City youngster, after finding the equalizer in the recent Madrid derby, scored a goal that Bellingham, who is dealing with an ankle problem, would be proud of, dribbling past three defenders before curling in left foot. He won a match that threatened from time to time to escape from Madrid, although Diaz, after seizing his opportunity, and even using Bellingham’s trademark celebration, suffered an untimely muscle injury.
Forward: Although De Bruyne and Erling Haaland were out of the City team, that was left to Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden take responsibility and nurse Pep Guardiola’s team. Now that the big two are back, Silva and Foden have not let standards drop, and it is a toss-up between which of the pair is to be reckoned with after Copenhagen. Early in the season, there were suggestions that Foden would be moved more centrally, but De Bruyne’s return has moved him back to the flanks on a more regular basis. His consistency is still awesome.
Forward: The recent talk is about it Kylian Mbappé interrupting his career by staying at Paris Saint-Germain. His future seems to lie away from the French capital but in what is likely to be a swan song season, he is one of the main reasons his club have one foot in the quarter-finals. Playing as a center forward and in a week short of a superb finish, his volleying technique for PSG’s first goal set him apart. He hit the bar after that. He can do much better, but that was good enough.
Forward: Another player from Denmark’s great production line, Gustav Isaksen He provided the key moment in Lazio’s win against Bayern Munich by winning a penalty from Dayot Upamecano, a foul that resulted in a red card. Playing from the right wing, Isaksen was a frequent threat to Raphaël Guerreiro, and might have already opened the scoring if Manuel Neuer had not saved with his feet. Ciro Immobile slotted home the winning penalty but the 22-year-old, who is not yet a full Danish international, missed the opportunity to do so.
