The UEFA Champions League knockout phase kicked off with high drama as Real Madrid staged a stunning comeback to defeat Manchester City 3-2 in a pulsating first leg. Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund cruised to convincing away wins, while Juventus secured a narrow victory over PSV Eindhoven.
Manchester City 2-3 Real Madrid
A late goal from Jude Bellingham completed a dramatic turnaround for Real Madrid, who twice fought back to snatch a thrilling victory at the Etihad Stadium.
Erling Haaland put City ahead with a clinical finish before Kylian Mbappé struck an exquisite looping shot to bring Madrid level. Haaland then restored City’s lead from the penalty spot with just over ten minutes left, seemingly putting the hosts in control.
However, Madrid had other plans. Substitute Brahim Díaz reacted quickest to a rebound to equalize against his former club, and minutes later, Vinícius Júnior’s brilliance set up Bellingham for a simple tap-in to secure a first-leg advantage for the reigning champions.
Player of the Match: Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid)
Brest 0-3 Paris Saint-Germain
Ousmane Dembélé delivered another standout performance as PSG took command of their all-French showdown with a dominant display in Brest.
Vitinha opened the scoring from the penalty spot after an early handball decision. Dembélé doubled PSG’s lead with a powerful low strike just before halftime and then bundled in his second of the night to complete the rout—his tenth goal in the last four matches.
Luis Enrique’s men head into the second leg with one foot in the round of 16.
Player of the Match: Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)
Sporting CP 0-3 Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund delivered a statement performance in Lisbon, taking a big step toward qualification with a commanding victory over Sporting CP.
Sporting threatened in the first half when Maximiliano Araújo rattled the crossbar, but Dortmund took control after the break. Serhou Guirassy broke the deadlock with a well-placed header from Julian Brandt’s cross, before Pascal Gross turned provider Guirassy’s delivery into a second goal.
Karim Adeyemi wrapped up the win late on, finishing a slick move to leave Sporting with a mountain to climb in the return leg.
Player of the Match: Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund)
Juventus 2-1 PSV Eindhoven
Juventus will carry a slim advantage into the second leg after a hard-fought win in Turin.
The hosts dominated early proceedings, with Weston McKennie unleashing a thunderous strike to break the deadlock. PSV responded after halftime, with Ivan Perišić slotting home an equalizer to give the Dutch side hope.
Just as the game seemed destined for a draw, Samuel Mbangula struck from close range to hand Juventus a vital first-leg lead.
Player of the Match: Federico Gatti (Juventus)
The return legs promise more high-stakes drama as teams battle for a place in the last 16.
WEDNESDAY’S MATCHES
SOURCE: http://uefa.com
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