The UEFA Champions League Round of 16 delivered thrilling encounters as Europe’s top clubs battled for a place in the quarter finals. With higher stakes and intense matchups, teams fought to overcome first-leg defeats or defend their lead throughout the two legs. From dramatic comebacks to dominant performances, the second-leg of the Round of 16 was just the start of the best of European football every year. Here’s a look at how each of the matches unfolded.
Barcelona 3 – Benfica 1
Barcelona stormed into the Champions League quarter finals with an emphatic 3-1 victory over Benfica in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie, securing a 4-1 aggregate win. The night belonged to Raphinha and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, whose brilliance dismantled the Portuguese side at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. The match started at a rapid pace, with 17-year-old Yamal putting on a masterclass down the right wing. His dazzling solo run in the 11th minute left two defenders on the ground before he delivered a perfect cross to Raphinha, who volleyed home from close range. However, Benfica responded almost immediately, as captain Nicolas Otamendi powered in a header from a corner just two minutes later. Undeterred, Barcelona kept up the pressure, with Yamal terrorizing Benfica’s left-back Samuel Dahl. The young Spaniard created several chances, setting up opportunities for Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo before taking matters into his own hands in the 28th minute. Cutting inside, he unleashed a stunning left-footed strike that curled into the top-right corner, restoring Barca’s lead. At 17 years and 241 days old, Yamal became the youngest player in Champions League history to both score and assist in the same match, breaking Breel Embolo’s previous record by 22 days. Barcelona extended their lead just before halftime when Raphinha struck again in the 42nd minute, becoming the highest-scoring Brazilian in a single UCL season with 11 goals. The second half ended as a comfortable win for Barca, extending their unbeaten run to 17 matches and solidifying themself a spot in the quarter finals.
Inter Milan 2 – Feyenoord 1
Inter Milan advanced to the Champions League quarter finals with a 2-1 victory over Feyenoord at San Siro, sealing a 4-1 aggregate win. Marcus Thuram opened the scoring with a brilliant strike into the top corner, becoming only the second Inter player to score in both legs of a UCL last-16 tie after Dejan Stankovic in 2005-06. Feyenoord responded through Jakub Moder’s penalty after Hakan Cahanoglu crashed into him, but the Turkish midfielder got his redemption after converting a spot-kick of his own following a foul on Mehdi Taremi in the 51st minute. Thuram, who came close to another goal after gliding past three defenders and hitting the crossbar, also received a yellow card for simulation in the penalty box. Yann Sommer was called into action a few times, notably denying Hugo Bueno’s long-range effort, but Inter remained largely in control. With this win, Simone Inzaghi’s side advances to face Bayern Munich, continuing its quest for a second UCL final in thee seasons.
Liverpool 0 (1) – PSG 1 (4)
Paris Saint-Germain secured a dramatic quarterfinal spot with a 4-1 penalty shootout victory over Liverpool after a tense 1-0 win at Anfield leveled the tie at 1-1 on aggregate. Ousmane Dmbele stunned the home crowd with an early 12th-minute goal, capitalizing on a defensive mistake to give PSG the lead. Liverpool dominated much of the second half, with Mohammed Salah denied by Nuno Mendes and Dominik Szoboszlai’s goal ruled offside. Gianluigi Donnarumma stepped up in extra time and proved decisive in the shootout, saving penalties from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones while PSG converted all four of their attempts. Despite Liverpool’s relentless attacking pressure, PSG’s resilience saw them through, making them only the fourth team in UCL history to overturn a first-leg home loss in a knockout tie. They now await either Aston Villa or Club Brugge in the quarterfinals.
Leverkusen 0 – Bayern 2
Bayern Munich came into the second leg with a commanding 3-0 advantage from the first match, and they finished the job in clinical fashion at the BayArena. Leverkusen, needing a near-perfect performance to turn things around, struggled to break through Bayern’s defense. After a goalless first half, Bayern took control in the second half with Harry Kane finding the net in the 52nd minute, effectively sealing the tie. Alphonso Davies added a goal in the 71st minute, ensuring a comfortable 2-0 victory on the night and a overwhelming 5-0 victory on aggregate. Despite Leverkusen’s strong form in the Bundesliga, they were unable to match Bayern’s European expertise. With this win, Bayern secured their place in the quarterfinals, continuing the quest to Champions League glory.
Lille 2 – Borussia Dortmund 3
After a 1-1 draw at Dortmund’s home stadium, both teams traveled to France to play in a match that could have gone both ways at Lille’s home stadium. With both teams struggling in their respective domestic leagues (Lille being fifth in Ligue 1 and Dortmund being tenth in the Bundesliga), both clubs had something to prove in the largest club football tournament in Europe. With all the odds stacked against them—playing in front of Lille’s home crowd—and despite Lille’s early goal in the fifth minute, Dortmund showed their resilience through Emre Can’s penalty in the 54th minute to level the match and Maximilian Beier’s stunning strike to seal a 2-1 victory (3-2 in aggregate) for Dortmund.
Aston Villa 6 – Club Brugge 1
Having secured a 3-1 victory at Belgium, Aston Villa was looking to cruise to the quarterfinals during this fixture’s second leg at home. They did just that. Ending up winning the second leg 3-0 (6-1 in aggregate), Aston Villa was helped by an early Club Brugge red card in the 17th minute of the game. Villa ended up capitalizing on this man-up advantage with Marco Asensio’s two goals off the bench, and Ian Maatsen’s single goal. Their remarkable European campaign continues.
Arsenal 9 – PSV Eindhoven 3
Going into the second leg, Arsenal had all but cemented their place in the quarterfinals. Having delivered a masterclass in their dominant 7-1 win over PSV in the first leg, Arsenal cruised to a 2-2 draw to advance to the quarterfinals with a 9-3 aggregate score. In their first leg victory, the Gunners displayed a masterclass in attacking football orchestrated by captain Martin Ødegaard, with youngster Ethan Nwaneri becoming one of the youngest players to ever score in a Champions League knockout phase game. For PSV, their Champions League loss adds to their mediocre season, in which PSV is struggling to defend their Eredivisie title and crashed out of the Dutch Cup recently.
Atletico Madrid 2 (2) – Real Madrid 2 (4)
The Madrid Derby in the Champions League did not disappoint. With both teams being just one point apart occupying the second and third places of La Liga, the match was filled with intensity and drama. After the first leg, the defending champions Real Madrid found themselves in a favorable position after beating Atletico 2-1 with goals from Rodrygo and Brahim Diaz. But straightaway in the second leg, Atletico midfielder Conor Gallagher scored within the first minute, setting up an intense rest of the game with big missed chances on both sides. Staying at an aggregate score of 2-2, the game extended into extra time, and when a winner couldn’t be determined in 120 minutes, the game advanced to a penalty shootout. With a controversial VAR call overturning Atletico superstar Julian Alvarez’s penalty, and another miss by his teammate Marcos Llorente, Real Madrid advanced to the next round in a 4-2 penalty shootout win.
With that, the quarterfinals for the 2025 UEFA Champions League is set with four exciting matches, also to be played in a two-leg style: Bayern vs. Inter Milan, Arsenal vs. Real Madrid, Barcelona vs. Dortmund, and PSG vs. Aston Villa. With European glory inching closer, each team must display resilience, strategy, and brilliance in order to be crowned the king of Europe.
