The UEFA Champions League Quaterfinals kicked off this week, with many fans of the sport watching with thumbs up at astonishing goals, and tactical genius, enhanced by a fringe of strange surprises.
From a dominant hour of Arsenal in London to a fantastic night in Barcelona, here is how the first leg of Europe’s most prestigious club competition rolled out.
Arsenal 3–0 Real Madrid: Rice Rockets Gunners Semifinal Bound
Only in the most stunning of results did Arsenal annihilate Real Madrid 3–0 at the Emirates Stadium. England international Declan Rice was the show’s star, scoring two goals executed from free kicks that left fans and analysts gushing. There was talk of giving Rice a 10-plus for an indefensible performance rating in the 11 10 frameworks, and social media was abuzz throughout Europe.
The near-calm finishing by Mikel Merino, with just minutes left to play, sealed the victory, with Mikel Arteta’s men going back to the Santiago Bernabéu with a good level of confidence.
After the match, Madrid’s Jude Bellingham is said to have given a fiery speech in the dressing room, urging his teammates in the wake of such a disappointing defeat. He will need to show strong leadership if Los Blancos are to do the improbable in Madrid again.
Barcelona 4–0 Borussia Dortmund: Raphinha and Co. Humiliate the Germans
Barcelona put on a show at Camp Nou, hammering Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in a game that was least hysterical. Winger Raphinha was nothing short of extraordinary here, scoring a goal that momentarily confused, thanks to a possible offside. He ends the day richer in credits this season: 28 goals and 21 assists, in all competitions.
Barcelona never let go; they controlled the pace and placed undue pressure on the Dortmund defense. The Germans really could not gather themselves, and they received terrible ratings from the German papers, very few of them.
Bayern Munich 1–2 Inter Milan: Nerazzurri Edge Germans at Allianz
Bayern had their work cut out at home as Inter put them to the sword on a 2:1 scoreline, as they swarmed the larger part of the match. Veteran Thomas Müller kept the Bavarians hopeful with a strike to cancel the opener of Inter. However, within minutes, the Italians returned to punish the bootlegging defensive lapses exhibited by Bayern with their stunning finish.
Inter’s resilience, in addition to their clinical finishing, gives them the upper hand as they head into the second leg at San Siro, while Bayern face the daunting task of overturning the deficit away from home.
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Paris Saint-Germain 3–1 Aston Villa: Prince William’s Joy Short-Lived
Paris Saint-Germain were forced to come from behind in their 3–1 win over English underdogs Aston Villa, who reached their first Champions League quarterfinal since 1982. The Premier League side took a shock lead through Morgan Rogers, whose goal in the 35th minute sent their traveling supporters—and Prince William—into raptures.
The British royal, a lifelong Villa fan, was seen celebrating animatedly in the stands of Parc des Princes. But the joy didn’t last long. PSG responded with ruthless precision, scoring three unanswered goals and putting the game to bed before full-time.
Despite the defeat, Villa takes an important away goal back to Birmingham, which could prove crucial if they’re to mount a comeback at Villa Park. Manager Unai Emery will look to tighten up defensively in the return leg, while hoping his midfield can match PSG’s attacking fluidity.
The Parisians, still chasing their elusive first Champions League trophy, know the job isn’t finished yet. But with their attacking arsenal in form, they’re well-positioned to advance to the final four.
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Stay with us for full second-leg coverage, post-match analysis, and semifinal draw reactions as the road to the 2025 UEFA Champions League final continues.
