UEFA Champions League: Key learnings from round of 16 stage
Eight teams will fight it out in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League 2018-19 as the round of 16 got over on Wednesday. Liverpool beat Bayern Munich 3-1 away to join three other Premier League outfits in the quarters. Lionel Messi was supreme for Barcelona as the Spanish side decimated Lyon 5-1. Here are the key learnings from the round of 16 stage.
We have the eight quarter-finalists
You cannot write off comebacks in knockout stages
Manchester United, Ajax and Juventus showed what comebacks in the Champions League knockout stages are all about. United went and beat PSG and fed on the blunders to progress. Ajax stunned holders Real at the Bernabeu. Juventus attacked against Atletico Madrid and came back to win 3-2 on aggregate score. The substance of away and home advantage these days no longer bear much significance.
Negative mindset can cost you big time
Football tactics over time have changed and the art of defending deep has lost its touch in the UCL. Atletico's lack of ambition hurt the side in Turin as they chose to protect their 2-0 lead and were heavily punished. Bayern were too defensive across both legs against Liverpool and that robbed them of creating attacking situations. Cautious Schalke were hammered 7-0 against City.
Big players rise on the right occasions
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi continue to remain miles ahead of the rest. Both these GOATS produced scintillating performances when it was needed the most. Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Atletico, when his side looked virtually out of the tie against a top defensive unit. Messi was superb against Lyon in the second leg and played a hand in four goals at Camp Nou.
English clubs are fighting their way back
English teams faced scrutiny over the past few years for being unable to progress further in this tournament. What we witnessed was the rise of Spanish football as they dominated Europe. But English clubs are getting back at the top with quality attacking football. Liverpool reached the final last season and this time we have four Premier League teams in the quarters.
