5️⃣ things we learned from Tuesday's Champions League action | OneFootball

The Champions League quarter-finals kicked off tonight with two mammoth ties: Real Madrid vs Manchester City and Arsenal vs Bayern Munich.

Here is what we made of a stunning night of football.

The Champions League delivers and then some

After another rather dull last 16 round (with a few exceptions) led to criticism of the competition and the overall state of European football, the first pair of quarter-finals reminded everyone why we love the Champions League.

Two games featuring four top teams (yes, Bayern are still decent when it matters) led to two draws, 10 goals and all-round chaos.

The decision to remove the away goals a few years ago was widely mourned but it has had a positive effect in a sense, with home teams now not fearing conceding goals as much and simply going for it from the outset in the most part.

Premier League pair Arsenal and Manchester City started on fire before the traditional heavyweights of Bayern and Real Madrid responded and on we went, as teams just went blow for blow over a pulsating 90 minutes in London and Madrid.

It leaves next week beautifully poised and with hope for more brilliant action.

Bayern’s know-how proves pivotal against Arsenal

On paper and on form this season, the clash between Arsenal and Bayern at the Emirates should have been a foregone conclusion but, surely as we all know now, you can’t write off the Germans.

Despite “enjoying” a wretched domestic season, the Bavarians still have a European pedigree to match near-anyone – they have won the trophy six times and tonight was their 22nd quarter-final berth (a record).

Many of their players, namely Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Alphonso Davies and Serge Gnabry, lifted their most recent title in 2020 and it showed tonight.

Goretzka had perhaps his best game since that season, Gnabry scored the equaliser while the others had the know-how and experience to manage the game at times.

On the flip side, Arsenal have been in top form in the Premier League but possess a squad and manager with limited experience at this level – for Arteta and most of the squad, it is their first season in the competition. Jorginho and Kai Havertz won the trophy in 2021 at Chelsea but it remains a young squad that is learning.

Another clutch goal from Leandro Trossard will give the Gunners massive belief next week but Bayern will head to the Allianz Arena quietly confident.

Real might live to rue missed opportunities

Probably the only club who can top Bayern for pedigree, lore and history in Europe is, of course, Real Madrid.

They are seemingly never out of ties and will go to the Etihad Stadium next week with their usual swagger and confidence but tonight feels like a missed opportunity for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

Los Blancos went into the break leading 2-1 after bouncing back in typical style from Bernardo Silva’s shock second-minute opener, but they also left plenty of chances out there.

Letting a side like City stay in a game is always hugely dangerous and so it proved in the second half as they came back into things and retook the lead.

Fede Valverde’s goal was maybe the best of a series of screamers and was absolutely critical ahead of the second-leg.

A first-leg home draw against the same side last year was followed by a crushing 4-0 loss in the return game. Can Real show off their mythical powers again next week or will they live to regret tonight?

City show why they remain the clear team to beat

City were not at their usually imperious best tonight, particularly in the first-half, with the absence of Kyle Walker particularly noticeable as Madrid got at them on the counter and out wide on numerous occasions.

However, they stayed in the game and eventually came away with a 3-3 draw at the home of the 14-time champions, even with Kevin De Bruyne sitting on the bench for the entirety of the game with illness.

As has been the case for much of this season, Phil Foden stepped up when it mattered most, pulling his side level with a stunning goal before Josko Gvardiol pulled out arguably the most surprising screamer of the season.

Valverde’s late goal was a blow but City will fly back to Manchester more than happy with a first-leg draw, knowing they are near-unbeatable on their home patch.

Until someone knocks them off (on the pitch or in the courtrooms), it will continue to feel like it’s Pep Guardiola’s men against the field for any and all trophies.

Kane reads the script to haunt Arsenal again with ex-Premier League stars

It had to happen, didn’t it?

Harry Kane scoring against Arsenal is a near-rite of passage at this point, with the England captain’s penalty tonight making it 15 goals in 20 games against the Gunners. No opposition player has scored more at the Emirates as well.

He took in the boos of 60,000 home fans (as well as a few covert Bayern fans among them) and tapped home an incredibly cool and calm penalty in an atmosphere that was anything but that.

His spot kick came after William Saliba fouled another former Premier League player, ex-Man City man Leroy Sané, and followed on from Serge Gnabry’s equaliser against a side he represented 18 times at the start of his career.

Another former Spurs man, Eric Dier, started at the back in a team coached by Chelsea’s most recent Champions League-winning manager, Thomas Tuchel.

Kane and co. will have all of Bavaria, as well as the white side of North London, cheering them on next week. Can he prove to be Arsenal’s ultimate grim reaper?