Champions League playoff fixtures evenly balanced after exciting first legs

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (R) greets Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti before the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-offs 1st leg match between Manchester City and Real Madrid, in Manchester, Britain, 11 February 2025. EPA-EFE/ADAM VAUGHAN

By Yanga Sibembe

13 Feb 2025

Only Paris St Germain and Borussia Dortmund are on solid ground after the opening legs of the European Champions League playoffs.

The majority of matches in the European Champions League playoff round are teetering on a knife-edge after the first legs were played this week. This playoff round is part of the revitalised version of Europe’s premier club competition being contested by the 16 teams that placed ninth to 24th in the league phase.

While the eight teams that finished in the top eight of the 36-team league have a bye, teams such as Real Madrid, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have to earn their spot in the last 16 by playing two extra matches.

The first legs of the eight playoff matches saw Real and City clash in an entertaining tussle. Real, who are the defending champions, came from 2-1 down to vanquish City 3-2 in Manchester. Los Blancos’ two tie-turning strikes came in the last eight minutes of the game, including an injury-time winner from Englishman Jude Bellingham.

It was another case of City failing to hold on to a lead in what has been the most testing season for their manager, Pep Guardiola. The Spanish tactician’s side has moved from being mentality monsters to being as frail as a hummingbird hatchling.

This is especially true from winning positions, where the City of last season were experts in killing off matches and had mastered game management. In the 2024/25, Guardiola’s men have completely lost this ability.

“In many games it happened. (In the Champions League) against Feyernoord, Sporting Lisbon. Then Brentford in the Premier League, Manchester United… Many games we gave away,” said Guardiola after the match.

Ilkay Guendogan (right) of Manchester City in action against Aurelien Tchouameni of Real Madrid in Manchester, Britain, on 11 February 2025. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Adam Vaughan)

Savinho (left) of Manchester City in action against Federico Valverde of Real Madrid in Manchester, Britain, on 11 February 2025. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Adam Vaughan)

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (right) greets Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti before their teams' Champions League knockout phase playoffs first-leg match in Manchester, Britain, on 11 February 2025. (Phtot: EPA-EFE / Adam Vaughan)

“We have to look at ourselves, and at this level it’s so difficult. It’s not the first time, unfortunately. It happened many times and that’s why it’s so difficult,” the Spanish coach said.

What will be important for City is that with only a one-goal deficit to deal with heading to the second leg on Wednesday, 19 February, they are still in the contest. It won’t be easy though.

With 15 Champions League trophies to their name (compared with City’s one), Real are the undisputed kings of Europe and will be confident of preserving their advantage come the second leg. They’ve found themselves against the ropes in seasons past, and they’ve prevailed more often than not.

“We have to get back to Madrid and our fans will make it special,” said Vinicius Junior, who was menacing throughout the first-leg tie and who was awarded the Player of the Match gong as a consequence.

“The return leg will be tough, but we have to keep this up and defend like we did tonight to ensure another magical night in front of our fans,” Vinicius added.

“The result could be misleading as we don’t have to come from behind in the return. But we have to approach the second leg in exactly the same way as we did today, with the same commitment and quality,” said Real manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Rest of the results

One team that already has eight of 10 toes in the last 16 is France’s Paris St Germain (PSG). Luis Enrique’s men recorded a comfortable 3-0 win over fellow French outfit Brest in their first-leg playoff clash.

The victory was largely due to star forward Ousmane Dembélé, who is having a sensational 2025. The Frenchman has recorded 15 goals in eight matches so far this year, including two strikes as PSG pummelled Brest. With this scoreline, the contest is effectively over.

“You’d have to ask him what he ate at Christmas. He is a player full of confidence,” Enrique said of Dembélé's influence, particularly since the turn of the year.

“Back when I played PlayStation as a kid, he was the kind of player you’d choose when you needed someone to change the game. He was already good last season but in 2025 he is even better. You can see his teammates looking for him and finding him. He has an impeccable attitude,” the Spanish coach said.

Germany’s Dortmund are also in with a great chance of reaching the last 16 after hammering Sporting 3-0 in their first-leg encounter. But for teams such as Bayern, who squeezed 2-1 past Celtic, the job is not done just yet. The same is true for Club Brugge, who shocked Italian outfit Atalanta 2-1, as well as Juventus — who edged PSV Eindhoven 2-1. Seven-time European champions AC Milan will need to dig deep to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Dutch side Feyenoord. DM

Categories:

Tags:

DM is much better if you are signed in...

Sport

Rest of the results