The Round of 16 First Leg matches in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League concluded on February 20th and 21st respectively, and some of the results have thrown up what is poised to be a spicy second leg. The outcomes have brought us closer to identifying the teams advancing to the Quarter Finals, and we might even see one or two upset in the process as well.
The second leg fixtures are scheduled for the 5th & 6th of March, and the 12th & 13th of March respectively. Some of the ties went as expected, with PSG beating Real Sociedad 2-0, and Manchester City continuing their Champions League defence by securing a 3-1 away victory over Copenhagen; both giants of the game should qualify without difficulty. In this blog post, FootySamba will cover a few of the more tightly contested fixtures that could go either way.
Here are the closest second-leg match-ups that should prove excellent viewing.
Atletico Madrid (0) vs. Inter Milan (1)
Perhaps the most evenly matched pairing in the Last 16, Atletico vs. Inter Milan looks set to be a spicy affair. Inter won their home leg 1-0, with a Marko Arnautovic wonder goal, but there is still all to play for heading into the second leg in Madrid on March 13th. The Spanish side will fancy their chances of victory at the Metropolitano Stadium, especially as away goals are now no longer a factor.
Arsenal (0) vs. FC Porto (1)
Perhaps the most surprising result to come out of the Last 16 first-leg ties was Porto securing a shock 1-0 smash and grab over high-flying Arsenal at the Estádio do Dragão. Brazilian forward Galeno scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner to secure victory for the Portuguese side. Whilst bookies at cheekypunter.com are offering short odds for an Arsenal victory in the second leg, stranger things have happened, and Porto will seek to protect their 1-0 win by frustrating the Gunners once again.
Barcelona (1) vs. Napoli (1)
This heavyweight clash ended in a 1-1 stalemate in Naples, where inconsistent Spaniards Barcelona took the lead via a Robert Lewandowski strike on the hour mark, with the Italian hosts restoring parity on 75 mins when wantaway striker Victor Osimhen equalised. The second leg could not be closer heading to Catalonia, where the hosts will hope to make the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since the 2019/20 season.
Borussia Dortmund (1) vs. PSV Eindhoven (1)
Perennial Bundesliga bridesmaids Borussia Dortmund fought a fiercely contested affair against runaway Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven at the Dutch side’s Philips Stadion. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with goals from Dortmund’s Donyell Malen on 24 minutes, and PSV’s Luuk De Jong on 56 minutes.
The return leg will see the German side, who won the competition in 1997, enjoy home advantage, and this should be one of the most tightly-contested match-ups between the two former winners of the tournament.
The second legs will take place in March, promising more excitement and anticipation as teams vie for a spot in the Quarter Finals. These are some of the key matches that we are excited to see the outcome of in the second leg, and we hope that this season’s Champions League will throw up a few more twists yet.
