Champions League

PARIS - Paris Saint-Germain looked shaky as they completed a 5-2 aggregate victory against Barcelona to reach the Champions League quarterfinals, but keeper Keylor Navas kept them afloat when their demons resurfaced.

On the stroke of halftime on Wednesday, Barça had a penalty that could have put them 2-1 up and two goals away from forcing extra time after a 4-1 defeat in the first leg at the Camp Nou. A repeat of the 2017 "remontada”, when Barça beat PSG 6-1 to overturn a 4-0 first leg defeat in the last 16, seemed more than just a pipe dream.

Despite controlling 73 percent possession and attempting 21 shots compared to just seven for PSG, Barcelona could only manage one goal at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday — which was canceled out by a controversial Kylian Mbappé penalty in a 1-1 draw — to crash out of the Champions League at the Round of 16 stage, 5-2 on aggregate. 

One day after the 10-year anniversary of Robin van Persie’s most ignominious moment as a footballer, Porto’s Mehdi Taremi was a victim of the exact same call. Once again, keeper Wojciech Szczesny witnessed the unthinkable in a game he started, and once again his team lost a game it looked certain to win. Only this time he could blame an American, not a shocking officiating decision.

Picture this: The 81,365 capacity Westfalenstadion is rocking after Erling Haaland has given Borussia Dortmund a 4-2 aggregate lead over Sevilla in their Champions League Round of 16 second leg. In the 54th minute, Haaland tears the roof off the place after bodying Fernando to the floor, recollecting possession and clipping a right-footed effort over Bono from an obtuse angle.

It’s an awe-inspiring goal, combining strength, technique and a borderline unhealthy obsession with sticking the ball in the back of the net.

MANCHESTER, England - Agreement on a new-look Champions League structure is close to being completed and should be sealed in the next two weeks, Andrea Agnelli, president of Juventus and chairman of the European Club Association (ECA), said on Monday.

Agnelli told reporters after an ECA General Assembly that clubs could sign "individual commitments" to UEFA's competitions to finally end speculation about a breakaway Super League. He also floated the idea of barring big money transfer deals between clubs competing in the Champions League to cut costs.

DORTMUND, Germany - Borussia Dortmund's Giovanni Reyna and Raphaël Guerreiro are doubtful for their Champions League Round of 16 second leg at home to Sevilla on Tuesday but leading striker Erling Haaland will be fit, coach Edin Terzić said on Monday.

Manchester City reached the preposterous milestone of 19 straight wins across all competitions following Wednesday’s 2-0 Champions League Round of 16 “away” victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach. Goals either half from Bernardo Silva and Gabriel Jesus turned it into a training exercise at Puskás Aréna in Budapest as Gladbach only landed one shot on target. 

Real Madrid will head home with a 1-0 win over Atalanta on Wednesday at Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, but the Italian side will be left wondering “what if.”

Atalanta was bossing the 13-time Champions League winners for the opening 15 minutes before a soft red card irreversibly altered the match. Fullback Ferland Mendy both drew the red card and scored the late winner as Zinedine Zidane’s side escaped with a win in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16. 

He’s a big beefcake who peaked late, so Olivier Giroud was never going to be given the credit he deserves. But the World Cup winner has scored and created enough golazos that what he did on Tuesday was not at all surprising.