Champions League

The present and future of the Champions League combined to lead Bayern Munich over Lazio on Tuesday with Robert Lewandowski scoring his 72nd goal of the competition and 17-year-old Jamal Musiala scoring his first as Bayern prevailed 4-1 in Rome.

You can’t give the world champions anything if you want to last over the course of 180 minutes, but Lazio damned itself as early as the ninth minute after Mateo Musacchio’s suicidal back-pass allowed Lewandowski to collect possession, round Pepe Reina and finish into an empty net.

On Wednesday, Juventus began its knockout campaign in the Champions League against FC Porto, a 2-1 defeat. With some big names such as Paulo Dybala and Juan Cuadrado limited for the Bianconeri, it was a big stage for young American Weston McKennie to make his mark in the competition. 

There was a thought — an expectation even — that Cristiano Ronaldo would return to Portugal and put on a show in his home country. Juventus, the only Italian champion in the last 10 years, would be expected to take care of business against a club from outside of Europe’s top five leagues. After all, the last time Ronaldo played Porto, he scored a goal that won him a Puskás Award.

But Porto does not care for your expectations. Porto has its own plans in the Champions League. 

With 18 goals in his first 13 Champions League appearances, Erling Haaland is on pace to overtake Cristiano Ronaldo’s all-time scoring record sometime next month. The 20-year-old Norwegian scored two and assisted one — all in the first half — of Borussia Dortmund’s electric 3-2 victory over Sevilla in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie on Wednesday.  

If this is the end of the Lionel Messi era at Barcelona, it’s a fitting one. It’s not what the six-time Ballon d’Or winner deserves, but at least it’s definitive. There’ll be no backwards glances, no what-ifs, just the resounding truth that a beautiful cycle has clearly reached its end: After losing 8-2 to Bayern Munich last season, Barça is on pace to match that level of embarrassment after getting rinsed 4-1 by PSG at the Camp Nou on Tuesday. 

Liverpool secured a vital 2-0 away victory in Budapest against RB Leipzig on Tuesday in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 clash. The Reds’ goals came courtesy of two absolutely horrendous Leipzig errors that could spell the end of the Bundesliga side’s time in the Champions League.

The two bizarre mistakes fit the theme of an unusual night. Due to fears of the UK Covid-19 strain Leipzig was forced to play its “home” leg in a country in which the club has never played. 

I can’t think of a more terrifying proposition in football than lining up as a right back against Kylian Mbappé. Sergiño Dest found out just how quickly things can turn as the young American was subbed out after Barcelona conceded three straight goals in a 4-1 defeat to PSG on Tuesday.

Seven-time champion and holder Olympique Lyonnais will play Brøndby in the last 16 of the Women's Champions League, while Chelsea will face Atlético Madrid following Tuesday's draw.

Manchester City will meet Fiorentina, Barcelona entertains Fortuna Hjorring and Paris Saint-Germain has been drawn against Sparta Prague.

Last season's finalist Wolfsburg faces Norwegian side LSK Kvinner, while Bayern Munich faces Kazakhstan's BIIK Kazygurt.

The two-legged last-16 ties will be played on March 3-4 and 10-11.