A match between Serie A’s leading scorers, Napoli, and the side with the second-highest total in La Liga, Real Madrid, was always likely to contain fireworks. Wednesday’s first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu didn’t disappoint.
Napoli tried to play their attacking game against the Champions League holders, but Real Madrid were simply a class above Napoli with Diego Maradona watching on.
Napoli have played adventurously at the Santiago Bernabeu, but Real Madrid have shown why they’re the defending champions of this competition by extending their lead to 3-1 thanks to a wonder goal from Casemiro.
The defensive midfielder smashed this effort in the 54th minute to give Real a commanding advantage in the Spanish capital.
It’s not often you see an attempt like this when a goalkeeper is off his line. Our first instinct was to blame Keylor Navas for Lorenzo Insigne’s eighth-minute opener for Napoli in their round of 16 match with Real Madrid, but this is a sensationally instinctive finish from Insigne.
Rather than attempt to chip the goalkeeper, Insigne sends a low, curling shot beyond a scrambling Navas and into the side-netting. Karim Benzema has since equalized for Real Madrid as we approach halftime.
As much as last night’s result in Paris could be interpreted as a changing of the guard, the five-time European champions Barcelona being entirely dominated by the upstart Paris Saint-Germain, a club whose best performance in the Champions League was a semifinal appearance in 1995, it says a lot about the inarguable staying power of Barca that many are already talking about the approach PSG should take at the Camp Nou.
Benfica beat Borussia Dortmund 1-0 at home in the first leg of their Champions League knockout tie Tuesday. Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should have had a hat trick. Instead, he was subbed off, goalless, in the 62nd minute for Andre Schurrle.
Benfica were not the better team in this match, but they made the most of their only shot on target, which is less than I can say for Dortmund.
You’d have to go all the way back to the 2006-07 season for the last time Barcelona failed to advance beyond the Champions League round of 16, but that streak is in extreme danger following a 4-0 thumping at the Parc des Princes.
Barcelona almost certainly needed to salvage an away goal before the March 8 return leg at the Camp Nou, but PSG simply outclassed Barcelona around the park on a night that will live long in the memories of PSG supporters.
Angel Di Maria has scored another sensational strike to put PSG up 3-0 over Barcelona in the 55th minute. Barca look completely shell shocked following a left-footed attempt from the Argentine that flew into the corner.
Can you feel the love, Paris?
Barcelona have chosen the absolute worst moment to put in one of their most carless performances of the season. They’ve given the ball away and been unable to play with a rampant PSG side that finds themselves up 2-0 at half. While Barca have been awful, PSG have been simply brilliant, dominating the Catalans in every aspect of the game. PSG have launched 11 shots in the first half, putting seven on target.
Paris Saint-Germain have taken an early lead over Barcelona in their Champions League round of 16 first leg at the Parc des Princes. PSG have been all over Barca in the early stages, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen did well to save from Blaise Matuidi in the 11th minute.
However, PSG found the opener after Julian Draxler was taken down on top of the box. Angel Di Maria stepped up and sent a curling effort near the right-hand corner. Luis Suarez completely neglected his responsibility in the wall and Der Stegen was beaten.
Barcelona and Alaves will face off in the 2017 Copa del Rey Final on May 27th at the Vicente Calderon Stadium in Madrid. Although the venue has already been selected, it’s incredible to think that a country that has been dominating European football in recent years can’t even set a location beforehand to play their domestic cup final.
This time around, the decision was made much quicker as Atletico Madrid had already offered to host the final months in advance, but the selection process in years past would sometimes take almost a month to determine a venue.