Champions League Results 2017: Qualified Teams After Wednesday Round-of-16 Ties
Sergi Roberto scored a dramatic 95th-minute goal to complete a stunning comeback for Barcelona against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday, as the La Liga side won 6-1 on the night at the Camp Nou and 6-5 on aggregate.
Barcelona looked out of the competition after Edinson Cavani's goal made the score 3-1 in the match. With three minutes on the clock, the game was meandering toward a straightforward conclusion before Neymar struck a quickfire brace and Roberto stretched to steer home the Brazilian's pass in injury time.
Borussia Dortmund are also through to the quarter-finals as a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hat-trick helped them beat Benfica 4-0 on the night and 4-1 on aggregate.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
On Tuesday, Bayern Munich booked their place in the last eight in style, hammering Arsenal 5-1 at the Emirates Stadium to complete a 10-2 victory over two legs. Holders Real Madrid also progressed at the expense of Napoli. The remaining eight teams complete their ties Tuesday and Wednesday.
Here's a look back at the results from this week's Champions League showdowns and a reminder of some absorbing contests in Europe’s premier club competition.
| Tuesday, March 7 | Arsenal 1-5 Bayern Munich (2-10 on aggregate) |
| Tuesday, March 7 | Napoli 1-3 Real Madrid (2-6 on aggregate) |
| Wednesday, March 8 | Barcelona 6-1 PSG (6-5 on aggregate) |
| Wednesday, March 8 | Borussia Dortmund 4-0 Benfica (4-1 on aggregate) |
Wednesday Recap
Barcelona have won the Champions League five times in their history, as well as myriad other titles. But there arguably will not have ever been a more thrilling moment in the club's existence than after Roberto's goal.
After losing the first leg to PSG 4-0, it was incredible that Barcelona even found themselves with a chance of progressing as the clock ticked into stoppage time. But as they threw everyone forward, Neymar somehow found Roberto with a brilliant cross.
This graphic from OptaJohan summed up just how crazy the final stages of the game were at the Camp Nou:
This clip from Bleacher Report UK broke down how the incredible night panned out:
While the mettle of Barca is to be admired, for PSG it's another night of failure in the Champions League, as they crumbled under wave after wave of Blaugrana pressure.
Cavani's goal in the 61st minute looked to have spared their blushes after a horrendous performance. But as the momentum built in the final stages, the Ligue 1 champions were like a drained boxer leaning on the ropes, waiting to be hit with the knockout blow.
Jonathan Johnson of ESPN FC thinks that the French champions only have themselves to blame:
Dortmund also produced a comeback of their own to make their way into the last eight, although it wasn't quite as breathtaking as Barcelona's.
Aubameyang, having spurned so many chances in the first leg, found his shooting boots at the Westfalenstadion, netting a brilliant treble. U.S. national team member Christian Pulisic, still just 18, also found the back of the net for the Bundesliga side.
Tuesday Recap
For those Arsenal fans in attendance at the Emirates, it was another night to forget in the Champions League round of 16, as their club was obliterated by the German champions.
While the home side did take an early lead through Theo Walcott, a penalty for the visitors in the second half and a red card for Laurent Koscielny triggered a spectacular collapse. Robert Lewandowski's goal from the spot was the first of five in the space of 30 minutes for the visitors.
The scoreline meant an embarrassing 10-2 defeat over the course of the two legs for the Premier League side. The Bayern Twitter feed couldn't resist rubbing it in:
As bad as Arsenal were, manager Carlo Ancelotti evidently has the Bundesliga giants peaking at the perfect time as they go in search of European glory.
You sense they may have to better Real Madrid if they're going to do so, though, with the holders showing their class in this competition once again with a quality performance in Napoli. They too fell behind, although they kept composed to recover to a 3-1 win at a hostile San Paolo.
Centre-back Sergio Ramos was once again the hero for the Madrid giants, as he grabbed a brace. Per ESPN FC, so often he's on hand to pull his side out of the muck:
While Los Blancos have 11 European Cups/Champions League trophies to their name, no team has every retained the trophy in its current format. Given the quality they possess, the calmness of manager Zinedine Zidane and big-game performers like Ramos, Real will feel they have what it takes to make more history in a competition synonymous with the club.
