Decisive week in the Champions League: Chelsea, Benfica, Bayern Munich and Milan qualify for the quarterfinals.
The first week of definitions that throws four teams from four different countries classified: Benfica for Portugal, Chelsea representing England, Bayer Munich for Germany and Milan for Italy.
Champions League: Benfica with authority and Chelsea by goal difference are the first to qualify for the quarterfinals.
Benfica thrashed Bruges 5 to 1 at home (they had also defeated it by 2 or 0 as a visitor) and established itself as the first major to qualify for the quarterfinals in the 2022-2023 Champions League.
For its part, Chelsea defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at home and qualified on goal difference (they had lost 1-1 as a visitor).
In both cases, the teams that defined the series as locals went on to the next round.
Chelsea 2-0 Borussia Dortmund (G. 2-1): Havertz and Sterling give Potter a new oxygen cylinder.
Chelsea and their coach have saved a new matchball . In a game that was either all or nothing for the aspirations of the Blues this season, Havertz and Sterling have come to the rescue.
First, the English player managed to pick up a ball after his own semi-miss and put it in the back of the net.
Later, Havertz breathed easier. After sending the first penalty to the post, the referee ordered it to be repeated due to invasion of the area.
The second, launched in a similar way to the previous one, if he managed to get it between the 3 sticks. Borussia Dortmund was very helpless, incapable of generating dangerous attacks and when they did colliding with a wall called Kepa.
Discarded practically everything and with Graham Potter swinging on a very fine thread, the Blue team beat Borussia Dortmund, advanced to the Quarterfinals (2-1 on aggregate) and dreams of a Champions League that not so long ago seemed impossible and that now it's a little closer.
It is the first time since December 27 that Chelsea have scored 2 goals in a game.
The Germans tried desperately, but without any kind of bellows and energy; just a couple of missed occasions by Bellingham was the baggage of Dortmund's final 30-minute rush, which disappears from Europe while an irregular Chelsea emerges but is already among the top 8 on the continent.
Benfica 5-1 Bruges (G. 7-1): Benfica walks to put their name in the quarterfinals.
Benfica has asserted its favorite poster in the tie . After a great game in the first leg in Belgium, the Portuguese team has not relaxed and has turned into a gale that Bruges has neither seen nor come.
A little hand at the Estadio de la Luz that leads Benfica to a new draw for the quarterfinals in a moment of incredible form.
Gonçalo Ramos on two occasions, Joao Mario, Rafa and Neres have been the scorers in a magical night for Benfica.
There were no equivalencies. Benfica beat Bruges 5-1 (7-1 overall) and qualified for the Champions League quarterfinals.
The Portuguese team showed that, despite not having the outlandish names that other greats on the continent have, they are willing to fight with their weapons and despite the departure of Enzo Fernández.
In this way, those directed by Roger Schmidt achieved the classification.
But not only that, but he made it clear that he has weapons with which he can fight and hope to go far. From performance and freshness, he will be one of the most difficult opponents in the quarterfinals.
Two of the eight finalists who go to the quarterfinals in the 2022/2023 edition of the Champions League were already defined.
On Tuesday, Benfica of Portugal and Chelsea of England had obtained their passport at this instance, leaving Bruges of Belgium and the Germans of Borussia Dortmund on the way.
Yesterday it was the turn of Milan from Italy, who drew goalless on their visit to Tottenham from England after beating them 1-0 in the first leg, and Bayern Munich, who, once again, postponed the dream of Paris Saint Germain of keep advancing towards that long-awaited final.
The summary of both meetings.
Bayern Munich advance to the quarterfinals without problems.
The game had a first half with a clear Bavarian dominance , which however did not translate into the score, and a much more even second half in which Arsenal did not tire of fighting until the end.
In the first half, Bayern took possession of the ball from the beginning of the game and made Arsenal spend most of the time defending themselves as if they were looking for a draw that was of no use to them.
Arsenal only came close after the first half hour of play , with some good individual play by Álex Oxlade-Chamblerlain and immediately afterwards with a header from Olivier Giroud after a corner kick.
Otherwise, the team that played was Bayern, which was getting closer and closer to the English area. As the game was, everything indicated that Bayern's goal was a matter of time and it came at the beginning of the second half, with a shot from Bastian Schweinsteiger inside the area from Franck Ribery's cross at minute 55.
However, Arsenal, who had shown signs of improving at the beginning of the second half, reacted immediately and equalized through Lukas Podolski in minute 57, after stealing the ball from Philipp Lahm on the edge of the area, with a charge which was on the verge of legality.
Podolski's goal gave Arsenal a new lease of life , which added more intensity to the game in search of the goals it needed to turn the tie around. However, despite the fact that Arsenal's will led to a much more balanced game than in the first half, Bayern was closer to the second.
Even, already in the discount, Thomas Mu00fcller had the possibility of increasing his penalty but failed against Lukasz Fabianski. However, Arsenal fought to the end to come back without success and said goodbye to the Champions League on their feet in what means another difficult year for their DT Arsene Wenger.
Milan neutralized Tottenham to stay with the classification.
Tottenham Hotspur experienced another disappointment, another of those sour nights that the 'Spurs' fans are used to and which this time turned into a dull and gray match that was far from coming back against Milan (0-0), which returns to the quarterfinals eleven years later and rubbing shoulders with the best in Europe.
It will be 16 years that Tottenham will go without winning a single trophy, with all the competitions lost in March and with the only incentive being to put their mouths on a fourth place in the Premier League that is already weak due to the stalking of Liverpool.
Even this sad and early elimination could put an end to Antonio Conte 's time in north London. A romance that has never come to fruition, since the Italian has not been able to display his stamp in the 'Spurs', very nourished in attack, but little in defense.
This Wednesday, with the cold and the rain worsening in the English capital, Tottenham believed that their fans and their artillery would be enough to overcome a Milan that brought a remarkable 1-0 in the first leg that played to lock themselves in all day. Game.
That was where the static deficiencies of a Tottenham that hoped that a light bulb would go on for Kane or that Heung-min Son , surely in his worst season in London, would have a spark of grace, were seen.
That was the wish of the players, while the fans understood that at least there would be a burst of pride, a constant siege, a fall of the Italians at sheer insistence. If the Milanese were going to be crouched throughout the match, scoring one and forcing extra time would be the minimum required for the Londoners.
They got a tremendous surprise when the best chances of the match went to the Italians, always comfortable in that role of martyrs. An error by Messias, in an unbeatable position, and a good save by Forster, just a few scissors away from the incombustible Giroud, came close to ending.
Elimination was not consummated until Clement Turpin whistled the end, but Tottenham, for more than 20 minutes, was a living dead on the pitch. Any hint of a comeback, with a shot from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg well saved by Maignan and a deflected header from Kane, was quickly cut down by Cristian Romero , who was sent off after a tough tackle on Theo Hernández.
The spirits of the 'Spurs' fell, to the point of depression, and they were only raised by a save from Maignan three minutes from time. The French goalkeeper repelled by pure instinct and reflex a header from Kane chopped. A stop that is worth a tie and that eliminates Tottenham in the round of 16 for the third time in their last four appearances in the Champions League.
Eleven years later, Milan returns to the quarterfinals of the Champions League, once again feeling like a great man and once again opting for a title that has eluded him since 2007.
Source images: UEFA Champions League. - Twitter Champions League.
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