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The first two clubs have advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals.
PSG comfortably handled business on Tuesday, beating Real Sociedad 2-1 (4-1 on aggregate), while Bayern Munich erased a shaky first leg to win 3-0 in the second (3-1 on aggregate).
Below, we’ll break down the top winners and losers from a day that saw a pair of European giants move on.
Winner: Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane
The two best players in action on Tuesday were fantastic, both notching impressive braces.
Mbappé had Real Sociedad goalkeeper Álex Remiro on absolute skates during his two tallies, showing off his precision and guile:
Fabrizio Romano @FabrizioRomano
🔴🔵 Mbappé: “I always want to play and do my best in Champions League, I just try my best”.<br><br>”Luis Enrique? It’s all very good with him. Great relationship, no issues. People can think different about it but really, all very good”. <a href=”https://t.co/b8u8fciSZW”>pic.twitter.com/b8u8fciSZW</a>
Kane was more of a mop-up expert on his two goals, showcasing his high-class poaching capabilities as he seeks an end to his trophy drought:
Two superstars, two braces. The game’s brightest talents have a way of rising to the occasion on the UCL stage.
Loser: La Liga’s Dominant UCL Run
Spain’s top flight was the only league to advance four clubs into the knockout phase of the Champions League, while Serie A and the Bundesliga each had three.
But La Liga’s dominance through the group stages is in serious peril now. Real Sociedad are gone, while Barcelona is even on aggregate with Napoli (1-1) and Atlético Madrid has to dig itself out of a 1-0 hole against Inter Milan.
Only Real Madrid will head into the second leg with an advantage, up 1-0 against an RB Leipzig side that is no pushover. La Liga’s presence in the quarterfinals could be far more sparse than what it offered in the Round of 16.
Winner: PSG’s Quest to (Finally) Live Up to Expectations
In recent years, PSG has boasted one of the most expensive and talented rosters in club football, but it hasn’t translated to European glory. The Parisians shockingly failed to advance past the Round of 16 in the previous two UCL campaigns, were ousted in the semifinals in the 2020-21 season and came agonizingly close to finally earning a first Champions League title in 2019-20, finishing as runners-up.
Reaching the quarterfinals is hardly enough for PSG, but another failure to advance past the first round of the knockout phase would have been an utter calamity, especially in what is expected to be Mbappé’s final season at the club. If nothing else, Tuesday’s performance was promising, though stiffer challenges await.
Loser: The Title Path for Other Contenders
Bayern Munich and PSG remaining in the field undoubtedly makes the path to UCL glory tougher for the other top contenders likely to advance to the quarters, including Manchester City (3-1 lead in aggregate over Copenhagen) and Real Madrid.
Both clubs will be at home in the second leg on Wednesday.
It’s also a loss for fans who enjoy a good upset, though if your idea of a compelling UCL is seeing the biggest clubs in the world clash once the field is whittled down to eight and beyond, then Tuesday’s results are a major win.
It doesn’t get much bigger than Bayern and PSG, after all. Bring on the clash of titans.