Champions League: Surprises and results from Tuesday in the first leg of the Round of 16

The ball started rolling in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 on Tuesday, September 4, with the first-leg matches of the second knockout round of the tournament. An opening stage that began with a bang featuring four high-stakes matches, where a couple of teams set their ties on the right track, while the other four will fight for their place in the quarter-finals next week in the return matches.

🏆 Results from Tuesday in the first leg of the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League 2024/25:

• ⚽ Bruges 1-3 Aston Villa
• ⚽ Borussia Dortmund 1-1 Lille
• ⚽ PSV Eindhoven 1-7 Arsenal
• ⚽ Real Madrid 2-1 Atlético de Madrid

Goals were the main highlight of the day, as a total of 17 goals were celebrated on the first day of the Round of 16, leaving an average of 4.25 goals per match. Of course, Arsenal's influence was crucial in this statistic, as practically half of the goals scored this Tuesday occurred in their match against PSV Eindhoven. Below, we review each of the matches:

Bruges 1-3 Aston Villa 

The Aston Villa put one foot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League after achieving a valuable victory in their visit to Bruges. The team led by Unai Emery knew how to endure to win, as despite Leon Bailey putting them ahead on the scoreboard in the 2nd minute of the match, Maxim de Cuyper equalized the score in the 11th minute.

However, an own goal by Mechele in the 81st minute and another goal from Marco Asensio from the penalty spot in the 87th minute set the tie on the right path for the Villains, who will return to Villa Park next Wednesday and, if they secure their place in the next round, will face the winner of the clash between PSG and Liverpool.

Borussia Dortmund 1-1 Lille

The Lille pulled off a major upset of the day by rescuing a highly important draw in their visit to Signal Iduna Park. Dortmund took the lead in the 22nd minute with a stunning goal from Karim Adeyemi, but they failed to manage the advantage in the second half of the match, and Hákon Arnar Haraldsson equalized in the 68th minute.

The draw feels like a missed opportunity for Niko Kovac's side, who will have to fight for qualification to the quarter-finals at the Pierre-Mauroy. A very challenging stadium where Real Madrid, for example, suffered defeat in the league phase of the competition. The outlook is discouraging for the Germans, who will face a Lille team eager to crown themselves as the 'dark horse' of the tournament.

PSV Eindhoven 1-7 Arsenal

With the return match yet to be played, it can be said that Arsenal is the first team qualified for the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The 'Gunners' delivered an unforgettable thrashing to PSV at the Philips Stadion, led by a monumental Martin Odegaard who celebrated a brace and provided an assist to leave the tie more than settled.

The team coached by Mikel Arteta became the first team in the history of the competition to score 7 goals away from home in a first-leg match of the Round of 16. In the first 45 minutes, the Londoners were already leading 1-5 on the scoreboard, with goals from Odegaard, Mikel Merino, Timber, Nwaneri, and Trossard, while Noa Lang scored a consolation goal for the Dutch side just before halftime.

However, the visitors increased their lead even further in the second half with another goal from the Norwegian and one from Riccardo Calafiori, thus leaving everything resolved for the match next Wednesday at the Emirates Stadium, where the team led by Peter Bosz will need a miracle and more to stay alive in the competition.

Real Madrid 2-1 Atlético de Madrid

A very poor Real Madrid took an important step towards the quarter-finals of the Champions League 2024-2025. The Merengues returned to the Santiago Bernabéu to face Atlético de Madrid in the first leg of the Round of 16 of the competition and, despite showing a very poor level on the field, managed to win thanks to two isolated 'sparks' from Rodrygo  and Brahim Díaz. However, the goal from Julián Álvarez leaves the tie more open than ever, and everything will be decided at the Metropolitano.

The team led by Carlo Ancelotti  once again demonstrated their complete dependence on individual brilliance to achieve results, as collectively they are very, very short. The Merengues again displayed a sluggish and dull game, and relying on the solidity of their defense and the lack of sharpness from their opponent, they managed to strike first in the clash against the Colchoneros and will face the return match with an advantage on the overall scoreboard, although the Rojiblancos are still alive.

This is how the return matches of the Round of 16 of the Champions will be played

🏆 Wednesday, March 12

• ⚽ Lille (1) vs (1) Borussia Dortmund (18:45)
• ⚽ Aston Villa (3) vs (1) Bruges (21:00)
• ⚽ Arsenal (7) vs (1) PSV Eindhoven (21:00)
• ⚽ Atlético de Madrid (1) vs (2) Real Madrid (21:00)