Champions League Second Legs: Zenit out, Chelsea out

Zenit lost at home by 1-2 to Benfica (Portugal) while Chelsea lost at home in London to Paris Saint-Germain by the same result. PSG and Benfica join Wolfsburg and Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.

Played Wednesday

Zenit 1 SL Benfica 2 (First Leg 0-1) Agg. 1-3

Hulk 69     Gaitán 85, Talisca 90+6

When Hulk scored the goal, the tie was equalized but Benfica came back with two late goals, one right at the end of the game and the tie goes to Lisbon. An excellent performance by Benfica's goalkeeper, Ederson, denied Zenit, with six saves.

Chelsea 1                 PSG 2 (First Leg 1-2) Agg. 2-4

Diego Costa 27        Rabiot 16, Ibrahimovic, 67

Chelsea had more chances, 17 against 8, 9 on target against PSG's 5 but the visitors had a greater ball possession, controlling the game from 58% to 42%. However, Chelsea had 5 shots blocked against PSG's 3. Some dangerous play from Chelsea but the French champions were more efficient.

Played Tuesday

Wolfsburg 1 Gent 0 (First Leg 3-2) Agg. 4-2

Schürrle, 74

André Schürrle scored the only goal of the night on 74 minutes, in a game which saw almost equal ball possession (49 to 51 per cent) but with the German side having 17 shots against the visitors' 7 (5 on target, against two). Wolfsburg also had six corners to Gent's one, and Gent goalkeeper was busier, Sels making six saves against Casteels' one.

Real Madrid 2 Roma 0 (First Leg 2-0) Agg. 4-0

Cristiano Ronaldo 64

James Rodriguez 68

Cristiano Ronaldo has now scored ninety goals in the Champions League, the most any player has ever scored in the competition. The first came from a Ronaldo near-post volley after Modric found Lukas Vázquez, who performed several step-overs before serving Ronaldo. Four minutes later, it was Ronaldo who dribbled the ball to the box and made the assist to Colombian striker James Rodriguez, who put the ball under the falling keeper, Szczęsny.

Champions League First Legs

D. Kiev (Ukraine) 1 Manchester City (England) 3

Buyalskiy 59            Agüero 15, Silva 40, Touré 90

By the time Dinamo pulled one back, Manchester City had cruised to a 2-0 lead in what was a balanced game slightly favoring Dimano (53 to 47% ball possession in favor of the home team, 13 shots to 12, 6 corners to 3). However City was far more clinical and experienced as a group and Yaya Touré put the game out of reach with his 90th-minute left-foot curling shot.

  

PSV (Netherlands) 0 Atlético Madrid (Spain) 0

 

A balanced game in which Atlético had the edge, 51% of ball possession to 49% and ten corners to one. Atlético had 12 shots, 4 on target, 4 off and 4 saved; PSV had five, one on, two off and two saved. Cocu has it all to do away in Madrid if the Dutch side is going through to the next round.

 

Arsenal (England) 0 Barcelona (Spain) 2

                                 Messi 2

Lionel Messi had never beaten Petr Cech. Before tonight. Arsenal had their chances but at the end of the day it was a question of who put the ball away and this was again Messi, with a brace. Barcelona had a ball possession of 65 per cent to 35 and 16 shots to 7. Messi scored after 71' and 83' (Penalty)

 

Juventus (Italy) 2 Bayern München (Germany) 2

                             Müller 43 Robben 55

Dybala 63

Sturaro 76

Bayern had the match sewn up at 2-0 ahead but allowed Juventus to fight back for the home draw. The home side had 12 shots, seven on target; Bayern had 14 but 5 on. Juve had two shots blocked against Bayern's one but Bayern enjoyed superior ball possession (64 to 36%).

 

Wednesday 17

 

Gent (Belgium) 2 Wolfsburg (Germany) 3

Kums 80               Draxler 44, 54  Kruse 60

Coulibaly 89

 

The visitors had put the game out of reach by the time Gent got on the scoreboard, and in the end it was too little, too late.

 

Roma (Italy) 0 Real Madrid (Spain) 2

                         Ronaldo 57, Jesé 86

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the first goal on 57 minutes, Jes'e adding to Roma's misery in the final touches of the game, meaning that Roma has to win 3-0 in Madrid without reply to stay in the competition. Real controlled the game with a 61 to 39% possession ratio and had more shots - 19 to 11.

 

 

Matches Tuesday 16

 

SL Benfica 1 Zenit St. Petersburg 0

Jonas 90+1

 

Sport Lisboa e Benfica won by the narrowest of margins, 1-0, a header scored by Jonas on 90 + 1 minutes after Domenico Criscito got sent off (Zenit) and Jonas scored from the free kick. Zenit had started the match well but was held by Benfica, which did not allow the visitors many chances. The game stats speak for themselves: Benfica enjoyed a ball possession of 69 to 31%, had 15 shots, 5 on target against Zenit's 5/2. Benfica saw 4 shots blocked to Zenit's 1 and had five corners to 3.

 

Zenit however almost held out for the goalless draw but it wasn't to be. Benfica takes the most slender of leads to Saint Petersburg.

 

Paris Saint-Germain 2 Chelsea FC 1

Ibrahimovic 39            Mikel 45+1

Cavani 78

 

PSG put the pressure on Chelsea and no doubt Courtois was far busier than Trapp in goal. With a ball possession of 61 per cent (to 39), PSG rained in no less than 20 shots (8 on) against Chelsea's 9 (4) and the home side had 9 corners to 3. However, like Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain travels across the English Channel with a one-goal lead.

 

Champions League Matches (Last 16, first legs)

Tuesday 16

Benfica (Portugal) 1 Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia) 0

Paris Saint-Germain (France) 2 Chelsea FC (England) 1

  

Wednesday 17

Gent (Belgium) 2 Wolfsburg (Germany) 3

Roma (Italy) 0 Real Madrid (Spain) 2

  

Tuesday 23

Arsenal (England) 0 Barcelona (Spain) 2

Juventus (Italy) 2 Bayern München (Germany) 2

  

Wednesday 24

D. Kiev (Ukraine) Manchester City (England)

PSV (Netherlands) Atlético Madrid (Spain)

  

Second Legs: March 15, 16