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Champions League: Messi, Tevez lift Barcelona, Juventus to quarterfinals
Barcelona and Juventus became the final entrants in the Champions League quarterfinals, completing wins over Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund, respectively, on Wednesday. Barça won 3-1 on aggregate, and Juventus won 5-1 total after both victors held 2-1 advantages heading into their second legs.
Ivan Rakitić finished off Barça’s only goal on the day near the half-hour mark. Barcelona stymied City’s attacks in the second, with goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen saving a Sergio Aguero penalty, and nearly added several more goals were it not for Joe Hart’s heroics on the other end.
Carlos Tévez scored in the third and 79th minutes for Juventus, bookending an Álvaro Morata goal for which he supplied the assist in a 3-0 victory.
The Champions League quarterfinal draw takes place Friday at UEFA headquarters in Switzerland. Here are a few thoughts on the final matches of this edition’s round of 16:
Player of the Day: Carlos Tévez, Juventus
With Dortmund’s struggles in Bundesliga play, Borussia saved its best performances for the Champions League this season. A seemingly reversible 2-1 loss in the first leg set up encouragingly for the return match at the Westfalenstadion.
Atlético Madrid |
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Barcelona |
Bayern Munich |
Juventus |
Monaco |
Paris Saint-Germain |
Porto |
Real Madrid |
The fans comprising the stadium’s famous Yellow Wall turned the stadium into its usual ball of inhospitable energy for away teams. They unveiled a massive tifo depicting three of the club’s heroes from the 1997 Champions League final, in which Dortmund defeated Juve, 3-1, in Munich.
Then, moments after kickoff, Tévez silenced them.
He lined up a 25-yard blast into the top left-hand corner of the goal in the third minute. Almost instantaneously, Juve had an away goal of its own and a 3-1 aggregate lead in the tie.
He also assisted on the second goal, a simple tap-in for Álvaro Morata in the 70th minute, and scored Juve’s third just before departing the field with 10 minutes remaining.
After the opening goal and an injury to Paul Pogba, Juventus settled into a five-back system and controlled the rest of the match. What should have been a contentious fight for a place in the last eight turned into a comfortable romp for the Italian champion — and it all started with that early goal in the most hostile of environments.
Tévez has enjoyed a resurgence of form since joining Juve in 2013, becoming the club’s top scorer last season and holding the rank again so far this year despite being left out of Argentina’s squad for the 2014 World Cup.
Moment of the Day: Lionel Messi embarrasses City defenders on the dribble
Cristiano Ronaldo may have won the Ballon d’Or, but Lionel Messi continues to cement his argument for greatest player of all-time.
Positioning, possession, pressure define Barcelona's famous philosophy
Nobody could match his level of individual play again on Wednesday, as he dribbled his way through City’s defense and placed incisive passes on a razor’s edge for his teammates.
His individual skills shined through against City defenders too eager to dive into tackles, as he slalomed by them before finding a Barcelona player in open space. Few can create for others as Messi can, drawing multiple opponents with a single move before picking his head up to switch play to the opposite side.
His crowning moment came just before halftime, as he nutmegged City midfielder James Milner on the right flank. Television cameras panned to former Barça manager and current Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola in the stands, who smiled and put his head in his hands in reaction.
The moment personified Messi’s godlike status in modern football, as he left fans—and colleagues—marveling after another stunning show of skill.
On the only goal of the game in the 31st minute, Messi dribbled down the right flank again and looped a pass toward Rakitić on the vacant left side. The Croatian dinked a shot over an onrushing Hart and into the goal.
Messi’s best chance to score one for himself came in the second half, as he ran unmarked down the right on a Barcelona counterattack. Hart remained patient and gave Messi no space in the ensuing one-on-one situation before saving a shot from close range.
Major Takeaway of the Day: English clubs continue faltering in Champions League
As recently as 2011, three English clubs made the last eight of the Champions League, and all four tournament participants were there in 2009. Since then, the league’s participation in the competition has fallen dramatically.
City’s elimination on Wednesday sealed England’s lack of quarterfinalists in 2015. After its recent dominant era, the Premier League failed to get into the last eight of Europe's premier competition for the second time in three seasons.
Champions League: Thiago Silva's redemption lifts PSG; Bayern rolls
Only Chelsea seemed to be a legitimate contender to make a run at the title this year, as the level of play continues to fall across the league. Even astute tacticians in England are left to scramble for solutions despite generally high budgets and immense resources with regard to both the transfer market and everyday infrastructure.
Besides an emphasis on gritty, physical play over the nuance expected in European competition, the English calendar does its teams no favors.
Packed schedules around the new year, when other leagues take at least short winter breaks, exhaust players and leave them at a disadvantage.
It’s unlikely the league’s popularity and investment in the game can be blamed for such shortcomings. Top players and managers continue to look for opportunities in England and the Premier League, but the structure of the competition and older training methods of the homegrown players feel outdated when compared to continental Europe.
Not only do teams fail to make deep runs in Europe, but they also rely on vast amounts of foreign talent because of a lack of focus on player development in favor of spending copious amounts of money. It’s time for England to look abroad for models on how to improve its individual clubs and return to the heights it experienced as recently as half a decade ago.
Assessing Juventus, Barcelona as deep-run candidates
Today’s final round of 16 matches produced two serious contenders for the title, as long as they stay in form. Juventus has been the best team in Italy by a large margin this season, while Barcelona seems to be peaking at just the right time to possibly win the treble.
Champions League: Atletico Madrid survives, Arsenal ousted by Monaco
Juventus also defeated Dortmund by three on the road without Andrea Pirlo, the Italians’ talismanic regista who went down with a calf injury in the first leg. His absence couldn’t damper Juve’s midfield dominance, buoyed by a compact back line, despite also losing Pogba midway through the first half.
Meanwhile, Barcelona has only failed to win two matches in the 2015 calendar year, racking up 17 victories in all competitions besides those surprising 1-0 losses to Real Sociedad and Málaga in league play.
After talk of manager Luis Enrique’s perceived incompetence earlier this season, Barça has settled into a groove marked by its usually silky team play.
GALLERY: Tifos around the world
Best soccer tifos from around the world
Galatasaray fans display a sensational "Rocky" tifo ahead of their clash against rival Fenerbahce. It didn't inspire a victory, though. The Turkish rivals played to a 0-0 draw.
Borussia Dortmund fans channel their 1963 cup triumph over Benfica ahead of the teams' second leg in the Champions League round of 16 at Signal Iduna Park.
Hapoel Be'er Sheva fans turn to Moses for tifo inspiration, with his splitting the Red Sea illustrating how "impossible is nothing" in their Europa League series against Besiktas.
Fans of Tunisia's Club Africain display this pointed tifo at a friendly against PSG, whose Qatari owners have pumped millions and millions into the club.
U.S. fans in Columbus, Ohio, make a "One Nation, One Team" statement ahead of the USMNT's World Cup qualifying match against Mexico on November 11, 2016.
Germany fans display their heart for the team colors ahead of a World Cup qualifier against Czech Republic in October 2016.
Italy fans spell out their support for the Azzurri ahead of a massive World Cup qualifier vs. Spain in October 2018.
Iceland fans keep up their world-famous passion for the national team during a World Cup qualifier against Turkey in October 2016.
Fans in the United Arab Emirates set their sights on reaching the 2018 World Cup in Russia during a qualifying match vs. Australia in September 2016.
Colombia fans send a massive jersey around the stadium during a World Cup qualifier vs. Venezuela in September 2016.
Seattle Sounders fans turn to Game Of Thrones for inspiration in a game against the Cascadia rival Vancouver Whitecaps in September 2016.
Djurgardens fans go all out in Sweden for a match against AIK in September 2016.
Zulte Waregem fans prepare Kortrijk for the absolute worst in this Belgian top-flight match in September 2016.
Seattle Sounders fans turn their pop culture reference to Poltergeist in March 2016 ahead of the season home opener against Sporting Kansas City.
The Timbers Army doubles down on their Eastbound and Down theme, adding another wrinkle during the club's MLS Western Conference final first leg vs. FC Dallas on November 22, 2015 at Providence Park.
Fans make a French flag tifo at Wembley Stadium during the singing of Le Marseillaise ahead of England's friendly vs. France, which took place days after the terrorist attacks in Paris.
The Timbers Army referenced Eastbound & Down's Kenny Powers with their "Cup Bound and Down" tifo for the Portland Timbers' MLS playoff elimination game against Sporting Kansas City on October 29, 2015.
Brondby IF fans display a gladiator holding up a lion's head during the team's Danish Alka Superliga match against FC Copenhagen, whose logo is a lion's head, on September 27, 2015.
New England Revolution fans equate Jermaine Jones to Indiana Jones on their quest to capture the 2015 MLS Cup on September 26, 2015.
New England Revolution fans display a Lion King theme in honor of Orlando City FC's first visit to Gillette Stadium on September 5, 2015.
Red Bulls fans take a shot at NYCFC's two summer arrivals, 37-year-old Frank Lampard and 36-year-old Andrea Pirlo, ahead of their third MLS meeting of 2015.
Germany fans in Cologne salute their World Cup champions ahead of a friendly against the United States in June, 2015.
Real Madrid fans went all out prior to the second leg of the 2014-15 Champions League semifinal vs. Juventus.
Lazio fans display a stunning eagle tifo ahead of the Rome derby against AS Roma in their penultimate Serie A match of the 2014-15 season.
Barcelona fans bid farewell to veteran midfielder Xavi with this banner at his last league game at Camp Nou before he departs for Qatari club Al Sadd.
Fans at Anfield pay tribute to Steven Gerrard in his final home match as a Liverpool player in May 2015.
Juventus fans state their case to beat Real Madrid in the 2014-15 Champions League semifinals and reach the final in Berlin.
Fans at Benfica's Estadio da Luz remind rival Porto who the Primeira Liga reigning champion is during an April 2015 match in Portugal.
New York Red Bulls fans send a pointed message to their NYCFC counterparts prior to the teams' first MLS meeting in May, 2015.
Inter Milan's Curva Nord announces its presence ahead of the April 2015 Derby della Madonnina–the annual clashes between city rivals Inter and AC Milan.
Bayern Munich fans implore their club to (translated) "Never give up" in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg vs. Porto. Bayern then turned a 3-1 first-leg deficit into a 7-4 aggregate win and a place in the semifinals.
Dortmund fans commemorate their 1997 Champions League trophy in the club's clash vs. Juventus–the opponent on the wrong side of that title bout.
Portland Timbers fans speak out against homophobia with this tifo in a 2013 match against Chivas USA
Atletico's supporters display a banner reading "Atleti crushes" before the Spanish league match between Atletico Madrid and FC Barcelona at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid,
Borussia Dortmund fans put on a remarkable display ahead of a UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second leg match.
Brondby IF fans unveil a tifo ahead of a match in Denmark against Randers FC.
FC Barcelona fans display a huge banner in memory of former head coach Tito Vilanova.
Galatasaray fans support their team during the UEFA Champions League Group D match between Borussia Dortmund and Galatasaray at the Turk Telekom Arena in Istanbul.
The American Outlaws unveil a huge tifo ahead of a 2014 World Cup send-off match between the USA and Turkey at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.
Marseille's supporters use paper sheets to create an "OM" (Olympique de Marseille) tifo at the beginning of the French L1 football match between Marseille and Genoble.
Seattle Sounders fans display their tifo that shows coach Sigi Schmid playing cards and holding a Royal Flush before a match against the Portland Timbers.
Panathinaikos Athens fans display a banner during the UEFA Europa League match against Dynamo Moscow.
Fans of the Saudi Al-Hilal team celebrate after the scoring of a goal against Uzbekistan's Bunyodkor.
Seattle Sounders fans unveil a tifo inspired from the “Build a Bonfire” chant, featuring Sounder players holding torches on horseback ahead of a game against the Portland Timbers.
Fans of Hertha BSC before the Bundesliga match between Hertha BSC and Werder Bremen in Berlin.
Sporting Kansas City fans channel their inner Mario ahead of the 2013 MLS Cup final vs. Real Salt Lake.
Brondby IF fans.
Thousands of Barcelona fans hold up cards to spell out "Barca! Orgull," which translates to "Barcelona pride" ahead of a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich at Camp Nou.
Fans raise a tifo celebrating “Community, Club and Country” ahead of a CONCACAF Gold Cup match between the USA and Belize in Portland, Oregon.
Vitesse fans unfurl a massive Eagle banner at the Dutch Eredivisie match against Ajax at the GelreDome.
Valencia fans drape a banner featuring a king for a Copa del Rey ("The King's Cup) match against Atletico Madrid.
Juventus fans make a statement in Turin in a match vs. Inter Milan.
Dortmund fans put on another strong display at a Bundesliga match against Mainz 05.
German fans boast the newest star earned by the national team, symbolizing its 2014 World Cup triumph, at a Euro 2016 qualifying match in Dortmund.
Real Madrid fans make a point to display the club's 10 European championships ahead of the October 2014 clash against rival Barcelona at the Bernabeu.
San Jose Earthquakes fans unleash a massive tifo to mark the opening of Avaya Stadium, MLS's newest soccer-specific venue, in March 2015.
Barcelona fans show all who the real 12th man is ahead of the March 2015 Clásico vs. Real Madrid.
Ahead of a clash with Mexican foe Monterrey, Tigres players are treated by this message by its fervent supporters.
Standard Liege fans have a pointed message for Steven Defour, who departed the club for Belgian rival Anderlecht.
Orlando City fans mark their club's inaugural MLS game vs. fellow expansion side New York City FC with a statement that the Lions' "reign begins now."
Real Madrid fans salute Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo after he captured the most prestigious individual prize in world soccer again.
Vitesse fans pay homage to Operation Market Garden ahead of an Eredivisie match against SC Heerenveen.
Sevilla's fans deploy a giant banner in the stands before the UEFA Europa league final match between Benfica and Sevilla.
Fans in Liverpool’s Kop End at Anfield commemorate those lost in the Hillsborough disaster.
Lyon fans during a game against Saint Etienne.
Liviu Bird is a soccer analyst with more than 20 years of experience in the game. He learned how to play in the streets of Romania before moving to the soccer wilderness of Fairbanks, Alaska, escaping to play collegiately as a goalkeeper at Highline Community College and Seattle Pacific University, where he also earned his B.A. in journalism. Bird played semiprofessionally and had tryouts at professional clubs but hung up his gloves in 2012 to focus on writing and coaching at the youth and collegiate levels. He joined Sports Illustrated in March 2013 as a freelance contributor and has also written for NBC Sports, Soccer Wire, The New York Times, American Soccer Now and the Telegraph (UK).