UEFA Champions League Playoff First Leg: Two Serie A Teams Defeated, Dramatic Ligue 1 Clash, Real Madrid’s Revenge

In the early hours of February 18th, also the second day of Lunar New Year, four UEFA Champions League playoff first-leg matches were played. Serie A was the most underwhelming league, the Ligue 1 derby saw PSG choose the flashiest style, and Real Madrid secured revenge by defeating Benfica.

Galatasaray 5-2 JuventusIn this game, Kupmeinas’ two goals weren’t enough to save the team, and Cabral received a red card! Juventus suffered a crushing defeat, revealing the lack of competitiveness of Serie A teams in the Champions League. Serie A players, especially those from Juventus, are often accustomed to lenient refereeing without yellow cards in domestic matches, but in European competitions, referees do not show such tolerance. Two yellows leading to a red card and playing with one less man made Juventus look out of place in the Champions League. This is one key reason behind Serie A’s decline.

Monaco 2-3 Paris Saint-GermainIn the Ligue 1 derby, PSG opted for the most attention-grabbing style of play, coming from behind to win 3-2. Due replaced as a substitute scored twice and assisted three goals, Vitinha missed a penalty, Achraf scored, and Dembélé was forced off due to injury! Monaco had a player sent off, reducing them to ten men. The home team was denied a penalty, which seemed unfair. Although PSG’s strength allowed them to beat their opponents, relying on refereeing decisions made the victory feel somewhat undeserved.

Benfica 0-1 Real MadridIn this match, Vinícius scored the decisive goal and was subject to discrimination that caused the game to be paused, while Mourinho received a red card against his former club! Benfica’s players and fans appeared unable to accept defeat. Real Madrid successfully avenged their prior loss and secured a valuable away win to take the advantage in qualification. Vinícius is indeed capable of performing in big games, but he can also provoke trouble; his celebration carried a somewhat provocative tone. The young star needs to mature and develop emotional control to become a true football superstar.

Borussia Dortmund 2-0 AtalantaIn this game, Giraci contributed both a goal and an assist, Bayer scored, and Laursen provided an assist! Atalanta, considered one of the Serie A teams that can compete in Europe, still struggles in the Champions League. Borussia Dortmund, the “Yellow Submarine,” have plenty of experience playing in the knockout stages every year. Atalanta’s female coach Paladino showed poor sportsmanship, losing both the match and respect, as seen during the handshake. Lukman’s low-cost transfer to Atlético Madrid deprived Atalanta of their strongest offensive weapon, leaving them vulnerable.