They continue, today (20/2) and tomorrow (21/2), completing the first leg of the “16” phase of Champions League, the matches in the top competition. Inter-Atletico Madrid and Eindhoven-Dortmund tonight’s games.
Tomorrow the battle in Italy between Napoli and Barcelona, while in Portugal Arsenal are being tested at the home of Porto.
Simeone’s return, his 100th UCL match and Inter’s ‘300’ goal
Diego Simeone will be the center of attention when he returns to Milan to face Atletico Madrid against Inter Milan at the San Siro. The Atletico manager spent two years with the Nerazzurri as a player, winning the UEFA Cup in 1997/98. As if that emotional return wasn’t enough, this first leg will be Simeone’s 100th match as a manager in the Champions League, making him the ninth to reach the milestone.
However, the Italian team will look to their own history on Tuesday (20/2). Last season’s finalists have scored a total of 298 goals in the Champions League / Champions League (including qualifiers) and Lautaro Martinez will be looking to push them to 300. Those goals could also be crucial given that Inter have only won two of the last 16 UEFA matches against Spanish teams (4 draws and 10 losses).
The Eindhoven meeting
It’s been quite a season for PSV Eindhoven so far, with the club progressing to the ’16’ stage of the Champions League for the first time since 2015/16 and just one game away from becoming the first Dutch top-flight side who began the season with an 18-game league winning streak. Peter Boz’s men are unbeaten at home this season and, ominously for Dortmund, PSV have lost just three of their opening round of 16 matches in UEFA club competition (W8 D5).
However, the visitors are in good form too, a draw with Paris Saint-Germain in Matchday 6 confirming their qualification from a very tough group, starting an eight-match unbeaten run ahead of their trip to Wolfsburg on Saturday. Edin Terzic has also strengthened his ranks since the group stage, with Jadon Sancho adding life to the attack and Ian Maassen voted Bundesliga Newcomer of the Month following his January loan move.
Evanilsson in..role Falcao and the “curse” of Arsenal
Porto will take solace from the fact that they defeated a star-studded Arsenal side in the first leg at this stadium in 2010, thanks in large part to the brilliance of Radamel Falcao. They have a striker in similar form this time around, Evalinsson. Having struck four times in the group stage games against Antwerp, the striker has started 2024 strongly too, finding the net eight times in his last six matches before the weekend game.
The good news for Arsenal is that they are in the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time since 2016/17. The bad news is that they have lost their last six first-16 matches and their last seven fixtures overall at this stage of Europe’s top club competition, a record that Mikel Arteta’s men will be desperate to put behind them .
Turning point in Naples
12 months ago both Napoli and Barcelona were both marching towards domestic titles. Things look decidedly different now, however. Walter Mazzarri replaced Rudi Garcia in November, but the Partenopei remain inconsistent and are in danger of missing out on a European exit altogether next season.
Barcelona, meanwhile, are off the pace in the Spanish title race and manager Xavi Hernandez has announced he will leave the club at the end of the season. But perhaps the departure will be shortened if this match with Napoli does not go well.
However, there is cause for optimism with the emergence of new signing Victor Roque and the growing influence of young ace Lamine Yamal, as well as the …return of Robert Lewandowski in goal.
