Defending champions Paris Saint‑Germain and Spanish giants Real Madrid put themselves in strong positions in their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 ties after convincing first-leg victories on Wednesday night.
PSG produced an impressive attacking display to beat Chelsea FC 5-2 in Paris, while Real Madrid secured a commanding 3-0 win over Manchester City thanks to a hat-trick from Federico Valverde. Meanwhile, Norwegian side FK Bodø/Glimt continued their fairytale run with a 3-0 victory over Sporting CP, and Arsenal FC were held to a 1-1 draw by Bayer 04 Leverkusen in Germany.
PSG delivered one of the standout performances of the round, beating Chelsea 5-2 at the Parc des Princes.
Bradley Barcola opened the scoring with a stunning half-volley before Chelsea responded through Malo Gusto. Ousmane Dembélé restored PSG’s lead on the counterattack, but Enzo Fernández equalised again for the visitors.
The match turned decisively in the closing stages. Vitinha put the hosts back in front before substitute Khvicha Kvaratskhelia struck twice late on to give PSG a commanding three-goal advantage ahead of the second leg in London.
Valverde hat-trick sinks Manchester City
At the Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid delivered a statement performance against
Captain Federico Valverde scored a first-half hat-trick to give the Spanish side a huge advantage. The Uruguayan opened the scoring after collecting a precise pass from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, rounding Gianluigi Donnarumma before finishing calmly.
Valverde doubled the lead minutes later with a powerful left-footed strike and completed his treble with a well-taken volley just before halftime. Real Madrid could have extended the lead further, but Vinícius Júnior had a second-half penalty saved.
Bodø/Glimt continue fairytale run
Norwegian champions Bodø/Glimt continued their remarkable debut Champions League campaign with a dominant 3-0 victory over Sporting CP.
Sondre Brunstad Fet opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Ole Didrik Blomberg doubled the advantage just before halftime. Kasper Høgh added the third goal his fifth in as many Champions League matches leaving Sporting with a mountain to climb in the return leg.
Arsenal’s perfect Champions League run this season came to an end as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena.
The hosts took the lead shortly after halftime when Robert Andrich headed in from a corner. Arsenal pushed for an equaliser and were rewarded late in the match when substitute Noni Madueke won a penalty, which former Leverkusen forward Kai Havertz calmly converted.
Other first-leg matches earlier in the week saw Galatasaray S.K. edge Liverpool FC 1-0, while FC Bayern Munich thrashed Atalanta BC 6-1. Atlético Madrid defeated Tottenham Hotspur 5-2, and Newcastle United drew 1-1 with FC Barcelona.
The second-leg matches of the round of 16 will be played on 17 and 18 March, with the winners progressing to the quarter-finals scheduled for April.
