Four matches in the last 16 of the 2023/24 European Champions League have already taken place. From these four matches, you can see which teams can advance to the last 8 and can even talk a lot until the final. Manchester City’s Efforts to Become Defending Champions.
With their status as defending champions, Man City started the round of 16 with a 3-1 win against Copenhagen. The victory seems to have put Pep Guardiola’s team with one foot in the last 8.
In terms of quality, Copenhagen is of course far behind Man City. Moreover, the composition of the Man City squad is slowly becoming more complete due to the recovery of players such as Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne.
Kevin de Bruyne’s influence has been undoubted since returning from injury. Man City’s game is becoming more consistent, and even from the seven matches in which Bruyne played, Man City always won.
Apart from that, the steps to ensure Man City in the last 16 also confirm Man City’s readiness to defend the Champions League championship this season.
In terms of quality, this effort is not impossible because Guardiola has almost exactly the same squad as last season and the new players bought at the start of this season have had a significant effect on the team’s play.
Man City’s efforts to become defending champions need to start with definite steps from the round of 16. Each team must not be underestimated, and each match must be treated like a final.
Real Madrid’s New Challenger? Madrid is like a giant that moves in silence. Winning 1-0 against RB Leipzig at Red Bull Arena Leipzig also gave a sign that Madrid could become a serious challenger in the Champions League this season.
In the second leg, Madrid will play at Santiago Bernebeu and that will be a plus point for Madrid in overcoming Leipzig. Madrid is considered one of the teams that performs consistently in Europe. Even though they don’t appear as flashy as Man City, Madrid tends to appear calm but effective. Seen not only in the Champions League, but also in the Spanish La Liga, where for the time being the team from the Spanish capital is currently in first place in the Spanish La Liga standings.
Playing effectively is coach Carlo Ancelotti’s signature style. This Italian coach succeeded in maintaining Madrid’s consistency and effective play simultaneously by utilizing every player. B. Diaz, who scored the only goal when they visited Leipzig, managed to fill Jude Bellingham’s role well.
Likewise, A. Tchouameni, whose original position was as an anchor midfielder, managed to play as a central defender. Tchouameni could also be Ancelotti’s other choice in overcoming the player crisis at the back.
Apart from that, Tchouameni also follows in the footsteps of E. Camavinga, who also acts as an anchor midfielder, but is sometimes played by Ancelotti in the left back sector.
Ancelotti’s style makes Madrid appear balanced because he is keen to read the quality of each player. With that, Madrid’s performance is maintained and it also poses a threat to other teams in Europe, including defending champion Man City.
Paris Saint Germain managed to overcome their Spanish guests, Real Sociedad at the Parc des Princes stadium with a 2-0 win. Kylian Mbappe was one of the important actors in that victory. Apart from scoring one goal, Mbappe troubled Sociedad’s back line several times.
Under the control of a new coach this season, Luiz Enrique, PSG is trying to find an effort to end the long wait for lifting the Champions League trophy. Large investments in the purchase of star players in previous seasons do not provide a solution to this wait.
In fact, PSG looks like a team full of star players but their star faded when they competed in Europe. Under Enrique, PSG is trying to find a way to end the long wait in a different way.
Purchasing star players seems to be no longer on PSG’s agenda. Enrique seems to give priority to players who suit his tactics as a coach. Therefore, Enrique’s squad composition is also not full of high-priced players.
Enrique’s tough style in managing players could be a plus factor that could enable PSG to appear more convincing in the Champions League this season.
When established clubs such as Man City, Madrid and PSG won in the first leg of the last 16 of the European Champions League, Munich faced a different fate. Visiting the Olimpico stadium, Munich had to bow 0-1.
This was Munich’s second defeat in the last two matches. Last weekend, Thomas Tuchel’s team lost badly to the strongest rival in the German Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen. This defeat seemed to make it difficult for Munich to retain the German Bundesliga trophy, and at the same time it affected Munich’s situation.
This was further proven by the defeat to Lazio in the first leg. The defeat seemed to show that Munich was not in the best condition. Tuchel is in position that is questionable. Hopefully he can gives better performance soon.
ASL
