This week, it’s time for the second leg of the playoffs in the European competitions. For some teams, it was already clear after the first leg that it’s ‘game over,’ but most clubs still have a chance to make up for their deficit. Either way, there are some great matchups to watch during this football week. Read all about it in this article.
Champions League
One of the most notable results was perhaps the match between Feyenoord and AC Milan. The Dutch side took the lead at home within just three minutes due to an error from Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, and the score remained unchanged for the rest of the match. This gives Feyenoord a slight advantage heading into Tuesday night’s game. However, playing in the iconic San Siro is always a tough challenge.
The return of Charles De Ketelaere to the Jan Breydel Stadium was heartwarming, and the evening became even better for Brugge fans: their team secured a narrow victory against a strong Atalanta side. Now, they must defend that lead on Tuesday in Bergamo, as Atalanta hosts them on home soil. With the Italian team now forced to go all out for the win, the Belgian champions face a difficult task.
Bayern Munich is the clear favorite against Celtic, as they were in the first leg. However, they only secured a narrow one-goal advantage heading into their home match. The Rekordmeister was not particularly convincing at Celtic Park, but with the home advantage, they have a good chance of performing better. On the other hand, a surprise from Celtic is not entirely out of the question—they might just snatch a ticket away from Bayern.
The clash between Real Madrid and Manchester City is also separated by just one goal. The Madrilenians fell behind in the 80th minute but turned things around in the final quarter-hour, scoring twice to secure the lead. Now, after a disappointing League Phase, Los Blancos can still qualify for the Champions League finals with a win at home on Wednesday.
The final thrilling Champions League match is between PSV and Juventus. In the first leg, Juve dominated the Dutch side, winning 2-1. The Old Lady had a solid preparation for their European fixture, securing a victory against Inter Milan in Serie A last week. Despite their deficit, PSV still has a small chance to qualify.
Europa League
The Europa League remains equally exciting, with AS Roma and Porto starting their match on level terms after a draw in the first leg. This means one team must absolutely win to advance to the next round. The Romans have the home advantage this time, as Porto failed to secure a victory in their own stadium. The match will take place on Thursday at the Stadio Olimpico.
Ajax made a strong statement by beating Union Saint-Gilloise 0-2. The Brussels-based team now needs a small miracle on Thursday evening to still qualify for the Europa League finals. The Unionistes will travel to Amsterdam with a bitter taste, as they also suffered a defeat against mid-table side KV Mechelen. Meanwhile, Ajax confidently won their last match 4-0.
The Mauves of Anderlecht find themselves in a similar situation as their fellow Brussels club. After failing to capitalize on their top-8 position in the League Phase, they lost 3-0 against Fenerbahce. This means Anderlecht will need at least three goals at home to have any hope of progressing. The Turkish side will be welcomed at Lotto Park on Thursday.
The first leg between Galatasaray and AZ Alkmaar was expected to be a close contest, but AZ played with confidence and took a big step toward the last sixteen of the Europa League. The Alkmaar side now has an ideal position heading into Thursday evening’s match in Istanbul.
Conference League
Gent struggled at home against Real Betis and now faces an almost impossible task in Seville. While their qualification hopes for the next round of the Conference League are slim, the Buffaloes will travel to Spain hoping for a good result to return to Belgium with their heads held high.
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