TEAMS in England need to bounce back in the second legs of the Last 16 round of the Uefa Champions League as things did not go well for them in the first legs.
Before these matches, the entry of the six teams playing in the Premier League into the Last 16 of this competition for the first time was doubted, but the results they received put them at risk of exiting.
Liverpool, who are among the teams with a good history in this competition by being European champions six times, were defeated by Galatasaray of Turkey 1-0 away.
This team, coached by Arne Slot, needs at least a goal in the second leg to regain the chances of advancing. The captain of this team, Virgil van Dijk, believes that they still have a chance to come back.
“We have to fight to have the right to advance. It is clear that the second leg will be the deciding factor. We will be playing at home, so we must show that we are willing to continue in the way we will mark and attack again,” said Van Dijk on his team’s website.
Some teams in England have been defeated in the first legs, they are facing an uphill battle due to the number of goals they have conceded.
Tottenham Hotspur was beaten by Atletico Madrid 5-2 in Spain, Chelsea was beaten by Paris Saint-Germain 5-2 in France, and Manchester City was beaten 3-0 by Real Madrid in Spain.
The Chelsea defender, Wesley Fofana, said they should avoid the mistakes they made on the road when they face PSG at home.
“They punished us for the mistakes we made. They are a dangerous team and they showed that. We were tired in the second half, their players who came off the bench hurt us. It is up to us to put ourselves in the next round by growing and not repeating the mistakes. We will analyze the game and raise the level in the second game,” said Fofana.
The teams that didn’t win but are in a better position due to the draw in the first legs are Newcastle United who tied 1-1 with Barcelona at home, and Arsenal also tied 1-1 with Bayer Leverkusen away.
In the other first legs of the Last 16 of the Champions League played in the middle of the week, Bayern Munich beat Atalanta 6-1 away, Bodø/Glimt beat Sporting CP 3-0.
The second legs of the Last 16 matches of the UEFA Champions League
NgoLuwsibi: 7.45pm – Sporting v Bodø/Glimt; 10pm – Chelsea v Paris Saint-Germain; Manchester City in Real Madrid, Arsenal in Bayer Leverkusen.
Wednesday: 7.45pm – Barcelona v Newcastle United; 10pm – Tottenham Hotspur at Atletico Madrid, Liverpool at Galatasaray, Bayern Munich at Atalanta.