European giants Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain produced dominant performances on a dramatic night of UEFA Champions League action, while Arsenal managed only a late draw as English clubs failed to record a win in the Round of 16 first-leg matches.
At the Parc des Princes, PSG delivered an attacking masterclass to defeat Chelsea 5–2, taking firm control of their tie.
Chelsea briefly threatened a comeback after Enzo Fernández equalised shortly after the restart, but the French champions surged ahead late in the match. Substitute Khvicha Kvaratskhelia proved decisive after coming on in the 60th minute. The winger first set up Vitinha in the 74th minute before scoring twice himself in the 86th and 94th minutes to seal an emphatic victory.
The result leaves Chelsea facing a daunting task in the return leg.
In Spain, Real Madrid once again demonstrated their European pedigree with a commanding 3–0 victory over Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Midfielder Federico Valverde starred with a sensational hat-trick in a ruthless first-half display that left the English champions stunned. Although City dominated possession and won ten corners, Pep Guardiola’s side struggled to convert their dominance into clear chances.
Even a missed second-half penalty by Vinícius Júnior did little to change the outcome as Madrid cruised to victory, leaving City with a huge challenge ahead in the second leg.
One of the night’s biggest surprises came in Norway, where Bodø/Glimt recorded a remarkable 3–0 win over Sporting CP at the Aspmyra Stadion.
Sondre Fet opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Ole Didrik Blomberg added a stoppage-time strike to give the hosts a two-goal lead at the break. Kasper Høgh then finished from Jens Hauge’s delivery in the second half to complete an impressive victory.
Meanwhile, Arsenal were forced to fight back to secure a 1–1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena.
The German side took the lead shortly after the interval when Robert Andrich powered home a header from Álex Grimaldo’s cross. However, substitute Kai Havertz rescued the visitors with a calmly taken penalty in the 89th minute.
Tempers flared in stoppage time, with players from both sides booked, but Mikel Arteta’s team will be relieved to return to London with the tie still finely balanced.
The disappointing night for English clubs followed setbacks earlier in the week. Liverpool suffered a narrow defeat away to Galatasaray, while Newcastle United were held to a 1–1 draw at home by Barcelona.
As a result, none of the English teams managed to win their first-leg matches in the Round of 16, despite all of them finishing in the top eight during the group stage to secure automatic qualification.
With several ties still delicately poised, the stage is now set for decisive second-leg clashes across Europe as clubs battle for places in the Champions League quarter-finals.