Spain will at least have one team in the quarter final draw after Barcelona beat Olympique Lyon 5-1 on Wednesday evening! Luis Suárez won a penalty which Messi converted early on, and then set up Coutinho to make it two on the half hour mark. Tousart got one back for the French side after the break however, and after the goalless draw in the first leg, another away goal would have taken them through. Messi though put an end to their hopes with an individualist goal some twelve minutes from the end, and Piqué and Dembélé added two more after that, both from Messi assists, to take the Catalans into the last eight for the twelfth year in a row. (13.03.19)
A hat-trick by Cristiano Ronaldo dumped Atlético Madrid out of the Champions League, the ex Real Madrid striker leading Juventus to a 3-0 victory to overturn the 2-0 result from the first leg three weeks ago! Mandzukic had an early strike ruled out for a foul on Oblak, but midway through the first half Ronaldo headed the opener from Bernardeschi’s cross, and just three minutes in to the second half he squared the tie with another header which only just crossed the line before Oblak got it away. Atleti hardly managed a shot on target all night, and with extra time looming, Ronaldo completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after Correa fouled Bernardeschi in the area. (12.03.19)