The UEFA Champions League knockout stage playoffs delivered high-intensity football last night, with Real Madrid securing a dramatic comeback against Manchester City, while PSG, Juventus, and Borussia Dortmund claimed crucial first-leg victories. At Etihad Stadium, Real Madrid pulled off a stunning 3-2 comeback win over Manchester City in a highly entertaining clash. City took an early lead in the 19th minute through Erling Haaland, who finished off a brilliant assist from Josko Gvardiol. The home side controlled possession and went into halftime 1-0 ahead. Manchester city fans attend the

The UEFA Champions League knockout stage playoffs delivered high-intensity football last night, with Real Madrid securing a dramatic comeback against Manchester City, while PSG, Juventus, and Borussia Dortmund claimed crucial first-leg victories.

At Etihad Stadium, Real Madrid pulled off a stunning 3-2 comeback win over Manchester City in a highly entertaining clash. City took an early lead in the 19th minute through Erling Haaland, who finished off a brilliant assist from Josko Gvardiol. The home side controlled possession and went into halftime 1-0 ahead.

Manchester city fans attend the match at Etihad stadium with a specific banner to provoke Vinicius Junior for not winning ballon d'or.

However, the second half saw Real Madrid respond with intensity. Kylian Mbappé equalized in the 60th minute after an assist from Dani Ceballos. City regained the lead in the 80th minute when Haaland converted a penalty, following a foul on Phil Foden inside the box. Just when City thought they had the advantage, Brahim Díaz struck in the 86th minute to level the score at 2-2. The final blow came in stoppage time (90+2’), as Jude Bellingham completed the comeback with a well-placed shot assisted by Vinícius Júnior. The defeat puts Manchester City under pressure ahead of the return leg at Santiago Bernabéu, where they must win to stay in the competition. PSG delivered a dominant performance with a 3-0 victory over Brest in France. Vitinha opened the scoring in the 21st minute, before Ousmane Dembélé netted a brace (45', 66') to secure a comfortable win. The French champions now hold a strong advantage going into the second leg in Paris.

Last night Marquinhos secures his 100th Champions league appearances as his team also secure a promising victory against Brest.

In Turin, Juventus defeated PSV Eindhoven 2-1 in a tightly contested match. Weston McKennie gave the hosts the lead in the 34th minute, but Ivan Perišić equalized for PSV in the 56th minute. Samuel Mbangula restored Juventus’ lead in the 82nd minute, giving them an edge ahead of the return fixture in the Netherlands. Borussia Dortmund produced an emphatic 3-0 win over Sporting CP in Lisbon. Serhou Guirassy opened the scoring, and Karim Adeyemi added two more goals to seal a commanding victory for the German side. With this result, Dortmund are in a strong position to advance to the quarter-finals. With the second-leg fixtures approaching, Manchester City, Brest, PSV Eindhoven, and Sporting CP will need big performances to overturn their deficits. Meanwhile, Real Madrid, PSG, Juventus, and Borussia Dortmund will aim to finish the job and secure their places in the 1/8 games. The UEFA Champions League continues to deliver world-class football, and the upcoming return legs promise even more drama.

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