The Champions League returned from its winter slumber, though not in the most spectacular style. Tuesday’s matches went much as expected with Real Madrid’s 1-0 win at Leipzig, albeit a narrow one, accompanied by Copenhagen being beaten 3-1 by a slick Manchester City. On Wednesday, with Paris Saint-Germain beating Real Sociedad 2-0, Lazio’s 1-0 home win over Bayern Munich represented the week’s shock.
Goalkeeper: Real Madrid had to suffer for victory in Leipzig, and they did so, aside from the rather dubious decision to rule out an early goal from Benjamin Sesko, thanks to a great performance from Andriy Lunin. The Ukrainian has supplanted Kepa Arrizabalaga as Carlo Ancelotti’s first-choice in the absence of Thibaut Courtois. Sesko versus Lunin was a duel the keeper won hands-down, and he ended up making a total of nine saves in denying Leipzig, more decisive a contribution than any of his all-star teammates.
Defender: Far more than a mere defender, Achraf Hakimi entered the last 16 having created the competition’s most chances from open play, and his status as one of Europe’s most reliable supply lines continued with one beautiful pass that Ousmane Dembélé might have done better with. Paris Saint-Germain did not have it all their own way against Real Sociedad – the Moroccan was asked to do plenty of defending – but an assignment approached nervously ended up being completed to some satisfaction.
Defender: At the moment, central defenders come at a premium at Real Madrid due to an injury crisis where David Alaba and Éder Militão are recovering from cruciate injuries. Alongside the far more experienced Nacho, Aurélien Tchouaméni, an elite-level defensive midfielder, showed off his versatility by stepping back, just as he did against Girona on Saturday. He was asked to handle the dangerous Sesko in a far more challenging detail than at the weekend, eventually coming through for his team.
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