For at least a decade or two, England and Spain have been home to the two best soccer leagues in the world. La Liga and Premier League clubs have consistently been the two most competitive in the Champions League since the rebranding of the tournament for the 1992-93 season. So what happens when we get an England vs Spain Champions League matchup? Historically, one league has won a lot more often: La Liga.
No surprise really, but the first leg of the Real Madrid-PSG Champions League Round of 16 matchup was a huge success for broadcasters as the two-time defending champions rallied for a 3-1 victory on Wednesday in Madrid. As the numbers from the Real Madrid-PSG TV ratings begin to trickle in, we’re beginning to learn just how big of a deal the match was for countries around the world, especially those without a team in the fight.
Next Tuesday, Chelsea and Barcelona will renew one of the greatest footballing rivalries of the 21st century. Beginning in 2000 and ending with that Fernando Torres goal scored almost six years ago, Barca and Chelsea met 12 times in the Champions League, including the 2000 quarterfinals, the 2005 and 2006 Round of 16 and the 2009 and 2012 semifinals.
WATCH THIS: Greatest Games, 2009 UCL Semifinal
After Sadio Mane and his pals ended Porto's 24-match unbeaten streak at home in destructive fashion Wednesday, one would think the Porto fans would be, like, mad or something.
But they weren't. Or, at least, if they had any anger they pushed it down deep inside themselves to be let out later at (to pick a profession at random) a tow-truck driver. Instead, the Porto fans cheered their team following an embarrassing loss just as loudly as they would have following a big win.
Something caught my eye during Manchester City’s Champions League encounter with Basel on Tuesday, and it wasn’t Amazonian fish-frog god Bernardo Silva. I saw it on City’s Twitter page — a beautiful little animation of their own and Basel’s badges before the game.
Like a good sports hack reporter boy, I had to know more. Had they done this before? Yes. Had they been doing this since the start of the season? Yes.
Okay.
Real Madrid vs PSG was electric. Two of the richest soccer clubs in the world faced each other in the most expected clash in the Champions League round of sixteen. And it was absolutely high voltage.
Of course, soccer fans around the planet were also itching for the Cristiano Ronaldo vs Neymar duel.
Liverpool are red,
Porto are blue
The Reds won 5-0
And are (almost) certainly through
Sadio Mané gives Liverpool that all-important away goal!
https://t.co/PBVGc4p3t4— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) February 14, 2018
Roses are red
Away goals are cool
That was a bit of a shitshow
Porto's goalkeeper is not very good
In an individual matchup that was billed by many as the past of football versus the future, it was Cristiano Ronaldo — seven years the senior — who once again delivered while Neymar’s myriad of mazy dribbles led to naught.
In the age of the meme, the superstars of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain delivered pretty on-brand performances.
Ronaldo struggled mightily in the opening 44 minutes, putting a free kick from just outside the box over in the 26’ before wasting a wonderful opportunity only two minutes later.
What crisis in Madrid? All’s well for Zinedine Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid after an impressive 3-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie on Wednesday. While there’s still a second leg to play in Paris, the Real Madrid vs PSG fixture is now the defending champions’ to lose.