In the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 for the 2025/26 season, four matches took place, the results of which were quite unexpected. Madrid's "Real" confidently defeated "Manchester City" at their "Santiago Bernabeu" stadium with a crushing score of 3:0. The main hero of the match was Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde, who scored a hat-trick in the first half at the 20th, 27th, and 42nd minutes. In the 57th minute, Vinicius Junior failed to convert a penalty, but this did not affect the outcome. This victory is particularly significant against the backdrop of the "whites'" personnel problems, as due to injuries, Kylian Mbappe, Rodrigo, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Jude Bellingham, and Dani Ceballos were absent from the team.
Meanwhile, in Paris, "PSG" confidently dealt with London’s "Chelsea," winning 5:2. The French club's scorers included Bradley Barcola (10'), Ousmane Dembélé (40'), and Vitinha (74'), as well as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who scored twice at the end of the match (86', 90+4'). The guests attempted to reduce the deficit thanks to efforts from Malo Gusto (28') and Enzo Fernandez (57'), but the Parisians brought the match to a rout, avenging their defeat in the Club World Cup final. In Germany, "Bayer" from Leverkusen and London’s "Arsenal" ended in a draw, finishing the match 1:1. Robert Andrich opened the scoring in the 46th minute, and Kai Havertz equalized with a penalty in the 89th.
The most surprising result of the round was the defeat of Lisbon's "Sporting" by Norwegian "Bodø/Glimt" — 0:3. Goals from Sondre Fet (32', penalty), August Mikkelsen (45+1'), and Kasper Høgh (71') allowed the modest Norwegian club to achieve a convincing victory over the Portuguese giant. The return matches, which will determine the fate of the quarter-finals, are scheduled for March 17, 2026.
