Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich became the first teams to book their spots in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday, winning their respective second-leg matches against Real Sociedad and Lazio.
Both entered the matches as the favorites to advance and leaned on their star strikers to lead the way as PSG's Kylian Mbappe and Bayern's Harry Kane each scored a brace. Here's a closer look at both matches.
Real Sociedad 0 Paris Saint-Germain 2 (PSG won 4-1 on aggregate)
Bayern Munich 3, Lazio 0 (Bayern won 3-1 on aggregate)
PSG entered the match against La Real with a 2-1 lead and were able to double that, courtesy of Mbappe. He skillfully outmaneuvered the opposition defense with both goals, shooting through traffic to score the first and then taking advantage of the vast space in front of him for the second. Mikel Merino notched a consolation goal for Real Sociedad in the 89th minute.
Mbappe was the flashiest point of a dominant, but somewhat subtle outing for the French champions. La Real ultimately outshot PSG 14 to 10 but each had seven shots on goal, while PSG also dominated possession and clearly reaped the benefits of having Mbappe on their books.
Bayern succeeded in overcoming the 1-0 deficit they carried into the match from the first leg, though it was a slightly slow build. The German champions took shot after shot but didn't score until the 38th minute, but from there, the floodgates opened.
Kane scored from close range and then Thomas Muller made it 2-0 before halftime when his head got the slightest of touches from Mathias de Ligt's volley. Kane scored a third in the second half after making his way into the box, tying Raheem Sterling in second place for most goals scored by an Englishman in the modern era of the Champions League.
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In the end, it was all fairly straightforward for the heavyweights. Mbappe leads PSG into yet another Champions League quarterfinal, while Kane does the same for Bayern and ensures they avoid another low point in their season.
89' Real Sociedad might be just moments away from Champions League elimination, but they will end their European run with a goal from close range by Mikel Merino. The goal stands after a quick video review.
Harry Kane's goalscoring ability is well-documented at this point. Today's brace means he's up to 33 goals in 33 games across all competitions for Bayern Munich this season, but he's setting goalscoring records today, too -- he's now tied for second with Raheem Sterling for the most goals scored by an Englishman in the modern era of the Champions League. Both have 27 goals each and sit just three goals behind Wayne Rooney, who has 30.
With Bayern nearing qualification for the quarterfinals, Kane could equal -- or break -- Rooney's record sometime this season.
66' Some solid build-up play leads to Kane receiving the ball just outside the box. He makes his way into the penalty area and there's no way he misses from there. It's 3-0 to Bayern today and 3-1 on aggregate. This tie now officially feels out of Lazio's reach.
56' Mbappe scores yet another goal in this tie, putting even more distance between PSG and Real Madrid. He receives the ball just past the midfield line, outpaces the defenders around him and takes advantage of all the space he has in front of him to score from close range. PSG are now up 2-0 on the day and 4-0 in the tie.
PSG and Bayern are on the inside track to qualify for the quarterfinals, but they have one more half to get through first. Let's see if there's any drama in this second half.
Things continue to be straightforward for PSG, who now have a very commanding lead over Real Sociedad. Meanwhile, it was a slow build for Bayern but they finally have the lead they were angling for all half thanks to late first half goals from Kane and Muller.
45'+2 Bayern earn a corner and the ball lands towards de Ligt, who hits it on the volley in stellar fashion setting up Muller for a slight header before the ball goes into the back of the net. Bayern won't care who gets the credit, though - they're officially up 2-0 on the day and now up 2-1 in the tie against Lazio.
38' It took nearly the whole half, but Bayern finally score to make things 1-0 on the day and 1-1 in the tie. Muller sends the ball into the box and after a deflection, Kane's quick to pounce as the ball lands at his feet. he finishes with ease from close range.
Bayern are so far dominant in their match against Lazio with more than 60% of possession and 10 shots, two of which are on goal, and have limited the opposition to zero shots on target. Roughly half an hour in, though, the German champions have yet to score the goal that would begin to end their worries.•
Mbappe notches the first goal of the day, giving PSG a 1-0 lead over Real Sociedad. It was a stellar individual effort after receiving the ball from Dembele, and his powerful strike gives the French champions a 3-0 aggregate lead in the tie.
The action has officially kicked off in Munich and San Sebastian, so stick around for updates from both matches.
PSG might be the favorites to go through, but Real Sociedad might have one last chance to make an impact during their Champions League run today. Brais Mendez will take center stage for the Spanish club, and cracked James Benge's list of players to watch this week in the Champions League.
With a 1-0 deficit coming into the second leg and a poor run of form across all competitions, the stakes are high for Bayern ahead of today's match against Lazio. From Kane up top to Neuer in goal, many will be expected to deliver strong individual showings. That includes Aleksander Pavlovic, who James Benge notes will play a big role in Bayern's midfield.
To no one's surprise, Mbappe lines up for PSG as they battle Real Sociedad for a spot in the quarterfinals. Here's a look at both teams' starters.
Real Sociedad starting XI: Alex Remiro, Traore, Zubeldia, Le Normand, Galan, Mendez, Zubimendi, Merino, Becker, Kubo, Oyarzabal
PSG starting XI: Donnarumma, Hakimi, Beraldo, Hernandez, Mendes, Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha, Ruiz, Dembele, Mbappe, Barcola
Kane is once again the focal point for Bayern's attack in a must-win match, while Immobile occupies a matching role for Lazio. Here's a look at both teams' lineups.
Bayern starting XI: Neuer, Kimmich, de Ligt, Dier, Guerreiro, Pavlovic, Goretzka, Sane, Muller, Musiala, Kane
Lazio starting XI: Provedel, Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Pellegrini, Guendouzi, Vecino, Alberto, Anderson, Immobile, Zaccagni
The Champions League is back again with top teams, big name players and compelling storylines. Stick around from live updates as Kylian Mbappe continues his farewell tour with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich aim to avoid disaster against Lazio, and keep an eye out for team news, which will be out shortly.
