The UEFA Champions League on Tuesday (as always you can coverage of all the action across CBS, CBS Sports Network, CBS Sports Golazo Network and Paramount+) for the first batch of the round of 16 second leg encounters which will decide our first quarterfinalists of this year. Porto, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter, Lazio, Manchester City and Real Madrid all hold first leg advantages of different sizes. The expectation is that most of them will hold on to their opening leg leads and secure their places in the final eight. Should that happen, though, then a giant in Bayern Munich will have already fallen with the Germans having already made sweeping changes ahead of next season with the news that Thomas Tuchel is leaving at the end of this campaign. We take a look at the clubs most likely to panic coming into the second legs of these big UCL games.
First leg results
- Porto 1, Arsenal 0
- Napoli 1, Barcelona 1
- PSG 2, Real Sociedad 0
- Inter 1, Atletico Madrid 0
- PSV Eindhoven 1, Borussia Dortmund 1
- Lazio 1, Bayern Munich 0
- Copenhagen 1, Manchester City 3
- RB Leipzig 0, Real Madrid 1
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Minimal panic: Arsenal trailing Porto
Arsenal trail Porto 1-0 from the first leg of their tie in Portugal and although the expectation is that Mikel Arteta's men will turn it around at home, there is still some minor trepidation. The Portuguese outfit are experts at grinding down games and being tough to score against and a one-goal lead for them is defendable in London. That said, the Gunners' Premier League showings suggest that they will be able to raise their game after a disappointing opening leg and they will try to emulate their thrashing of RC Lens in the group stage to make it into the quarterfinals.
Mild panic: Atletico Madrid and RB Leipzig
Arguably in greater difficulty than Arsenal are both Atletico Madrid and RB Leipzig who trail 1-0 from their opening legs of their ties. The Germans are well and truly up against it having lost 1-0 at home to Real Madrid with Germany usually where the Bundesliga outfit put in their better showings before struggling away from home. The Spanish side will be playing at home this time which arguably lessens the fear factor although Antoine Griezmann's fitness will be key to their hopes against last year's beaten finalists. Both Atleti and Leipzig are up against two of this year's stronger sides, though, which makes their respective tasks equally difficult ahead of their second legs.
Substantial panic: Real Sociedad
When the draw was made, many suggested that PSG would be fearing their trip to Spain to face one of La Liga's better sides in Real Sociedad. Although the Basque outfit did give Luis Enrique's men a stern test in Paris recently, the French champions came through and won it 2-0 to set up a decent first leg lead. This one is by no means over, especially if Sociedad can play like they did at Parc des Princes, but it will be a tricky one to navigate with PSG effectively needing just one more goal to settle it. Imanol Alguacil has seen his players improve their form of late with goals finally back on the menu but they have only won one of their games since their Paris outing, suffered elimination in the Copa del Rey and have lost four of their last five across all competitions. Look at the wider view and it is one win from eight with five scoreless games and a handful of absentees which means that things do not look ideal for the Basques despite having home advantage this coming week.
Crisis brewing: Bayern Munich
Although Bayern Munich are 1-0 down to SS Lazio after the first leg in Italy, the crisis is already more or less upon the Bavarian giants with Thomas Tuchel already aware that these are his final few months in the job and the German powerhouse already sounding out new head coach options. At Allianz Arena for this one, Bayern should advance while changes are happening behind the scenes with Max Eberl joining as sporting director as the clean-up operation begins in earnest. With Bayer Leverkusen leading the way in Germany by eight points though, and no DFB Pokal to fight for, a frightening prospect has emerged for Bayern -- a trophyless season. Panic mode is well and truly here regardless of what happens against Lazio.
