Mbappé Hat Trick Sends Real Madrid Past Man City in UCL

Mbappé Hat Trick Sends Real Madrid Past Man City in UCL \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Kylian Mbappé’s hat trick powered Real Madrid past Manchester City, securing a 6-3 aggregate victory in the Champions League knockout stage. Erling Haaland remained sidelined with a knee injury, leaving City without their star striker. Paris Saint-Germain dominated Brest 7-0, while Dortmund and PSV also advanced. The round of 16 draw will feature Madrid, PSG, and Dortmund facing seeded teams like Liverpool and Barcelona.

Champions League Knockout Stage Recap: Quick Look

• Kylian Mbappé scored a hat trick as Real Madrid eliminated Manchester City with a 6-3 aggregate victory.
• Erling Haaland missed the match due to a knee injury, leaving City without their top scorer.
• PSG crushed Brest 7-0, completing a 10-0 aggregate win to advance.
• Borussia Dortmund progressed after a 0-0 draw with Sporting Lisbon, maintaining their 3-0 first-leg lead.
• PSV Eindhoven and Juventus went to extra time after PSV leveled the aggregate at 3-3.
• The Champions League round of 16 draw will see Madrid face Atletico or Leverkusen, while Liverpool will meet PSG or Benfica.

Deep Look

The Champions League knockout round delivered high drama on Wednesday, with Kylian Mbappé’s hat trick leading Real Madrid past Manchester City, while Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, and PSV Eindhoven also moved forward.

Mbappé Dominates as Madrid Ends City’s Title Defense

At the Santiago Bernabéu, Kylian Mbappé delivered a stunning performance, scoring in the 4th, 33rd, and 61st minutes to propel Real Madrid to a commanding 3-1 victory over defending champions Manchester City.

The win secured a 6-3 aggregate triumph, eliminating Pep Guardiola’s squad, which was weakened by the absence of Erling Haaland. The Norwegian star remained on the bench due to a knee injury suffered over the weekend in a Premier League match.

How Mbappé Stole the Show

• His first goal came from an instinctive lob over City goalkeeper Ederson, who was caught too far off his line.
• The second strike saw him beat defender Joško Gvardiol with pace and power, before drilling the ball into the net.
• For the third, Mbappé drew six City defenders toward him, before unleashing a brilliant left-footed strike from the edge of the box.

Madrid’s relentless attack and tactical discipline overwhelmed City, ending their hopes of back-to-back Champions League titles.

PSG Demolishes Brest in a 10-0 Aggregate Rout

Paris Saint-Germain cruised into the round of 16, thrashing French rivals Brest 7-0 in the second leg to complete a staggering 10-0 aggregate win.

Brest, making their Champions League debut, had impressed early in the competition but were completely outclassed at Parc des Princes.

PSG’s Goalscorers:

• Bradley Barcola and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia found the net in the first half.
• After halftime, Vitinha, Desiré Doué, Nuno Mendes, Gonçalo Ramos, and Senny Mayulu added to Brest’s misery.

PSG has now gone unbeaten for three months since their Champions League group-stage loss to Bayern Munich, and they enter the round of 16 in top form.

Dortmund Secures Spot, Sporting’s Collapse Continues

Borussia Dortmund comfortably held onto their 3-0 first-leg lead, playing out a 0-0 draw at home against Sporting Lisbon to advance.

Sporting had been one of the strongest teams in the early stages of the tournament, but their Champions League campaign unraveled after coach Ruben Amorim left for Manchester United in November.

• Before Amorim’s departure: Sporting was unbeaten in four matches and sat second in the 36-team Champions League standings.
• After Amorim left: Sporting went winless in six games under two different managers, crashing out of the competition.

Despite their struggles, Sporting still leads the Portuguese league, positioning themselves for automatic qualification in next year’s expanded Champions League format.

PSV and Juventus Battle into Extra Time

One of the night’s most intense matches saw PSV Eindhoven take Juventus into extra time, after the Dutch club won 2-1 to level the aggregate at 3-3.

Timothy Weah, the U.S. international, scored for Juventus, but PSV refused to back down, forcing 30 additional minutes of action to decide their fate.

Champions League Round of 16 Draw: Who Faces Who?

With the knockout playoff round complete, the Champions League round of 16 draw is set for Friday, featuring:

Unseeded Teams Advancing from Playoffs:

1. Real Madrid
2. Paris Saint-Germain
3. Borussia Dortmund
4. PSV Eindhoven or Juventus
5. Bayern Munich
6. Benfica
7. Club Brugge
8. Feyenoord

These teams will host the first-leg games on March 4-5.

Seeded Teams Awaiting Opponents:

The top eight teams from the group stage had already qualified and will host second-leg games on March 11-12:

1. Liverpool
2. Barcelona
3. Arsenal
4. Inter Milan
5. Atletico Madrid
6. Bayer Leverkusen
7. Lille
8. Aston Villa

The draw follows a new, tennis-style bracket format, making matchups clearer for the rest of the tournament.

Potential Matchups:

• Real Madrid (11th seed) will face either Atletico Madrid (5th) or Bayer Leverkusen (6th).
• Top-seeded Liverpool will meet PSG (15th) or Benfica (16th).

What’s Next?

The Champions League round of 16 kicks off in March, with Madrid, PSG, and Dortmund joining elite clubs like Liverpool and Barcelona in the fight for European supremacy.

With Mbappé in top form, PSG finding their stride, and Madrid proving their class, the battle for the Champions League trophy is set to intensify.

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