Liverpool pulled off a stunning win in Paris, with Bayern München enjoying a more routine win at home to Leverkusen.
Liverpool pulled off the result of Wednesday night, surviving long swathes of pressure against Paris – thanks in no small part to an incredible display from Alisson Becker – before striking a late winner to edge ahead in their round of 16 tie.
Bayern München, meanwhile, have one eye on the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals after a 3-0 win against Bundesliga rivals Bayer Leverkusen, with Inter and Barcelona also ahead after the first legs of their respective assignments. THEUPDATE through UEFA.com rounds up all the action.
Wednesday’s action
- Paris Saint Germain 0-1 Liverpool
Harvey Elliott’s 87th-minute goal gave Liverpool a dramatic victory courtesy of their solitary attempt on target in Paris.
Visiting goalkeeper Alisson Becker made exceptional first-half saves to keep out shots from Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, then tipped the Georgia winger’s fierce free-kick around a post among a string of stops after the break.
Elliott decided the contest less than a minute after coming off the bench with an angled first-time finish from Darwin Núñez’s pass, scoring for his third Champions League appearance in a row.
- Bayern München 3-0 Leverkusen
Bayern ended a run of six games against Leverkusen without victory in emphatic fashion, earning a sizeable lead to take into the second leg.
Harry Kane’s early header set the tone, with Jamal Musiala only denied a second before half-time by the crossbar.
Musiala did strike after the restart, however, as he pounced on Matěj Kovář’s spill.
Nordi Mukiele was then shown a red card just after the hour, with Kane’s penalty 15 minutes from time rounding off a comfortable night for the hosts.
- Benfica 0-1 Barcelona
Ten-man Barcelona claimed a slender advantage thanks to Raphinha’s second-half strike and a string of saves from Wojciech Szczęsny.
The Blaugrana, who had Pau Cubarsí dismissed midway through the first half, edged in front against the run of play just after the hour mark when Raphinha pounced on a misplaced pass before his powerful low effort deflected into the net.
The Eagles looked to respond but found Szczęsny in impressive form, with the pick of the Barça goalkeeper’s stops an acrobatic one to deny substitute Renato Sanches late on.
- Feyenoord 0-2 Inter
Inter earned a commanding first-leg lead over Feyenoord in Rotterdam, keeping an eighth Champions League clean sheet this season in the process.
Marcus Thuram broke the deadlock in the 38th minute with a stretching volleyed finish from Nicolò Barella’s fine first-time cross.
Shortly after the break, Lautaro Martínez doubled the Nerazzurri’s lead by rifling in his sixth goal of the campaign.
The visitors could have added a third from the spot, but Piotr Zieliński’s penalty was well saved by Timon Wellenreuther.
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