Munich: Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid inched closer to the Champions League quarterfinals with commanding victories, while Liverpool suffered a setback and Barcelona narrowly avoided defeat.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Bayern Munich delivered an impressive 6-1 victory over Atalanta, even with their top scorer Harry Kane starting on the bench. Michael Olise was instrumental for Bayern, scoring twice, while Serge Gnabry and Nicolas Jackson both contributed with goals and assists. Josip Stanisic and Jamal Musiala also found the net, allowing Bayern to take a significant advantage into the second leg.
Atletico Madrid showcased a dominant performance against Tottenham, winning 5-2. Tottenham’s coach, Igor Tudor, made a controversial decision to start with backup goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, whose errors were costly. Marcos Llorente, Antoine Griezmann, and Julian Alvarez capitalized on these mistakes, giving Atletico a 3-0 lead within just 15 minutes. Tottenham managed to rally later, but the heavy defeat poses a challenging task for them in the return leg.
Meanwhile, Barcelona managed to secure a 1-1 draw against Newcastle, thanks to a stoppage-time penalty by 18-year-old Lamine Yamal. Newcastle had taken the lead with a goal from Harvey Barnes in the 86th minute, but Barcelona coach Hansi Flick acknowledged the need for improvement despite the team’s strong potential.
Liverpool faced a 1-0 defeat against Galatasaray in Istanbul, with Mario Lemina scoring the decisive goal. Despite opportunities to equalize, Liverpool’s efforts were thwarted, including a disallowed goal by Ibrahima Konate. Liverpool coach Arne Slot remains optimistic about the second leg at Anfield, emphasizing the support of home fans.