In a surprising turn of events, PSV Eindhoven and Club Brugge, the teams responsible for eliminating Juventus and Atalanta from European competition, have suffered heavy defeats in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16.
PSV Eindhoven, who knocked out Juventus, were demolished 7-1 at home by Arsenal in a historic match. The Gunners became the first team to score seven goals away from home in a Champions League knockout tie, with goals from Jurrien Timber, Ethan Nwaneri, Mikel Merino, Martin Odegaard (2), Leandro Trossard, and Riccardo Calafiori. PSV’s lone goal came from a Noa Lang penalty.
Meanwhile, Club Brugge, who had surprised Atalanta, fell 3-1 at home to Aston Villa. These crushing defeats, both occurring on home soil, have amplified the disappointment for Thiago Motta’s Juventus and Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta, who were eliminated just two weeks prior.
The performances of PSV and Club Brugge have brought them back down to earth, conceding a total of ten goals while scoring only two. PSV’s chances of progressing seem all but extinguished, while Club Brugge would need a miracle in Birmingham to overturn their deficit.
These results suggest that both Juventus and Atalanta missed opportunities against beatable opponents. The story isn’t complete, however, as Feyenoord, who eliminated Sergio Conceicao’s Milan despite being without a permanent manager and missing key players, are yet to play their first leg against Inter Milan.
Inter now has a chance to not only put one foot in the quarter-finals but also to “avenge” their city rivals and demonstrate that Milan’s exit from the Champions League came at the hands of a less-than-formidable opponent.
