Real Madrid knock out Man City again; Arsenal, PSG & Sporting advance

KATHMANDU: Real Madrid booked their place in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals after a commanding 2-1 win over Manchester City, sealing a 5-1 aggregate victory and eliminating the English champions for a third consecutive season.

City’s hopes took a major hit early when captain Bernardo Silva was sent off in the first half. The midfielder handled the ball while attempting to stop Vinícius Júnior inside the box, prompting a VAR review and a straight red card. Vinícius calmly converted the resulting penalty to give Madrid the lead.

Despite a bright start from City, the numerical disadvantage shifted momentum. Erling Haaland pulled one back before halftime to keep City’s hopes alive, but Madrid remained in control. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois denied multiple efforts from Rayan Cherki, Rodri and Haaland.

Madrid sealed the win in stoppage time when Vinícius struck again, confirming another dominant European night for the Spanish giants.

Arsenal Reach Quarterfinals

Arsenal advanced with a 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen, progressing after a 1-1 draw in the first leg.

Eberechi Eze opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a composed strike from outside the box—his first Champions League goal.

Declan Rice doubled the lead in the second half, finishing calmly after capitalizing on a defensive clearance.

Leverkusen goalkeeper Yannick Blaswich made several key saves, but could not prevent Arsenal’s dominance. Manager Mikel Arteta later rotated his squad with the result secured.

Arsenal will now face Sporting CP in the last eight and are set to meet Manchester City in the League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.

PSG Cruise Past Chelsea

Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain eased into the quarterfinals with a resounding 8-2 aggregate victory over Chelsea, including a 3-0 win in the second leg.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring in just the sixth minute, followed by Bradley Barcola doubling the lead soon after. Senny Mayulu added a third in the second half to seal the result.

Chelsea created chances through Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto and Trevoh Chalobah but failed to convert. Chalobah’s late injury left the hosts down to 10 men.

PSG will next face the winner of the tie between Liverpool and Galatasaray.

Sporting Complete Stunning Comeback

Sporting CP produced one of the comebacks of the tournament, overturning a 3-0 first-leg deficit to defeat Bodø/Glimt 5-3 after extra time.

Gonçalo Inácio gave Sporting hope with a first-half header before Pedro Gonçalves and Luis Suárez brought the tie level in the second half, the latter converting from the penalty spot.

With the match heading into extra time, Maxi Araújo put Sporting ahead early before Rafael Nel sealed the dramatic victory.

Despite the defeat, Bodø/Glimt ended a historic campaign on a high note, having become the first club from Norway to reach the knockout stage and eliminating last season’s finalists Inter Milan in the playoffs.