The round of 16 and quarter-finals in major tournaments, at both club and international level, always tend to offer up the most entertaining matches.
Sure, there’s pressure, but it’s not yet quite as intense as in the semi-finals and final, when there is so much at stake: Glory, prestige, legendary status, money…
And it is with an element of freedom that (most) of the best teams play.
And on Wednesday, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid served up a real treat in the Champions League quarter-finals.
It had everything. Seven goals — all of them delicious in their own right — a contentious red card; a classic Madrid head loss after the final whistle.
Bayern prevailed 4-3 on the night, and 6-4 on aggregate, to line up a mouthwatering semi-final against European champions Paris Saint-Germain, who triumphed 2-0 at Anfield on Tuesday to seal a 4-0 aggregate win over Liverpool.
The prelude to Wednesday’s thriller was a brilliant all-Spanish battle between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. The Blaugrana won 2-1 at the Metropolitano, yet it was Diego Simeone’s side who won the tie 3-2.
Barca raced into a 2-0 lead, but Ademola Lookman hit back. That was the vital goal, with Ferran Torres seeing a strike disallowed before Eric Garcia was sent off late on to end Barca’s hopes.
Arsenal wait for Atletico in the semis. Mikel Arteta’s side drew 0-0 with Sporting CP, sealing a 1-0 aggregate success. Hardly a classic.
And for Premier League watchers, the tonic served up by Bayern and Madrid in the night’s other match was very much needed.
The Premier League has become so attritional, so based on fine margins and set-pieces and physical prowess, that in all honesty, it was just great to watch two teams go for it, blow by blow, and see who came out on top.
Bayern and Madrid, of course, are blessed with world-class attackers. Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappé, Arda Güler, Jude Bellingham, Luis Díaz, Michael Olise, Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala… The list goes on.
But we saw them playing to the best of their abilities.
Güler got things going, scoring inside the opening minute with a sensational, long-range first-time finish as he pounced on an error from Manuel Neuer.
Bayern responded through Aleksandar Pavlovic, who headed in from Joshua Kimmich’s pinpoint corner, but then that man Güler bent in a free-kick — Neuer scrambling backwards over his line in an attempt to keep it out.
Kane then came to the fore, taking in Dayot Upamecano’s pass with a perfectly cushioned touch and picking out the bottom-right corner — 2-2, with Bayern back in front on aggregate.
Yet Madrid hit back to lead on the night by the interval. After Vinicius had hit the crossbar, Mbappé raced forward to cap a rapid counter-attack with a slick finish.
The second half seemed to be edging towards extra time, but Eduardo Camavinga picked up two bookings in the space of eight minutes, bringing his cameo from the bench to an abrupt end, and infuriating Madrid’s players. It has to be said, the Frenchman’s second yellow, which came for a slightly late tackle on Kane, seemed a soft one.
But whereas Madrid lost their focus, Bayern locked in, ensuring they made their numerical advantage count.
Díaz’s shot took a deflection, but it was still a brilliant effort, and the little knick on its way through gave Andriy Lunin no chance. Jubilant scenes of celebration erupted at the Allianz Arena.
There was still time for another twist, but it did not come from Madrid.
With the very last kick of the game (seriously, the referee blew the whistle upon the ball going in), Olise unleashed a toe-poked rocket in off the left-hand upright. A fitting, glorious way to finish off an instant classic.
On paper, Bayern against PSG could be another immediate hit, but what’s more important is this match, and Atletico v Barca, were reminders that football is still alive and kicking, after all.