UCL R16: After Barca Losses, Only Champions League Left for Real
In last-16 second leg action this week: Real Madrid vs Ajax, Dortmund vs Spurs, PSG vs Man Utd and Porto vs Roma.
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Two demoralising defeats to Barcelona have left Real Madrid with just one chance to salvage their season by winning a record-extending fourth consecutive UEFA Champions League trophy.
But they must do without the goals of Cristiano Ronaldo, the star striker who fuelled their title runs before leaving for Juventus at the end of last season.
Madrid suffered the ignominy of consecutive Clasico defeats at their home ground, the Santiago Bernabeu, in the space of four days. Barcelona first eliminated them from the Copa del Rey with a 3-0 victory in the second leg of their semi-final tie, and then effectively ended Real’s pursuit of the league crown by opening up a 12-point aadvantage with a 1-0 win on Saturday, 2 March.
Madrid could do with rediscovering their scoring form to avoid another calamity when they host Dutch side Ajax in the return leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie on Tuesday, 5 March. The visitors won the away leg in Amsterdam 2-1 thanks to goals from Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio.
Madrid's biggest threat against Barcelona was the speed and dribbling skills offered by Vinicius Junior. But the 18-year-old Brazilian forward failed to finish off his scoring chances and got little help from the team's veterans. Benzema squandered his opportunities and Gareth Bale was jeered by segments of the crowd when substituted on Saturday.
The hosts are without suspended center-back Sergio Ramos, while Ajax have won their last three games by at least three goals.
“Goals come in patches,” said Madrid manager Santiago Solari. “We'll keep plugging away. We can't let our teamwork, solidity and commitment slip.”
Man Utd Need Miracle at PSG
On Wednesday, 6 March, Manchester United face the daunting task of retrieving a 2-0 loss against a PSG-side led by the in-form Kylian Mbappe – and they must do it at the home of the Parisians, without Paul Pogba.
The French World Cup winner is suspended after being sent off in the first leg at Old Trafford, even as his younger Les Bleus compatriot is helping PSG supporters forget about Neymar.
“The coach said we had to win this game to prepare well for Manchester's visit and that's what we did,” said Mbappe, who took his tally to 24 goals in 21 French league games.
Mbappe will hope to profit from more open spaces as the visiting United chase the game in the absence of the suspended Pogba. PSG, meanwhile, are likely to welcome Cavani back into the lineup, with the Uruguayan striker having resumed full training.
Q/F in Sight for Spurs
After such a promising start under new coach Lucien Favre and an overhaul of the squad, Borussia Dortmund's season is unravelling.
Their 3-0 first-leg loss at Tottenham Hotspur came after the side was knocked out of the German Cup and held to two draws in the Bundesliga.
Nothing has happened since to suggest Dortmund can recover on Tuesday.
“We're scoring goals against ourselves,” Marco Reus said after the side's shock 2-1 loss at Augsburg on Friday, 1 March.
Harry Kane scored a late penalty to salvage Tottenham a 1-1 draw with Arsenal on Saturday.
Roma vs Porto: No Momentum
AS Roma and FC Porto are in crisis before they meet on Wednesday, with the Italian visitors holding a slim 2-1 advantage.
Roma were beaten 3-0 by city rivals Lazio in the derby on Saturday to seriously damage their chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League.
“We really need to focus on Porto so we can get through to the quarterfinals,” Roma captain Daniele De Rossi said. “If we do that, it will also change our vision of the season and our current form.”
Porto are also reeling after losing 2-1 to Benfica on Saturday, a defeat which let their fierce rivals take the lead at the top of the Portuguese league.
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