The first set of quarter finalists in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League have emerged.
Unfortunately, Super Eagles stars Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella did not make the cut.
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They were eliminated after Bayer Leverkusen suffered a 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in their Round of 16 second-leg clash on Tuesday night.
A goal and an assist from Harry Kane sealed Leverkusen’s fate, dashing any hopes of a comeback in front of their home fans.
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Having already lost the first leg 3-0 at the Allianz Arena, the German side bowed out of the competition with a 5-0 aggregate defeat.
Boniface and Tella’s Champions League exit came just hours after both players were named in Nigeria’s 23-man squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
While neither featured in the first leg, Boniface was introduced in the 65th minute of the second leg but was unable to change the course of the match. Tella remained an unused substitute.
Inter Milan progressed to the last eight of the Champions League with a 2-1 victory over Feyenoord at the San Siro, sealing a comfortable 4-1 aggregate win.
Having won the first leg 2-0 in the Netherlands, Simone Inzaghi’s men never looked in danger of an upset.
This marks Inter’s second quarter-final appearance in three seasons, following their run to the final last year.
Raphinha, Yamal power Barca over Benfica
Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal stole the spotlight with a spectacular goal as Barcelona powered past Benfica with a 3-1 victory, securing their place in the quarter-finals with a 4-1 aggregate win.
Barcelona, who held a 1-0 lead from the first leg in Lisbon, started strongly at the Olympic Stadium. Yamal set up Raphinha for an 11th-minute volley, but Benfica responded quickly as Nicolás Otamendi headed home from a corner just two minutes later.
However, the Catalans soon regained control. Yamal curled in a stunning effort from outside the box in the 27th minute, before Raphinha added a third in the 42nd minute, completing a clinical counterattack and taking his Champions League tally to 11 goals in 10 games.
With a commanding lead at halftime, Barcelona comfortably saw out the win, despite Benfica’s spirited efforts.
They now await the winner of the Lille vs. Borussia Dortmund clash, which stands at 1-1 after the first leg.
Liverpool fall to PSG in penalty drama
The final match of the night delivered high drama as Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain battled for a quarter-final spot, with the Reds ultimately crashing out on penalties.
Liverpool had won the first leg 1-0 in Paris, but Ousmane Dembélé leveled the tie at Anfield with a well-taken goal early in the first half.
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After a tense extra-time period, the match was decided by a penalty shootout, where PSG converted all four of their spot-kicks.
In contrast, Liverpool’s Darwin Núñez and Curtis Jones missed their attempts, leading to a 4-1 defeat in the shootout.
With the quarter-final lineup taking shape, the Champions League is set for even more excitement as Europe’s elite continue their pursuit of glory.
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