{"id":9136,"date":"2025-04-10T07:38:14","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T07:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/?p=9136"},"modified":"2025-04-10T07:38:16","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T07:38:16","slug":"champions-league-quarter-finals-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/champions-league-quarter-finals-review","title":{"rendered":"Champions League Quarter-Finals Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Buckle up, football fans &#8211; the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/league\/uefa-champions-league-572\">Champions League<\/a> quarter-finals have arrived, and the first legs delivered a rollercoaster of drama, brilliance, and jaw-dropping moments that\u2019ll have you counting the days until the return fixtures. Europe\u2019s elite clubs clashed in a spectacle that redefined the meaning of &#8220;all to play for.&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/arsenal-104\">Arsenal<\/a> turned the Emirates into a fortress, dismantling <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/real-madrid-131\">Real Madrid<\/a> with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/declan-rice-46718\">Declan Rice<\/a> masterclass that echoed David Beckham\u2019s golden era. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Across the continent, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/inter-milan-224\">Inter Milan<\/a> stunned <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/bayern-munich-331\">Bayern Munich<\/a> at the Allianz Arena, proving that even giants can bleed. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/psg-480\">PSG<\/a>, meanwhile, flexed their flair in a royal thrashing of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/aston-villa-109\">Aston Villa<\/a>\u2014sorry, Prince William\u2014while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/fc-barcelona-132\">Barcelona<\/a> reminded us why they\u2019re the team to beat, shredding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/borussia-dortmund-341\">Dortmund<\/a> with a performance so slick it deserves its own highlight reel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Everything you need to know about the Champions League Quarter-Finals<\/h2><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#declan-rice-turns-into-david-beckham-as-arsenal-thrash-real-madrid\">Declan Rice turns into David Beckham as Arsenal THRASH Real Madrid<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#bayern-munich-broken-at-home-by-inter-milan\">Bayern Munich broken at home by Inter Milan<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#p\">PSG put Aston Villa to the sword in front of the future King<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#b\">Barcelona. Wow. They are simply too good at the moment.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"declan-rice-turns-into-david-beckham-as-arsenal-thrash-real-madrid\">Declan Rice turns into David Beckham as Arsenal THRASH Real Madrid<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In a Champions League quarter-final that will echo through Arsenal\u2019s history, Declan Rice transformed into a modern-day David Beckham, delivering a performance of such audacity it left Real Madrid reeling. The Emirates erupted as Rice, a midfielder known more for grit than glamour, curled two jaw-dropping free-kicks past Thibaut Courtois within the space of 15 minutes to secure a 3-0 thrashing of the 15-time champions. This wasn\u2019t just a win &#8211; it was a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">DEAD-BALL SPECIALIST! ?<br><br>Declan Rice is the first player to score two direct free kick goals in a knockout stage match in the UEFA Champions League. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/oXKUoMe1GL\">pic.twitter.com\/oXKUoMe1GL<\/a><\/p>&mdash; 365Scores (@365Scores) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/365Scores\/status\/1909711429596282958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">April 8, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Rice\u2019s first strike, a 58th-minute rocket that bent wickedly around the wall, stunned the Bernabeu kings. It was a throwback to the sort of free-kick that Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos used to score. He was in the Emirates crowd to see it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Twelve minutes later, he did it again, this time arrowing a screamer into the top corner with a precision that conjured memories of Beckham\u2019s prime. Mikel Merino\u2019s clinical finish sealed the rout, but Rice was the architect of Madrid\u2019s demise. His set-piece sorcery had only been tested 12 times in 338 prior club games. Safe to say he&#8217;ll be given a few more opportunities after that&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2208606042-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 8: Declan Rice of Arsenal celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 1-0 during the UEFA Champions League 2024\/25 Quarter Final First Leg match between Arsenal FC and Real Madrid C.F. at Arsenal Stadium on April 8, 2025 in London, England. \" class=\"wp-image-9163\" style=\"width:465px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by Catherine Ivill &#8211; AMA\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Arsenal\u2019s dominance was total. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/bukayo-saka-62088\">Bukayo Saka&#8217;s<\/a> return was met with a positive performance, while Thomas Partey and Martin \u00d8degaard suffocated their midfield. Real, sluggish and disjointed, were outclassed, their late collapse complete with Eduardo Camavinga\u2019s red card. Mikel Arteta\u2019s men played with a serious swagger that made a mockery of their underdog status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rice\u2019s heroics rewrite his narrative &#8211; here\u2019s a man who could win titles, not just games. Arsenal head to the Bernabeu with a commanding Champions League lead, daring to dream of glory. On this evidence, they\u2019re no longer pretenders but genuine contenders. Bend it like Declan? No one\u2019s done it better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Arsenal&#39;s 11 shots on target were the joint-most by a team in the Champions League knockout stage against Real Madrid! ? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/eExmdZk3r2\">pic.twitter.com\/eExmdZk3r2<\/a><\/p>&mdash; 365Scores (@365Scores) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/365Scores\/status\/1909869588822532158?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">April 9, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"bayern-munich-broken-at-home-by-inter-milan\">Bayern Munich broken at home by Inter Milan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Bayern Munich\u2019s invincibility at the Allianz Arena crumbled as Inter Milan snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory in the Champions League quarter-final first leg. The Bundesliga giants were left stunned by a late sucker punch from Davide Frattesi, exposing frailties that could haunt their trophy aspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The match began with Bayern\u2019s characteristic swagger. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/harry-kane-1669\">Harry Kane<\/a> struck the woodwork early, a miss he\u2019d rue as Inter\u2019s clinical edge shone through. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/lautaro-martinez-38667\">Lautaro Mart\u00ednez<\/a> opened the scoring in the 38th minute, a deft finish from Marcus Thuram\u2019s clever backheel slicing through Bayern\u2019s depleted defense. Vincent Kompany\u2019s side, ravaged by injuries &#8211; Jamal Musiala\u2019s hamstring tear the latest blow &#8211; struggled to convert dominance into goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thomas M\u00fcller\u2019s 85th-minute equalizer, a poacher\u2019s finish from the bench, seemed to salvage a draw, igniting the Munich faithful. Yet, Inter\u2019s resilience prevailed. Frattesi\u2019s 88th-minute strike, a cool slot past back-up goalkeeper Jonas Urbig, silenced the crowd and handed Simone Inzaghi\u2019s men a precious Champions League lead to defend at the San Siro. Inter\u2019s counter-attacking precision (two goals from one &#8216;big chance&#8217;) outshone Bayern\u2019s wastefulness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Inter Milan Vs Bayern Munich UCL 2010\/11 <br><br>&#8211; Exact same celebration <br>&#8211; Inter scored winner in the same minute and even same second <br>&#8211; Frattesi and Pandev were the same age (25)<br>&#8211; Same stadium (Allianz)<br>&#8211; Same Heineken ad <br><br>Football is 100% scripted <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Gnr6lGcdMy\">pic.twitter.com\/Gnr6lGcdMy<\/a><\/p>&mdash; LLF (@laligafrauds) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/laligafrauds\/status\/1909978555611558012?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">April 9, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>This defeat stings deeper than the scoreline suggests. Bayern\u2019s defensive vulnerabilities, with only Kim Min-jae and Eric Dier fit at the back, were laid bare. Kompany faces a tactical reckoning before the return leg. For now, Inter hold the edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"p\">PSG put Aston Villa to the sword in front of the future King<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Picture this: the Parc des Princes buzzing like a beehive on espresso, Paris St-Germain flexing their Champions League muscles, and Aston Villa caught in the crosshairs of a 3-1 drubbing that felt like a royal smackdown\u2014especially with Prince William, Villa fan and future King of England, watching from the stands. Yesterday\u2019s quarter-final first leg was a PSG masterclass, a swaggering display of flair and ruthlessness that left Villa\u2019s dreams dangling by a thread. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It started with a shock, though\u2014Morgan Rogers tapped in a Youri Tielemans cross after 35 minutes, sending the away fans (including our future King) into a frenzy. But PSG, like a cat toying with a mouse, pounced back. Nineteen-year-old <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/desire-doue-109665\">D\u00e9sir\u00e9 Dou\u00e9<\/a> announced himself with a curling screamer that had Emiliano Mart\u00ednez grasping at air, then Khvicha Kvaratskhelia unleashed a strike so gorgeous it should\u2019ve come with a Louvre exhibit tag. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The knockout blow? Nuno Mendes, deep in stoppage time, faking out Mart\u00ednez and slotting it past him. Villa fought, sure, but PSG\u2019s attack was a buzzsaw\u2014relentless, precise, and downright terrifying. Prince William, chatting with TNT Sports in the tunnel, must\u2019ve felt the weight of that two-goal deficit heading back to Villa Park. Unai Emery\u2019s men have a mountain to climb in the second leg, but if PSG keep playing like this, even a future king might need a miracle to stop them.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2179548320-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"PARIS, FRANCE - OCTOBER 22: Vitor Ferreira of Paris Saint-Germain picks up the ball during the UEFA Champions League 2024\/25 League Phase MD3 match between Paris Saint-Germain and PSV Eindhoven at Parc des Princes on October 22, 2024 in Paris, France. \" class=\"wp-image-9175\" style=\"width:752px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by Antonio Borga\/Eurasia Sport Images\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"b\">Barcelona. Wow. They are simply too good at the moment.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, over in Catalonia, Barcelona turned the Llu\u00eds Companys Olympic Stadium into a Borussia Dortmund slaughterhouse, carving out a 4-0 win that felt like a love letter to football purists. Yesterday\u2019s Champions League quarter-final first leg was Barca at their vintage best\u2014silky, savage, and stupidly good. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/raphinha-39789\">Raphinha<\/a> kicked off the party and from there, it was a one-sided beatdown. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2195221875-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"LISBON, PORTUGAL - JANUARY 21: Raphinha of Barcelona poses with the Player of The match award during the UEFA Champions League 2024\/25 League Phase MD7 match between SL Benfica and \tFC Barcelona at  on January 21, 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal. \" class=\"wp-image-9176\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by Alex Pantling &#8211; UEFA\/UEFA via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Robert Lewandowski, that ageless goal machine, bagged a brace\u2014first a towering header, then a clinical finish\u2014while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/lamine-yamal-131182\">Yamal<\/a>, the 17-year-old cheat code, poked in a cheeky goal before Gregor Kobel could even move. This wasn\u2019t just a win; it was a statement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Robert Lewandowski has become the first player in Champions League history to score 10 or more goals with THREE different teams <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HbNz6yNC9f\">pic.twitter.com\/HbNz6yNC9f<\/a><\/p>&mdash; 365Scores (@365Scores) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/365Scores\/status\/1910223759593648622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">April 10, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Raphinha\u2019s 19 goal involvements this Champions League campaign ties him with Lionel Messi\u2019s 2011-12 record, and if that doesn\u2019t scream \u201cwe\u2019re back,\u201d nothing does. Cristiano Ronaldo&#8217;s 22 in a UCL season is the score to beat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The crowd roared, the stats dazzled (Barca\u2019s unbeaten in 23 games now), and Dortmund were left picking up the pieces of their pride. With the second leg looming, Barcelona\u2019s got one foot in the semis, and honestly, who\u2019s stopping them? This team\u2019s playing like they\u2019ve got a point to prove\u2014and they\u2019re proving it with every jaw-dropping pass, flick, and finish. Wow, indeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>By Nicky Helfgott \/ @NickyHelfgott1 on Twitter (X)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep up with all the latest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/league\/uefa-champions-league-572\/stats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/league\/uefa-champions-league-572\/stats\">Champions League stats<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/where-to-watch\">where to watch<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/league\/uefa-champions-league-572\/news\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/league\/uefa-champions-league-572\/news\">latest news<\/a> on the&nbsp;365Scores website and app!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"riddle2-wrapper\" style=\"margin: 0 auto; max-width: 100%; width: 640px;\" data-rid-id=\"NMdAJaHi\" data-auto-scroll=\"true\" data-is-fixed-height-enabled=\"false\" data-bg=\"#fff\" data-fg=\"#00205b\"><script src=\"https:\/\/www.riddle.com\/embed\/build-embedjs\/embedV2.js\"><\/script><iframe title=\"Who's going to win the 24\/25 Champions League?\" src=\"https:\/\/www.riddle.com\/embed\/a\/NMdAJaHi?lazyImages=false&amp;staticHeight=false\"><section data-block=\"SingleChoice\"><h2>Who&#8217;s going to win the 24\/25 Champions League?<\/h2><ul><li>Real Madrid<\/li><li>Barcelona<\/li><li>Arsenal<\/li><li>Bayern Munich<\/li><li>Other (let us know who @365Scores)<\/li><\/ul><\/section><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Buckle up, football fans &#8211; the Champions League quarter-finals have arrived, and the first legs delivered a rollercoaster of drama, brilliance, and jaw-dropping moments that\u2019ll have you counting the days until the return fixtures. Europe\u2019s elite clubs clashed in a spectacle that redefined the meaning of &#8220;all to play for.&#8221; Arsenal turned the Emirates into &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":9165,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[182,16,1095,179,194,244,1126,1163,116,309,141,188,841,3010,60,314,59,108,165,224],"class_list":["post-9136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer","tag-arsenal","tag-aston-villa","tag-barcelona","tag-bayern-munich","tag-borussia-dortmund","tag-bukayo-saka","tag-champions-league","tag-declan-rice","tag-football","tag-harry-kane","tag-inter-milan","tag-kylian-mbappe","tag-lautaro-martinez","tag-ollie-watkins","tag-psg","tag-raphinha","tag-real-madrid","tag-soccer","tag-uefa","tag-vinicius-junior"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9136"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9136\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}