Nedum Onuoha shares his thoughts on the Manchester City win. There is a time and a place for this.
Manchester City scored five goals in less than an hour against Sporting CP, Dusan Vlahovic wasted no time in announcing his move to Paris Saint-Germain, and Kylian was the first player to announce his move to a new team.
In the case of Manchester United, they had to rely on substitute Anthony Elanga to avoid defeat at Atlante Madrid. The closest we came to a shock result was a draw between FC Salzburg and Bayern Munich.
We asked the three men for their opinions on some big questions.
Steve Nicol and Craig Burley are full of praise for Dusan Vlahovic.
The man is from Manchester City. I know it's a cliche but, among the favorites in the first legs, they looked most impressive. If you have pace and energy and are well-coached, you can upend one of the giants.
There was a lot of anticipation over how long it would take Vlahovic to make an impact in this competition, despite the fact that City were impressive. The answer took 32 seconds. He scored the fastest goal ever by a debutant. Although it was only enough to earn a draw at Villarreal, Vlahovic announced himself on Europe's grandest stage in fine style.
There are lots of choices: Joao Felix sending another message to Diego Simeone that he is the real deal, the reigning champion playing with authority, and Mohamed Salah shrugging off the disappointment of the African Cup of Nations. The most wonderful part of this round so far has to be City's five goal demolition of Sporting, because the away goals rule has not been applied in the competition since 1965, a ridiculous, negative change. The imperious attitude they showed, which seemed to say "we play this way, home or away", was inspiring.
Kylian Mbappe was showered with praise after his performance in Paris Saint-Germain's win over Real Madrid.
Everything depends on context. They need to show they can make Lionel Messi happy and successful. If they want to influence how many season-defining goals their Argentine maestro provides in the short term, they need to know that. For the team to open up opponents who just sit deep, and for them to ignite Messi, it is probably an in-form Neymar who is most important. In all other respects, it's Mbappe by a long, long way.
Right now, it is Mbappe. He is in better shape, but also because he is not dependent on supply and is fully fit as well.
It feels almost sacrosanct not to say Lionel Messi, but Kylian Mbappe has eight goals in his last nine games, Messi has three in nine and Neymar has only just returned from injury. The uncertainty over the Frenchman's future may provide a fresh sense of purpose that can help the team.
Alejandro says that the performance of Atlante Madrid is a reflection of how bad Manchester United has been.
Manchester United aren't necessarily in control of their tie with Atlante Madrid, but they are favorites to progress. United were lucky to escape the Wanda Metropolitano with that score, while Atleti beat Porto and AC Milan in the group stage. Their willingness to concede possession to prioritize defensive stability is precisely the kind of dilemma United have failed to solve at Old Trafford in recent times.
There aren't many ties that are in control, and only one that can be declared to be over. I can't believe I'm saying this, given how awful Madrid were in their 1-0 defeat at Parc des Princes, and taking into account they will be missing Ferland Mendy and Casemiro. They are very strong favorites to progress, yet brittle and only 48 hours away from a crisis or weird result. Benzema was not fit for the first leg but will be for the return. Historically, magical things can happen, and anyone who understands Los Blancos knows that. Bring it on, unless of course the three of them finally click.
It is a good question, especially with the away goals rule being scrapped, and maybe not as obvious as one might have thought. I am going to say that. Under the old rules, a 2-2 away draw meant you were through. It means you have to win at home. On the break, that can create opportunities for Benfica.
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Milan is my hometown, but that would show my bias. I saw Real Madrid beatLiverpool in the final and watched Spain win their third consecutive major tournament in Euro 2012 in Kyiv. My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Kyiv, given the current situation, and I love how the stadium is right in town.
It is difficult to choose from so many great cities. I might say Madrid. The Spanish capital is beautiful, the weather is great, and you can choose between the Wanda Metropolitano or the famous Bernabeu. Both venues are on the metro system and the city centre is connected to the airport.
Hunter: I have been to 15 finals in 13 different cities and this is a tough choice. I could be influenced by the fact that I was on a very liquid sponsor at the game. I interviewed a player with the trophy in a locker room after the game. I arrived at the stadium in a rickshaw. I think the one that changed my life is my favourite. My work that night was spotted by the head of Sky Sports and he recruited me for their Spanish football coverage because of it.
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