There were no surprises this Tuesday evening during the first two quarterfinals of the Champions League return. As in the outward leg, the Germans of RB Leipzig and the Italians of Atalanta Bergamo won in front of, respectively, the English of Tottenham (3-0) and the Spanish of Valencia (4-3). It is a master stroke for the two teams who will therefore play their first quarter-final in C1 this season.
Leipzig very strong
Three weeks after its success in London (1-0), RB Leipzig did it again, winning well ahead of Tottenham (3-0). The Germans quickly made the difference by Marcel Sabitzer, author of a double. The attacking midfielder opened the scoring on a cross strike at the entrance to the area only lightly touched by the captain of the French Team Hugo Lloris (1-0, 10th) then he scored a goal in the stride synonymous with station wagon (2-0, 22nd). The Germans, 3rd in the Bundesliga behind Bayern Munich and Dortmund, then managed before making the final addition by Emil Forsberg (87th) and offering a logical qualification for the quarter-finals. Former PSG midfielder Christopher Nkunku, who arrived this summer, made a solid performance before being replaced on time by Amadou Haidara. Opposite, the vice European champion leaves the C1 by the small door. Despite the ouster of Mauricio Pochettino last November, José Mourinho failed to restore confidence to a dying team in the Premier League (8th).
Ilicic's quadruple makes Atalanta smile
He is the surprise guest of this Champions League! Nobody would have bet a euro last October on Atalanta Bergamo which had lost its first 3 group matches. And yet, the Italian team will participate well in the quarter-finals for the first time. After a large first leg victory at the expense of Valencia (4-1), Atalanta confirmed by winning in Spain (4-3) thanks to a quadruple of their Slovenian international Josip Ilicic. The striker quickly put his team on the path to qualification by scoring at the start and at the end of the first act (1-2, 44th). Relaxed, the Italians produced a game after returning from the locker room by scoring two new goals for his goleador. Atalanta, Calcio's best attack with 70 goals in 25 days, has once again confirmed its strike force.