PSG, Bayern thrill with nine-goal game
43 - A simply breathtaking match of football occurred in the French capital on Tuesday. When the dust settled, defending champions Paris Saint-Germain edged Bayern Munich 5-4. Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia both scored braces for Les Parisiens, who raced out to a 5-2 lead before holding on for a first leg win. It was the most goals ever scored in a UCL semi-final match, and if the second leg in Germany next Wednesday is anything like the first, this will be a tie no fan will ever forget. The five goals take PSG up to 43 in the competition this season, the most they have ever scored in a single European campaign.
27 - Usually when a team scores four times in a football match, they tend to end up victorious. Bayern ended up going through a rare scenario where four goals were not enough. With that said, Die Roten will be relieved that they are still in the tie thanks to second half goals from Dayot Upamecano and Luis Diaz. While at least one goal will be required in next Wednesday's decider, that seems far more feasible considering how the first leg went. The last time Bayern scored three or more goals in a UCL knockout game and failed to win was in the 1998/99 season, 27 years ago, also at this stage.
19 - Atletico Madrid and Arsenal may not have produced nine goals in their match at the Stadio Wanda Metropolitano, but their 1-1 draw leaves the tie in a fascinating position. Viktor Gyokeres' penalty just before the break was cancelled out 11 minutes into the second half thanks to Julian Alvarez's spot kick. Diego Simeone's men had the better of the chances, but could not find a winner. Whether they live to regret that in North London next Tuesday remains to be seen. Atleti keep up their scoring streak in UCL home games, which has now reached 19 in a row.
2 - Arsenal remain the only team not to have been beaten in a UEFA club competition this season, qualifiers included. The Gunners, chasing their maiden Champions League trophy, would have to be considered the happier of the two teams heading into the second leg at the Emirates. After all, they did win the league phase meeting 4-0 at home. This is their best chance to return to the final 20 years after their only other appearance. Fittingly, they did knock out a Spanish team, tying their away leg as well. The Premier League leaders will want to do better in front of goal though, as they had just two shots on target.
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Braga claim last-gasp win
13 - A Mario Dorgeles goal in the second minute of stoppage time gave Sporting Braga a huge 2-1 first leg win over Freiburg at Estadio Municipal de Braga. It leaves the Portuguese side 90 minutes away from their second-ever Europa League final. In what was a close contest between the two sides, the hosts had to show some adversity as they had a penalty stopped just before the half. Braga, who have twice been eliminated by German opposition in a two-legged tie, claimed their 13th continental win of the season - qualifiers included. That is the most they have ever had.
1 - What a costly goal that could be for Freiburg, who could miss out on Europe next season as a result. The good news for them is that not only is there a second leg, but they are only behind by one goal. Having won all of their home matches in the UEL this term, there is more than enough reason for the Germans to be confident about overturning their deficit. Usually when they score in an away match, things go well for Freiburg. In the 10 previous occasions in which they scored on their travels, they at least got a draw. This was the first time they lost when scoring on the road in Europe, which could become a bad omen.
11 - Chris Wood's penalty 19 minutes from time lifted Nottingham Forest to a 1-0 win over Aston Villa. An even match at The City Ground has the Tricky Trees on the cusp of a third continental final, and first in the Europa League. While things have not gone well for them in the domestic league, they earned their seventh clean sheet in European play this term. They remain unbeaten against fellow English teams in Europe as well, having yet to concede a goal in three such games. It was the 11th straight continental home win where Forest kept a clean sheet.
4 - Having lost just once in the UEL this term heading into the match, Villa were the favourites for this tie. They are now the ones left chasing heading into next Thursday's decider at home. While they did create several chances, Unai Emery's men could not find their way past Stefan Ortega. The Villans ended a run of 17 straight European games in which they scored, and they could seldom have found a worse time to end that streak. Villa's semi-final record in Europe is not great either, as they are now winless in their last four matches at this stage (0-1-3).
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Palace, Rayo take first leg leads
39 - A wasteful Shakhtar Donetsk were punished by Crystal Palace in Poland as the Ukrainians fell 3-1 in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League semi-final. Going behind less than 30 seconds in, the Pitmen tied things up moments after the restart, only to concede twice more to suffer a first leg reverse. Oleg Ocheretko's goal from the corner was the only shot on target from 15 attempts for Shakhtar, who will be left ruing their opportunities. Their struggles against English teams continued, with that being their 11th defeat in 20 (5-4-11). In total, they have conceded 39 times in those games.
7 - A ruthless Palace side were clinical in front of goal, making the most of their chances to grab a second win over Ukrainian opposition this term. Oliver Glasner's men stayed composed after conceding right after the interval, with Daichi Kamada getting a goal and assist to put them in a strong position. The Eagles were the only team this week to win by more than one goal, a precious advantage for them to take to Selhurst Park. Of the 10 attempts they had in the 90 minutes, seven of them were on target, which is incredible accuracy.
5 - Rayo Vallecano have the first leg advantage after Alemao netted the only goal of the game in a 1-0 success against Strasbourg. Los Franjirrojos, playing in just their second continental season, are on the cusp of becoming the second Spanish team to reach the UECL final after Real Betis did so last term. Amassing a whopping 24 shots in the match, they will be disappointed to just have a one-goal lead. They have a tough 90 minutes coming up in France next week. For now, they can enjoy a fifth clean sheet at home in the competition this season.
3 - In what has to be seen as Strasbourg's worst performance in the Conference League this term, Le Racing failed to register a shot on target. Instead, they can count themselves lucky to still be in the tie. Just as it happened in the quarter-finals, Gary O'Neil's side will have to try and overcome a first leg defeat. It will be a tall order, especially if they fail to improve upon Thursday night's showing. While they have scored steadily throughout the competition, this was the third time where Strasbourg were kept off the scoreboard, all of them coming in two-legged ties.
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