European Quarter Finals Begin

After a narrowing of my blogging spectrum, this post sees both European competitions reviewed together as the UEFA Champions and Europa Leagues reach the quarter final stage.

Tuesday's Champions League action saw last season's Madrid final repeated between Atletico and Real with neither side able to make a breakthrough in a 0-0 draw meaning no advantage for the second leg though with Real at home it could prove crucial for them.

Juventus will take a slim advantage into the second leg after securing a 1-0 win at home to Monaco with the winning goal on the night coming in the 57th minute as Arturo Vidal slotted in a penalty.

Wednesday's action provided more excitement with eight goals across the two games, FC Porto stunned Bayern Munich in a 3-1 home win which saw the hosts make a perfect start with a seven minute brace from Ricardo Quaresma. The playmaker slotted in a penalty in the third minute before adding a second on 10 minutes, Thiago Alcantara pulled one back for Bayern on 28 minutes but the victory was comfirmed by Jackson Martinez' 65th minute strike for 3-1.

Barcelona and PSG met in a huge clash which saw the Catalans cruise to a 3-1 away win which saw Neymar open the scoring on 18 minutes before a superb 12 minute brace from Luis Suarez put them in control at 3-0. PSG found a late consolation that keeps them in the tie as Gregory van der Wiel's shot cannoned in off Barca defender Jeremy Mathieu for 3-1 on 82 minutes.

Thursday's Europa action saw three of the four games feature five goals combined while the fourth saw five itself, Club Brugge and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk draw 0-0 in a game that will surely give the visitors a slight advantage with the journey involved for Brugge in the second leg.

Dynamo Kiev looked to have secured a slim 1-0 win at home to Fiorentina after Lens put them in front after 36 minutes. However, a leveller late on from Babacar in the 90th minute salvaged a draw for the Italians whose away goal gives them a slight advantage for the second leg.


Sevilla moved closer to claiming back-to-back titles with a 2-1 win at home to Zenit despite the Russian's taking a 29th minute lead through Ryazantsev before being pegged back by an equaliser from Bacca on 73 minutes. Denis Suarez secured the win and a first leg advantage with an 87th minute winner.

Napoli look to have sealed their passage into the last four after a stunning 4-1 win away to Wolfsburg with first half strikes from Gonzalo Higuain and Marek Hamsik on 15 and 23 minutes sending them into the break 2-0 ahead. Hamsik claimed a brace on 64 minutes before Gabbiadini made it 4-0 with 14 minutes remaining but the hosts did claim a consolation late on as Nicklas Bendtner struck on 80 minutes for 4-1.