Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Aston Villa are the eight teams present in the quarter-finals of the 2024-25 Champions League.
The holders Real Madrid squeezed past Atletico Madrid on penalties on Wednesday night, with the two teams level at 2-2 on aggregate following the completion of extra-time in the second leg, and Carlo Ancelotti's side will face Arsenal in the final eight.
The Gunners had no problems sweeping aside PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16, with a 2-2 draw in the second leg at the Emirates Stadium giving them a 9-3 success over the Dutch side.
Barcelona were 3-1 winners over Benfica in their second leg on home soil to record a 4-1 aggregate success, with the Catalan team now preparing to tackle Dortmund, who beat Lille 2-1 on Wednesday to run out 3-2 winners in the tie.
Bayern comfortably beat Bayer Leverkusen 5-0 on aggregate to set up a quarter-final with Inter, who were 4-1 winners over Feyenoord, with Tuesday's 2-1 success on home soil confirming their progression.
The final last-eight tie sees Paris Saint-Germain take on Villa - the former were excellent against Liverpool over the two legs of their last-16 tie, ultimately winning on penalties at Anfield on Tuesday, while the latter beat Club Brugge 6-1 on aggregate.
Here, Sports Mole selects its Champions League Team of the Week from the second legs of the last-16 ties in the competition, and there were a number of outstanding performers once again.
DEFENCE
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Gianluigi Donnarumma was sensational against Liverpool on Tuesday evening, with the 26-year-old putting in a stunning performance to help PSG record a 1-0 win on the night, and he was then brilliant in the penalty shootout, making two saves, with the Italy international a key contributor to his team advancing to the quarter-finals of the competition.
There are two more PSG players in the defensive part of this side, with Achraf Hakimi and Willian Pacho both included - the duo were in excellent form against Liverpool, helping their side to keep a clean sheet, and the energy of the latter in particular was extraordinary, as he continued to break forward deep into the extra-time period.
Alphonso Davies also makes it, with the Canada international a standout performer for Bayern against Leverkusen; the left-back was on the scoresheet in the last-16 second leg, while he made five tackles to help his side out defensively.
There had to be a spot in the lineup for Jose Gimenez considering his display for Atletico against Real Madrid; the 30-year-old made four tackles and won two aerial duels, dealing with Kylian Mbappe brilliantly, and he did not deserve to be on the losing side.
MIDFIELD
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Vitinha was another outstanding PSG performer at Anfield, with the 25-year-old boasting a pass success rate of 93%, while he made five tackles, as PSG secured one of the most impressive results in their entire history.
A second Atletico player makes the XI, with Pablo Barrios included due to his excellent midfield performance against Real Madrid - the 21-year-old completed 59 of his 66 passes, and his energy over the course of the match was something quite special.
Marco Asensio operates as the number 10 in this particular side, with the Spaniard in brilliant form for Villa against Club Brugge; the attacker has made a huge impression since arriving on loan from PSG in January, and he came up with a brace during a standout display at Villa Park.
ATTACK
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Two of the forwards are from Barcelona, as it was simply impossible to leave either Raphinha or Lamine Yamal out considering their contribution to the cause, with both players in exceptional form against Benfica on Tuesday night.
Raphinha scored twice and provided an assist to continue what has been a stunning season for the Brazilian, while Yamal scored once and provided an assist, with the 17-year-old a simply extraordinary talent.
There was one outstanding centre-forward in the last-16 second legs, with Harry Kane demonstrating that he remains one of the finest strikers in world football and one of the greatest goalscorers in the history of football; the England captain scored once and provided an assist in Bayern's 2-0 win over Leverkusen, who simply could not live with him on the night.
SPORTS MOLE'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK
Sports Mole's Champions League Team of the Week (4-3-3): Donnarumma (PSG); Hakimi (PSG), Gimenez (Atletico), Pacho (PSG), Davies (Bayern); Vitinha (PSG), Barrios (Atletico); Yamal (Barcelona), Asensio (Villa), Raphinha (Barcelona); Kane (Bayern)
Matt Law
