The Champions League always brings excitement. Our Champions League Awards highlight the top moments of a thrilling week in European football.
Moment of the Week
This week, four teams faced the challenge of coming back from a three-goal loss in the first leg of their Champions League matches. Chelsea, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur fell short, but Sporting Lisbon set an inspiring example. The Portuguese team advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time since 1983, overcoming a 3-0 deficit to victory against Bodo/Glimt.
Sporting CP have overturned a three-goal deficit to progress from a knockout stage tie in a major European competition for just the second time in their history.
◎ vs. Man Utd (1964)
◉ vs. Bodø/Glimt (2026)It’s the first time they have reached the quarter-finals of the… pic.twitter.com/9sLYlbyd88
— Squawka (@Squawka) March 17, 2026
Sporting scored three unanswered goals to push the match into extra time, where they shocked the visitors with a fourth goal early into the added period. A fifth goal capped off a remarkable comeback, demonstrating their resilience against the favorites.
Player of the Week
Raphinha had an outstanding week, following a hat-trick in La Liga with a stellar performance against Newcastle. He was involved in the first five goals as Barcelona scored seven against their Premier League rivals at the Camp Nou.
Only Lionel Messi has a higher goal contribution rate than Raphinha at home in the UCL 🤩🏠
Elite company 👑 pic.twitter.com/D5jxeZY8co
— LiveScore (@livescore) March 18, 2026
He started with a composed goal, set up the second with a perfect dead-ball delivery, won a penalty for the third, and added two assists and another goal in a dominant second half.
Goal of the Week
Eberechi Eze marked his first Champions League goal in style. The Arsenal midfielder’s powerful strike opened the scoring against Bayer Leverkusen, helping the team advance to the quarter-finals.
What a way to score your first Champions League goal 🤩 pic.twitter.com/aoeZOzBJt4
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 18, 2026
Save of the Week
The focus was on the goalkeepers during Tottenham’s first-leg loss to Atletico. Guglielmo Vicario returned for the second leg and made a crucial save to keep his team in the match.
Despite some criticism, Vicario showcased his skills with a late adjustment that denied a deflected shot.
Vicario pulls off an outstanding save to keep Tottenham ahead on the night 🧤@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/dtgRIJRByV
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 18, 2026
Stat of the Week
English managers have faced challenges in Catalonia this century. Eddie Howe became the first Englishman to manage against Barcelona at the Camp Nou since Gary Neville in 2016. While Neville suffered a heavy defeat, Howe’s team also faced difficulties, as Newcastle became only the second English club to concede six or more goals in a Champions League match.
7-0 – Eddie Howe tonight becomes the first Englishman to manage against Barcelona at the Camp Nou since Gary Neville, who lost 7-0 with Valencia in February 2016. Memories. pic.twitter.com/emPN8WcPlZ
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 18, 2026
A week to forget for…
Mamadou Sarr had a challenging Champions League debut. The Chelsea defender made a crucial mistake that allowed PSG to score early at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea needed a perfect performance to have any chance of winning, but Sarr’s error early in the game made recovery difficult. He was substituted at halftime after a tough first half.
To add to his troubles, Sarr also had his AFCON medal with Senegal taken away, making it a rough few days for him.
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