The eight quarter-finalists for this season's Champions League have now been confirmed, and it is a fascinating lineup, including the reigning champions Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola's side cruised past Copenhagen, recording a 6-2 aggregate win, including a 3-1 success in the second leg of their contest earlier this month.
Real Madrid are also present, with the 14-time winners squeezing past RB Leipzig courtesy of a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their contest, which secured a 2-1 aggregate win.
Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, beat Real Sociedad 2-1 in the second leg of their last-16 clash to triumph 4-1 on aggregate, with the French champions also in the final eight.
Bayern Munich are also there, beating Lazio 3-0 in the second leg of their clash to secure a 3-1 aggregate victory after suffering a surprise 1-0 defeat in Italy.
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Atletico Madrid needed penalties to beat Inter Milan on Wednesday, with the two teams level at 2-2 after the two legs, while Borussia Dortmund managed to edge past PSV Eindhoven, with a 2-0 victory in the second leg securing a 3-1 aggregate win over the Dutch giants.
Arsenal were also involved in a penalty shootout, having drawn 1-1 with Porto over the two legs, with the Gunners managing to navigate their way into the quarter-finals.
Barcelona are the third La Liga team in the final eight, advancing to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2020 courtesy of a 3-1 win over Napoli in the second leg of their last-16 tie, which made it 4-2 on aggregate to Xavi's side.
Here, Sports Mole selects its standout XI from the second legs of the last-16 ties in this season's Champions League.
DEFENCE
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Arsenal's David Raya is unfortunate to miss out on the goalkeeping spot in his side, having saved two penalties against Porto, but Jan Oblak also made two excellent stops in Atletico's shootout with Inter, and he also outperformed Raya over the course of the match. It was another dominant performance from the 31-year-old, who also completed 20 of his 27 passes during the 120 minutes of action.
Pau Cubarsi was outstanding in Barcelona's 3-1 success over Napoli, putting in a man-of-the-match performance, and the 17-year-old sails into this side. The Spaniard has become a vital player for Xavi's side in recent weeks, and he made three tackles, won three aerial duels and boasted a pass success rate of 90% in what was a seriously impressive display from the teenager.
Mats Hummels is also selected, with the 35-year-old at his best against PSV on Wednesday night. Hummels made five tackles during a dominant defensive performance, and he was also calm and composed in possession, with PSV unable to get their name on the scoresheet in Germany.
Willi Orban is a centre-back, but he is shifted across to the right for the purposes of this side, as he simply had to be included for his performance in Leipzig's 1-1 draw with Real Madrid. The 31-year-old got his name on the scoresheet at Bernabeu and also won five aerial duels, with Real Madrid struggling to get going in the final third of the field during the second leg of their last-16 tie.
The final defensive position is awarded to Wendell for his display in Porto's clash with Arsenal. Bukayo Saka was incredibly quiet for the Gunners, and Wendell deserves huge credit for his performance against the Englishman. The 30-year-old made nine tackles during a brilliant full-back display in the English capital.
MIDFIELD
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Koke put in a true captain's performance for Atletico against Inter, with the 32-year-old at his best on Wednesday night. The Spaniard set up Memphis Depay for his side's second of the match, while he finished with a pass success rate of 86% and made two tackles during an excellent midfield display.
Mikel Merino was on the losing side against PSG, with Real Sociedad unable to match their opponents over the two legs, but the Spaniard was outstanding in his side's 2-1 loss in the second leg. The 27-year-old got his name on the scoresheet, while he incredibly won 11 aerial duels and was comfortably the standout midfielder on the pitch during the contest in Spain.
The midfield is completed by Leon Goretzka, who was a key contributor to Bayern's 3-0 success over Lazio. The 29-year-old completed 80 of his 81 passes, putting his pass success rate at 99%, while he also made three tackles in a near-perfect midfield performance at Allianz Arena.
ATTACK
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Julian Alvarez makes the XI, with the Argentina international proving to be Man City's standout performer against Copenhagen in the second leg of their last-16 tie. The forward set up Manuel Akanji in the early exchanges before registering himself in the ninth minute, and he also completed 43 of his 47 passes, outshining the rest of his teammates in the Champions League contest.
Harry Kane is also included, with the England captain netting a brace to help Bayern advance to the final eight. The 30-year-old scored twice from his four shots, and he was a constant threat to Lazio on the night. Bundesliga success will be difficult for Bayern this season, but it would be some story if Kane could lead the team to glory in the Champions League.
Kylian Mbappe appears destined to move to Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer, but he is leading the fight for PSG in the Champions League, and he netted a brace against Real Sociedad in the second leg of their contest in Spain. The 25-year-old is currently being used sparingly in Ligue 1, but he will remain a vital figure for the club in the Champions League, and he was close to his best against Real Sociedad last time out.
SPORTS MOLE'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK
Sports Mole's Champions League Team of the Week (4-3-3): Oblak; Orban, Cubarsi, Hummels, Wendell; Koke, Goretzka, Merino; Alvarez, Kane, Mbappe
Matt Law
