The first legs of the 2023-24 Champions League round of 16 are all wrapped up as Manchester City look to defend their title, Arsenal make their return to knockout stage for the first time since 2017 and stuttering Bayern Munich face an uphill battle. Although there haven’t been any instant classics yet, there was enough drama and upset to leave plenty at stake in the return legs.
We asked ESPN writers Gab Marcotti, James Olley and Julien Laurens to answer some of our burning questions.
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1. What caught your eye from the first-leg games?
Julien Laurens: The lack of entertainment has been quite baffling. I haven’t fully enjoyed any of the games and I don’t think there was one game where both teams played well. We have had some good performances for each team’s style — like Inter Milan, Manchester City, Lazio or FC Porto — but those games were not great overall. Some big teams like Arsenal and Bayern didn’t show up, while PSV Eindhoven vs. Borussia Dortmund and Napoli vs. Barcelona also disappointed.
Gab Marcotti: I’m still not sure how I feel about abolishing the away goals rule. I mean, it makes sense and it’s fairer to do so, but it has certainly reinforced the idea that the first legs are really just the first half of an 180-minute game. And I think it has changed the approach that coaches take. Lazio’s win over Bayern is a good example of this: they defended heavily for a long spell, went for it, scored, then lamented the fact that they didn’t get a second. Under the old system, a 1-0 home win is a good result, because if you score away, the opposition basically need to score three goals or more. Now, that’s not the case.
James Olley: Arsenal’s timidity. They will still expect to qualify given the narrow margin of Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat to FC Porto, but the manner of the loss will be of concern given how inhibited they appeared throughout. A raucous Emirates Stadium crowd should help turn the tie in their favour but it was difficult not to think the occasion got to Mikel Arteta’s young side — or perhaps the weight of history given Arsenal have exited the Champions League at the round-of-16 stage for seven consecutive seasons in which they have competed. Either way, they will need to significantly improve their level to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2010.
