A Paris smash and grab, a Munich howler and a goal in Lisbon from the Champions League’s most in-form forward — it was another night of high drama in Europe’s blue-ribbon cup competition.
It took a while to catch fire, with just one goal before half-time in the evening’s three later games, but in the end, a ‘super sub’ display from a Liverpool youngster, yet another strike from a Barcelona goal machine, and a goalkeeping blunder in one game to add to a goalkeeping masterclass in another made it a memorable evening.
Wednesday’s results
- Feyenoord 0-2 Inter
- Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Liverpool
- Bayern Munich 3-0 Bayer Leverkusen
- Benfica 0-1 Barcelona
Harvey Elliott bursts PSG’s bubble
He has yet to start a game for Liverpool in the Premier League this season, but after an astonishing impact from the substitutes’ bench in Paris, Harvey Elliott is becoming their Champions League specialist.
The 21-year-old took just 47 seconds to make a huge impact and scored the only goal of their first-leg tie against Paris Saint-Germain, who had spent most of the night peppering the Premier League leaders’ goal and being denied by Alisson.
What is the French for ‘smash and grab’?
Elliott has been denied a regular role in domestic action in Arne Slot’s first season at the helm, in part due to injuries, with just 83 minutes of league action across 10 appearances from the bench.
But two of his three goals before Wednesday night had come in the Champions League and Slot turned to him on 86 minutes to replace Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah.
Less than a minute later, with his first touch, he latched onto a Darwin Nunez assist to score the match-winning goal and make his side, who were second-best all evening, big favourites to reach the last eight.
The highs and lows of goalkeeping
Who’d be a goalkeeper? Well, actually, Alisson and Anatoliy Trubin were doubtless loving it on Wednesday night. Matej Kovar and Manuel Neuer? Less so…
With Paris Saint-Germain dominant against Liverpool in their first leg in the French capital, the Premier League leaders needed their goalkeeper to be on top form and the Brazil international did not disappoint.
Alisson made a string of fine saves in a superb opening half-hour from PSG.
Then he excelled again with a fine, full-length save from a second-half Khvicha Kvaratskhelia free kick.
In Portugal, meanwhile, Ukrainian Trubin made a vital triple save for Benfica to keep Barcelona at bay in the opening stages of their clash.
For UK readers:
TRIPLE SAVE FROM TRUBIN WOW 😱
The Benfica number 1 somehow manages to stop out Barcelona’s attack with three saves in a row! 🧤
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 5, 2025
For U.S. readers:
Ok but this triple save from Benfica’s Anatoliy Trubin 🤯 pic.twitter.com/mgcYorc1o5
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 5, 2025
But Kovar had nowhere to hide when he gifted Bayern the goal that gave them a healthy advantage heading into the second leg in Leverkusen.
With his side already 1-0 down courtesy of Harry Kane’s first-half header, the Czech goalkeeper simply dropped a routine catch from a tame Joshua Kimmich cross, giving Jamal Musiala one of the simplest goals of his career.
It was a pleasing night for Bayern, but the one negative from their evening was the sight of club legend Manuel Neuer leaving the field in the second half due to injury.
But their cause was aided soon afterwards when Nordi Mukiele was sent off for a second bookable offence to complete a miserable night for Leverkusen in the all-German tie.
Did Ibrahima Konate get away with one in Paris?
No evening of elite-level football in 2025 would be complete without some VAR action.
It was hard to ignore the similarities between two incidents reviewed by the TV referees in the first halves of games at the Estadio da Luz and the Parc des Princes.
These two incidents had many parallels but one massive difference — Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi was sent off by a video assistant referee for a foul on the edge of the penalty area, while Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate was spared for what looked like an infringement in an almost identical position.
For UK readers:
BARCELONA DOWN TO 10 MEN! 🟥
Pau Cubarsi is sent off for a challenge on Vangelis Pavlidis outside the box
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 5, 2025
For U.S. readers:
Pau Cubarsí sees a straight red after a challenge on Vangelis Pavlidis 🟥 pic.twitter.com/PCFSKbZ6el
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 5, 2025
True, Cubarsi went to ground to bring down Vangelis Pavlidis, making the officials’ decision easier, but Konate appeared to clip Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, only for the video officials to rule there had been no clear and obvious error.
Benfica must be getting sick of the sight of Raphinha
Ten players? No problem, thanks to the goalscoring star of this Champions League season.
Barcelona had to play much of their game against Benfica a player down after the dismissal of Pau Cubarsi for denying a goalscoring opportunity on 22 minutes.
But if the Portuguese side saw it as a glorious opportunity, they were stung by Raphinha yet again.
In January, the 28-year-old scored a dramatic late winner to fire Barca to a 5-4 victory at the Estadio da Luz after Hansi Flick’s side had found themselves two goals down with 10 minutes to go.
On Wednesday, the Brazilian took full advantage of a horrible pass from Antonio Silva and drilled home a long-range effort to give his side the lead ahead of the return leg in Spain.
And Raphinha now has nine goals in nine Champions League games this season.
Lautaro etches his name into Inter history
Some legendary centre-forwards have worn the colours of Inter, from Italian icon Giuseppe Meazza on either side of the Second World War to modern-day greats including Ronaldo, Christian Vieri and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 21st century.
But on Wednesday night, it was Lautaro Martinez who claimed his place in the history of one of Europe’s most storied clubs.
The Argentina international scored his team’s second goal in a 2-0 first-leg win against Feyenoord to become Inter’s all-time record goalscorer in the Champions League and its predecessor, the European Cup.
For UK readers:
HE SMASHED THAT ONE HOME!! ☄️
Lautaro Martinez puts the visitors in full control of the tie! ⚔️
📺 Watch the Champions League LIVE on @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/acgdJmZwtd
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 5, 2025
For U.S. readers:
Lautaro starts it, Lautaro finishes it 💥
Inter’s captain steps up with a super strike ⚫️🔵 pic.twitter.com/b62CLnEwue
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 5, 2025
It took him to 18 goals in the competition, one ahead of club legend Sandro Mazzola, who won the trophy with Inter in both 1964 and 1965.
That came after Marcus Thuram produced a clever finish to put the Italian side ahead in Rotterdam and, while 2023 finalists Inter are not many people’s favourites to lift the trophy, they have conceded just one goal in nine games this season.
It left new Feyenoord head coach Robin van Persie facing a huge challenge to turn around the tie in Milan in the second leg. That might have become impossible had Feyenoord goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther not saved a second-half penalty from Piotr Zielinski.
For UK readers:
INCREDIBLE!!
Timon Wellenreuther saves the penalty and gives Feyenoord a lifeline! 👏
📺 Watch the Champions League LIVE on @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/LDDTF5TPGt
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 5, 2025
For U.S. readers:
A lifeline for Feyenoord as Timon Wellenreuther denies Piotr Zieliński from the spot 🧤 pic.twitter.com/d86PvUaQtY
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 5, 2025
But defeat still leaves Rotterdam-born Van Persie winless in two games in charge of his hometown club. He has a draw and a defeat since moving from Heerenveen, where he picked up just nine wins from 26 games.
(Top photos: Harvey Elliott, left, and Raphinha; by Getty Images)
