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All to Play for in Champions League Quarterfinals as Mbappe Looks to Rekindle Form for PSG

Paris Saint-Germain's French forward #07 Kylian Mbappe reacts during the UEFA Champions League quarter final first leg football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and FC Barcelona at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on April 10, 2024. (AFP)
Paris Saint-Germain's French forward #07 Kylian Mbappe reacts during the UEFA Champions League quarter final first leg football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and FC Barcelona at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on April 10, 2024. (AFP)
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All to Play for in Champions League Quarterfinals as Mbappe Looks to Rekindle Form for PSG

Paris Saint-Germain's French forward #07 Kylian Mbappe reacts during the UEFA Champions League quarter final first leg football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and FC Barcelona at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on April 10, 2024. (AFP)
Paris Saint-Germain's French forward #07 Kylian Mbappe reacts during the UEFA Champions League quarter final first leg football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and FC Barcelona at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on April 10, 2024. (AFP)

Eighteen goals. Talking points aplenty. And, crucially, all four matchups are still very much alive.

The Champions League quarterfinals are certainly living up to their billing heading into the second legs.

If the drama wasn't enough on Tuesday when Real Madrid drew 3-3 at home to defending champion Manchester City and Bayern Munich was held 2-2 at Arsenal, there was even more on Wednesday as Barcelona won 3-2 at Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid conceded late in its 2-1 home win over Borussia Dortmund.

It sets up some intriguing plotlines.

Is this the end of Kylian Mbappe's hopes of finally winning a Champions League title in his last season at PSG, or can he rediscover his best form to spark a turnaround at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys? After all, he scored a hat trick in his last visit to Barcelona, in 2021.

Can Madrid, the record 14-time European champion, lean on its mythical status in this competition to end City's title defense? Remember, City thrashed Madrid 4-0 in the second leg of the semifinals last season after a first-leg draw in Spain.

Will Bayern keep going in Europe in a season when Germany's top club has abjectly surrendered its Bundesliga title?

And can Atletico hold out in front of Dortmund's storied “Yellow Wall” and get back to the semifinals for the first time since 2017?

Here's a closer look at the four matches:

TUESDAY:

BARCA'S RUN

When Xavi Hernández stunned Barcelona in January by saying he'd had enough of his team's inexplicable losses, he added he hoped his players would respond to his shock therapy by playing better before his summer exit. That ploy appears to have worked — Barcelona has yet to lose in 13 games since Xavi said he was renouncing the final year of his contract.

Reaching the Champions League semifinals would be a step forward for a team that hasn't reached that stage since 2018-19. It would also boost the debt-ridden club's finances with an additional 12.5 million euros ($13.3 million) in prize money.

While Xavi has rejuvenated his team by giving bigger roles to teenagers Lamine Yamal and, especially, defender Pau Cubarsí in recent weeks, he will again turn to the established players Barca signed at considerable expense two seasons ago after they led the team in Paris. Like Raphinha, who scored twice in the first leg, and Robert Lewandowski, who will be well rested after serving a suspension over the weekend.

PSG will need an improved performance from Mbappe, who failed to hit the target from three shots, lost the ball 13 times and was caught offside three times.

THRIVING IN ADVERSITY

Adversity seems to be bringing the best out of Dortmund this season, so a one-goal deficit to Atlético Madrid from the first leg might be just the challenge needed to motivate Edin Terzić’s team. Dortmund beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday despite Karim Adeyemi’s sending-off but the win came at the expense of injuries to forwards Sébastien Haller and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.

Dortmund’s league campaign has been disappointing after almost winning the Bundesliga last season but the team has shone in the Champions League, finishing top of a group containing PSG, AC Milan and Newcastle and then finishing the job against PSV Eindhoven at home to reach the quarterfinals.

Atletico is reviving memories of that spell from 2014-17 when it got to the final twice — losing both times to Real Madrid — and the semifinals once under current coach Diego Simeone.

WEDNESDAY:

TOUGH TASK

Madrid might be the king of European soccer, but the team has a tough task heading to Etihad Stadium. City hasn't lost any of its last 27 matches in all competitions, and is unbeaten in the Champions League in 22 matches — since a 3-1 loss at Madrid in the semifinals in 2021-22. Indeed, the defending champions have scored exactly three goals in each of their nine matches in the competition this season — an unprecedented achievement.

Most of the spotlight is on Erling Haaland, whose performances aren't matching those of last season — despite being the top scorer in the Premier League with 20 goals and tied for the second most in the Champions League with six. Haaland failed to score in either of the games against Madrid last year and was well-shackled by Antonio Rudiger again last week. With Aurelien Tchouaméni suspended, Nacho is likely to partner Rudiger at center back.

KANE A PAIN

Put simply, Harry Kane loves playing against Arsenal. After converting a penalty at Emirates Stadium in the first leg, make it 15 goals in 18 games against the team that was his biggest foe when the England captain played in the Premier League with Tottenham. He was part of a Bayern attack that was a menace on the counterattack last week, causing Arsenal's defense more problems than it has had in any game this season.

The second leg might be different, though, with Bayern expected to have more of the ball and Arsenal playing on the counterattack, hitting Bayern's often-fragile defense through the pace of wingers Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka. Arsenal has only reached the semifinals once (in 2009) since getting to the final in 2006 and losing to Barcelona. Bayern, a six-time European champion, has lost in the quarterfinals in each of the past three seasons.

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Australian Open Champion Jannik Sinner’s Style Draws Comparisons to Novak Djokovic 

Jannik Sinner of Italy poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup the morning after defeating Alexander Zverev of Germany in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP)
Jannik Sinner of Italy poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup the morning after defeating Alexander Zverev of Germany in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP)
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Australian Open Champion Jannik Sinner’s Style Draws Comparisons to Novak Djokovic 

Jannik Sinner of Italy poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup the morning after defeating Alexander Zverev of Germany in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP)
Jannik Sinner of Italy poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup the morning after defeating Alexander Zverev of Germany in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP)

Of all the praise bestowed on Jannik Sinner after he won his second consecutive Australian Open championship, and third Grand Slam title overall, nothing felt as significant as the comparison made by runner-up Alexander Zverev.

Facing Sinner, particularly on hard courts, reminded Zverev a lot of trying to solve the challenge presented by none other than 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic.

"He’s very, very similar to Novak when he was at his best. They barely miss. Like, barely miss. They make you think like you have to overhit all the time to have a chance in a rally against them," Zverev said after losing to Sinner 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 at Melbourne Park on Sunday night.

"It’s very, very difficult to win a point from the back of the court against them — against Novak and him," said Zverev, who is ranked No. 2 but felt much further away from No. 1 Sinner in Rod Laver Arena. "(Both) move, obviously, tremendous. They’re constantly on the baseline. They don’t give you any space. They don’t give you any time."

Sinner, still just 23, is a long way from achieving just a fraction of what Djokovic has at 37, of course.

And just as Djokovic had a couple of hurdles by the names of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to deal with, Sinner is not alone among the newest generation of tennis stars. His top rival at this point is Carlos Alcaraz, who has four Slam victories at age 21 — and won all three matches he played against Sinner in 2024.

Still, it made sense to think of Djokovic while watching Sinner extend his record in major finals to 3-0, which includes a US Open title in September.

What about Sinner is similar to Djokovic?

The never-give-an-inch court coverage. The squeaking sneakers while sprinting, stretching, sliding to reach shots that most other players wouldn't. The ability to flip from defense to offense in a split second. The wherewithal and reflexes to neutralize even the biggest servers.

Add it all up — plus a serve good enough to avoid any break points against Zverev — and Sinner is certainly formidable.

Those Djokovic-like tendencies are not mere coincidence.

Sinner, who is from Italy, modeled himself after the Serbian star.

"Game style-wise I looked up to him, trying to understand what he’s doing, how he handles the pressure moments and important moments," Sinner said. "I still believe we are different as players, because everyone is different, but for sure we have similarities. The similarities are having quite clean ball-striking from the baseline, having good movement, understanding a little bit where your opponent (is going to play) the ball."

Sinner keeps improving

The swift improvement Sinner has made over the past couple of years is unmistakable.

It's why he ascended atop the rankings last June and hasn't budged. It's why he is 80-6 with nine titles since the start of last season. It's why no one wants to play him these days.

Zverev was 4-2 against Sinner before Sunday, including wins at the US Open in 2021 and 2023.

How much has Sinner changed since then?

"He serves better. He returns better. He hits his forehand better. He hits his backhand better. He moves better. He volleys better. I mean, there’s nothing that he doesn’t do better right now," Zverev said. "I remember those matches. Before, I always felt like once I was getting on top of the rally, I was winning most of those rallies. Now it’s like he’s prime Novak. It’s so difficult to go through him."

The upcoming task will be to get better on clay and grass, the surfaces at the French Open and Wimbledon. Before play begins at Roland Garros in May, Sinner has a hearing scheduled in April in the World Anti-Doping Agency's appeal of a ruling that cleared him in a doping case.

"At the moment, I’m not thinking about this," Sinner said. "Of course, you have your moments, (on) certain days, where you feel like: ‘I wish I would not have this problem.’"

Sinner and his two coaches, Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill, all talk a lot about putting in hard work to grow even more as a player.

"He's still young. ... You never know what’s (going to) happen in the future, but for sure, he is a guy that tries to improve every day — going on court, (in) practice, trying to put new things (in) his game, trying to improve physically," Vagnozzi said. "He's one of the guys that can reach the top level. I mean, when we speak about top level, we think about Novak, about Roger or Rafa."

Pretty heady company.