GOAL writers discuss Real Madrid's Champions League voodoo, Arsenal's European title credentials and PSG's chance to win it all

And so another Champions League knockout round passes. We're back where we should be after a middling League stage. A round of 16 clash that supplied jeopardy. The last eight looks tasty. Yet there hasn't been a shortage of controversy – or drama. Penalty shootouts were needed to decide two ties. Liverpool lost theirs to PSG fair and square (although they had Darwin Nunez taking penalties.)

Real Madrid's win, though, was far more contentious. Julian Alvarez's potential decisive penalty was ruled to be a double hit – and was therefore chalked off. These are fine margins, and Madrid tend to come out on top in such circumstances. But such is the jeopardy of the draw that not every top team can make it to the last eight. Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal are both back in the mix – although neither looks battle-hardened for the highest level of European football.

Piece it together, and it was a wonderful week, with the promise of more to come. GOAL US writers break it all down in a Champions League edition of… The Rondo.

AFPDid PSG deserve to beat Liverpool across the two legs?

Tom Hindle: Yes? No? Probably? Maybe, sort of, just about. It was 210 minutes of gripping football. PSG dominated for 45. Liverpool dominated for 30. The rest in between was full of nearly-moments and relentless tension – without much in the way of final product. Has a game so watchable ever ended 1-1 on aggregate? The easy way out is to say that football is a game of fine margins, and at the end of it all, PSG had an elite penalty-kick stopper and Liverpool had Darwin Nunez.

Jacob Schneider: They were the better team across two legs, and it's hard to argue against how brilliant their midfield was in Leg 2. Liverpool could have used more from their attack, particularly Mo Salah, who struggled mightily against Nuno Mendes. In game two alone, he lost possession 31 times – it just wasn't good enough from Salah. That's not to say Liverpool didn't have their chances, though. Arne Slot is a truly brilliant manager, and this felt like the start of something special under his leadership.

Ryan Tolmich: Absolutely. They dominated the first game and should have won by multiple goals, only to be thwarted by a world-class Alisson performance. Their own goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, stood on his head in the second leg to keep them in it but, once it reached extra time, PSG looked the more lively team. Shootouts are a lottery but, leading up to that, PSG had more than enough chances to win the tie, having gone toe-to-toe with one of the world's best teams. Now, they can definitively say they're up there, too, as they push for that coveted Champions League crown.

Alex Labidou: This really should have been the Champions League's final, when it's all said and done. Two managers at their peak, two squads fully bought in, and quality all over – it's a real shame one had to be eliminated at this stage. That said, there isn't a case where one can say PSG didn't deserve to win. They dominated Liverpool and should've won Leg 1 easily. Yes, they escaped Anfield with penalties, but that's more on Liverpool capitulating than PSG stealing one.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesShould Julian Alvarez’s penalty have been retaken?

TH: Yes. End of. You can't help but feel sorry for the guy, who took a really, really, really good pen – only for it to be chalked off by a very silly, very obscure rule that even those in the stands didn't get. It's harsh that he had to retake. But it's also Madrid. Wasn't this inevitable?

JS: If a goalkeeper leaves his line early and saves a penalty kick, it's a re-take for the shooter – he's given another chance. In this scenario, where the ball accidentally touches both boots and goes in, shouldn't it be viewed in the same manner? There's no need for controversy, just tell the shooter he needs to re-take it. It's absolutely nonsensical that Atleti were handed a disadvantage in the shootout due to this absolutely ridiculous rule.

RT: VAR is good and all, but is this really what we want it used for? Did it hit his foot twice? Maybe. Should it matter? Not at all. No one dreams of their team winning through negligible VAR calls, and deciding games like this is so, so far away from the spirit of the game. It's like that line in the "Jurassic Park" movie: “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.” Yes, VAR can detect things to the millimeter and use those millimeters to decide games, legacies and lives. But should they? Hell no.

AL: It's pure and utter BS. But it doesn't matter because when you're up against Real Madrid, the calls are forever in their favor. Have to feel for Atleti and their fans.

GettyWho’s the favorite to win it all?

TH: Real Madrid. Penalty kick voodoo against Atleti can only signal one thing: they're going to win it – again.

JS: Have to say, PSG are looking fantastic. The likes of Vitinha and Joao Neves central, with Ousmane Dembele up top along with Bradley Barcola and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, they're playing some truly brilliant soccer. That's not to mention the emergence of Desire Doue, either, though. Barcelona look formidable, as well. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha are in some form, and the Blaugrana as a whole just seem like they're ready for a competition like this.

RT: Once the final whistle is blown on a defeated Real Madrid, wait 10-15 minutes, take a breath or two, eat a snack and then you can officially declare them dead and buried. There is no getting rid of this team, particularly at this level, and the scary thing is that they're getting better. Carlo Ancelotti is finally unlocking Kylian Mbappe. Antonio Rudiger brings attitude from the defense and this team still has one of the best midfield engine rooms in the world. Until they're actually gone, picking against them is silly. They're the kings of this competition, and that crown doesn't go elsewhere until someone forcibly takes it.

AL: On paper, it should be Real, but the club always feels like they're a Vini Jr.-Mbappe fracas away from self-implosion. Arsenal can be the sneaky team to do it all this year, and Arteta's future might depend on it. Yet, it's hard to deny there's something special building in Paris. Allez PSG!

Getty ImagesWhich remaining team is the biggest fraud?

TH: Somehow we've ended up with a nice balance of teams remaining here. Would it have been nice to see Liverpool in the last eight? Sure. But there aren't any teams who areoff it in terms of quality – even Dortmund make things happen on European nights. Can't help but feel like Barca are overdue an absolute pasting at some point, though. Young team, high line, lack of midfield physicality. Reeks of an underwhelming loss.

JS: Has to be Arsenal. They've been truly haunted by injuries in 2024-25, and that plays a role, of course, but that squad is not built to take on the likes of Real Madrid in the next round. Los Blancos should sweep the floor with them – even if Bukayo Saka returns. Eyes can also turn to the likes of Aston Villa, but I think it's well known across the remaining eight that they're the least likely to compete for the title this year.

RT: Borussia Dortmund. You already know Robert Lewandowski, meet Lamine Yamal. Meet Raphinha, too. All three of these players are world class and, ultimately, they'll almost certainly be too much for you to handle. Dortmund are struggling in the Bundesliga and, although a Champions League run can lift spirits, they're running into a Barcelona buzzsaw. This is a new Barca, one that can be defined as the early days of this Yamal Era. Logic would say to beat them now while you still can't. Dortmund, though, aren't good enough to do that. It could be a rough one for them.

AL: The answer screams Dortmund. Yes, they've got a feel-good win against Lille, but this team has been frustratingly poor all season long. Whoever they get drawn against will likely be favorites – and with good reason.