Atletico thrash Spurs as Bayern hit Atalanta for six in Champions League last-16 openers
Atletico Madrid 5-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham's miserable season reached a new low at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano as Diego Simeone's Atletico ripped them apart inside 22 minutes. Marcos Llorente opened the scoring in the sixth minute, Antoine Griezmann doubled the lead in the 14th, and Julian Alvarez made it three just a minute later. Robin Le Normand added a fourth before the half-hour mark, leaving Igor Tudor's side in tatters.
Much of the early damage was self-inflicted. Antonin Kinsky, handed a surprise Champions League debut in goal, lasted just 17 minutes before being replaced by Guglielmo Vicario after two costly errors that led directly to goals. Pedro Porro pulled one back in the 26th minute to briefly stem the bleeding, but Alvarez completed his brace on 55 minutes to restore Atletico's three-goal cushion. Dominic Solanke's 76th-minute strike was little more than a consolation.
Spurs, who sit 16th in the Premier League and just a point above the relegation zone, have now lost six straight matches across all competitions. The second leg looks like a formality for Atletico.
Bayern Munich 6-1 Atalanta
Vincent Kompany's Bayern produced their best European performance of the season with a ruthless dismantling of Atalanta in Bergamo. Josip Stanisic got things started before Michael Olise took over with a brace. Serge Gnabry, Nicolas Jackson, and Jamal Musiala all found the net as Bayern ran riot. Mario Pasalic grabbed Atalanta's lone reply in stoppage time, but by then the tie was long settled.
Six goals away from home in a Champions League knockout round is a statement from Bayern, who had been accused of fading too early in Europe in recent seasons. This time, Kompany's side look like they have the intensity to match their quality.
Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool
Liverpool's trip to Istanbul ended in frustration as Mario Lemina's early header gave Galatasaray a slender first-leg lead. Gabriel Sara swung in a seventh-minute corner, Victor Osimhen flicked it on, and Lemina headed home unmarked at the back post for his first Champions League goal.
Arne Slot's side pushed for an equaliser throughout the second half, but the closest they came was through Ibrahima Konate, whose effort was chalked off for handball after a VAR review. Osimhen had a goal disallowed for offside at the other end. Liverpool will feel confident of turning this around at Anfield, but the atmosphere at RAMS Park made for a hostile evening.
Newcastle United 1-1 Barcelona
Newcastle were four minutes from a famous victory at St James' Park before Lamine Yamal broke their hearts from the penalty spot. Harvey Barnes had given the home side a deserved lead in the 86th minute, finishing clinically after a Jacob Murphy cross. The stadium was bouncing.
Then, deep into the sixth minute of stoppage time, Malick Thiaw was adjudged to have fouled Dani Olmo inside the box. Yamal stepped up and sent Aaron Ramsdale the wrong way to level with the final kick of the match. Eddie Howe called the penalty decision "soft" but accepted there was contact. Barcelona will fancy their chances in the second leg at Camp Nou, though Newcastle showed enough to suggest the tie is far from over.
