Following a week riddled by soccer’s worst match-fixing scandal to date, the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals got under way Tuesday with two very exciting matches. Both visiting teams were able to capitalize on their chances as strong defensive performances carried through to their forwards.

Juventus produced the best result of the day, netting three away goals past Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Foster and leaving the Celtic forwards blank. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was about to follow similar suit at Valencia as they led 2-0, but conceded a late goal during stoppage time at the end of regulation. 

Juventus, who sits atop the Serie A table in Italy, proved against a hard-fighting Celtic squad that it should be considered amongst Europe’s top teams. The Italian side got off to a fast start as striker Alessandro Matri stunned the Hoops, placing one in the back of the net in the third minute. For the next 70 minutes, the score remained tied as Neil Lennon’s side attempted to battle back. The intensity of the game was at its peak shortly before each half ended, as six yellow cards appeared during those minutes. As tempers flared between players, the actions on the field began to mirror those of a professional wrestling match. Juventus broke the 1-0 score during the 77th minute as Claudio Marchisio connected off a counter-attack, which was followed a few minutes later in the 83rd as Mirso Vucinic struck in the team’s third and final goal. 

Although Celtic was able to win possession 53 to 47 percent and out-shoot their opponents 17 to 10, they could not manage to put anything past Juve keeper Gigi Buffon. Juve’s 3-5-2 formation, centered around star midfielder Andre Pirlo, may have left the Hoops with more shots, but playing with a lone striker in a 4-5-1 formation may not have been the best move for the Scottish side. Tuesday's result may come as shock to some, as Celtic was able to get wins past Barcelona and Spartak Moscow in the group stages to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in five years.

Unfortunately the momentum did not carry over, as Celtic now sits in a huge 3-0 hole on aggregate with three away goals against them. It’s easy for one to count them out from advancing to the next round, but bigger miracles have happened before. Expect the side to come out hungry, led by attackers Gary Hooper and Victor Wanyama, when Celtic heads to Italy on March 6 for the second leg. 

PSG comes out ahead in Spain

Although PSG at Valencia was not as anticipated as Juve-Celtic, the match still provided plenty of excitement. In front of a crowd of 55,000 hysterical Spaniards, the French side was able to come away with a crucial win, leaving them ahead 2-1 on aggregate and with two pivotal away goals. Both PSG goals came during the first half from the team's Argentine duo; Ezequiel Lavezzi connected early in the 10th minute and an unlikely goal scorer Javier Pastore scored right before the half. Ahead 2-0 heading into stoppage time, it appeared PSG was going to walk away with a dream win away from home, but Valencia striker Adil Rami scored off a beautiful shot to give Valenica the lifeline they much needed.

Valencia’s chances look very good heading into the second leg in Paris, as PSG star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be sidelined because of a red card he received during Tuesday's match for aiming a boot at Valencia’s Andres Guardado. In addition to Ibrahimovic, PSG midfielder Marco Verratti will also be serving a suspension next game as he picked up his third booking of the campaign. Despite everyone’s wishes, newly-acquired PSG midfielder David Beckham did not see any action in Tuesday's match. When the clubs head to Paris for the second leg, look for Valencia to increase its attack, as away goals may end up being the deciding factor in this match. 

Wednesday's matches have a lot of promise, as Manchester United heads to Spain to take on Real Madrid and their former striker Cristiano Ronaldo. Both teams are coming off big wins from the weekend, which only creates even further hype around the match. Expect a high-scoring classic from this one that will eventually come down to away goals. Wednesday's other match features Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk against one of Germany’s top clubs, Dortmund. Although not as anticipated as Real Madrid vs. Man U, these two clubs have the ability to put on a spectacle of soccer beauty at any possible moment.

 

 

Reach Staff Writer Henry Foster Rubenstein here.