da luck: The star forwards put in impressive displays for their sides in the first legs of the round-of-16
da doce: The UEFA Champions League knockout stage is starting to take shape now that all of the first legs of the round-of-16 ties have taken place. Inter and FC Porto have the advantage from the latest round of games, while PSV are tied with Borussia Dortmund and Napoli are all square with Barcelona.
Serie A leaders Inter are flying high and took a narrow advantage from their encounter with Diego Simeone's Atletico de Madrid. FC Porto, too, picked up a slender lead as they snatched a last-gasp winner from their home match against Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.
Things are all square between PSV and Borussia Dortmund, as the Dutch side fought back to earn a vital draw after falling behind on home soil, while Barcelona went ahead in Italy before Napoli managed to snatch a draw later in the second half.
It was an interesting week of matches in Europe's most prestigious competition, but who were the standout performers? With the help of the FedEx Performance Zone, GOAL takes a look at the stars of the UCL last week.
Getty ImagesDonyell Malen | Borussia Dortmund | 65 points
Back on home soil against the team that sold him to Borussia Dortmund, Donyell Malen made a huge impression against PSV. The forward opened the scoring just 24 minutes into the UEFA Champions League tie in Eindhoven but he did much more than that. No one had more shots in the game than the Oranje star's five attempts, but he had an incredible four on target – no one else forced more than one save in the entire game. He was absolutely pivotal for his team and was unlucky not to have given them a lead when they left Noord-Brabant.
AdvertisementGettyRobert Lewandowski | Barcelona | 50 points
Polish striker Robert Lewandowski was a huge force for Barcelona in their trip to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday. He gave his team the lead on the hour mark, but he was a massive threat throughout the game. The 35-year-old had four shouts overall – all inside the box – and won four aerial challenges over the field, marking him as a big help to Xavi's team leaving with a 1-1 draw.
GettyLautaro Martinez | Inter | 50 points
Inter look devastating in Serie A and the UEFA Champions League. They owe much of that to coach Simeone Inzaghi, but perhaps even more to star striker Lautaro Martinez. The Argentine has grown into an unbelievable figure for the San Siro side and that was on show in their match against a brutal Atletico de Madrid team. He did not get on the scoresheet, but the forward was integral as he had a total of seven shots and fought hard to win the ball as Inter managed a 1-0 win.
Getty ImagesGaleno | FC Porto | 48 points
FC Porto midfielder Galeno has been unbelievable in the UEFA Champions League this season. It was no surprise, then, to see that the late winner in his team's match against Arsenal was scored by the 26-year-old. He had already hit the woodwork in the last-16 tie and with four goals and three assists to his name in the competition before kick-off, he was a man to watch for Arteta's team, yet they could not keep him silent until the end.