4-0! 3-2! A wild night in the Champions League: Two semifinal spots decided, Paris sweeps Liverpool & Barcelona wins but heads home.

On April 15 Beijing time, the second legs of the Champions League quarter-finals concluded two matches first. The defending champion Paris beat Liverpool 2-0, sweeping Liverpool 4-0 on aggregate to advance. Barcelona, playing with 10 men, defeated Atletico Madrid 2-1, but lost 2-3 on aggregate and were eliminated, heading home. Thus, Paris and Atletico Madrid became the first to reach the semifinals!

Paris versus Liverpool. Paris is the defending champion, having won their first Champions League title last year, and their performance this season remains very strong, meeting Liverpool in the quarter-finals. In the first leg, Paris dominated Liverpool with relentless attacks, winning 2-0 to take control. In the second leg, they only needed to avoid defeat to reach the semifinals. Considering Liverpool's absolute suppression in the first leg, many felt Liverpool's elimination was almost certain. Indeed, Liverpool kept their goal intact in the first half, but in the second half, the newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner Dembélé erupted, scoring twice to help Paris defeat Liverpool 2-0. With a 4-0 aggregate sweep, Paris marched confidently into the semifinals!

Atletico Madrid versus Barcelona. Two Spanish clubs met in the quarter-finals, a clash of styles. In the first leg, Atletico Madrid secured a 2-0 victory over Barcelona, who had a player sent off early and played with 10 men. Given Atletico's defensive approach, Barcelona's chances of a comeback in the second leg were viewed pessimistically, especially playing away. However, Barcelona started aggressively, with Yamal and Ferran scoring two goals within 20 minutes, stunning Atletico and leveling the tie. Unfortunately, the momentum soon shifted. Atletico quickly launched a counter-attack; Llorente delivered a cross, and Lukman swiftly finished at the near post to score again, putting Atletico ahead. In the second half, Barcelona continued their offensive efforts, but Ferran's goal was disallowed for offside, preventing them from equalizing. Soon, they faced another setback: Eric García fouled Sørloth, who had a clear chance, and was shown a straight red card, meaning Barcelona received two red cards across both matches. Neither side scored again afterwards. Although Barcelona won 2-1, their first-leg defeat meant a 2-3 aggregate loss and elimination, sending them home!

Congratulations to Paris and Atletico Madrid for advancing to the semifinals first. Next, the second legs between Real Madrid and Bayern, as well as Arsenal and Sporting Portugal, will also take place, determining the remaining semifinalists. Let's wait and see!

Text/Sports Novel