Priceless Moments of the week: A returning hero and rewards for the unrelenting

Check out the achievements, fairy-tale stories and late drama that defined this week's UEFA Champions League round of 16 first legs with the Mastercard Priceless Moments of the week.

PSV comeback suits BVB's Malen

A PSV player from 2017–21, Donyell Malen has not scored at quite the same rate since his move to Dortmund, but the return to his old stamping ground looked to bring the best out of him, the 25-year-old twice going close before angling in his side's opener in a 1-1 draw.

The goal took him to 11 in all competitions for BVB this season: his best haul for the club yet. It was also his first-ever goal in the Champions League knockout stage, and his first in this competition overall since December 2021. Incidentally, the last Dutchman to score against a Dutch side in the Champions League was Bayern München's Arjen Robben, against PSV in October 2016.

Arnautović's prize for perseverance

In naming the Austrian striker as Player of the Match for his match-winning performance against Atlético de Madrid at the San Siro, UEFA's technical observer said of Marko Arnautović: "He changed Inter in the second half. Good movement between the lines, created chances and scored the only goal." On loan from Bologna, the 34-year-old is getting used to being an impact sub for his club.

However, if his winning finish was not exactly a classic (Arnautović pinged a loose ball into the net despite Samuel Lino's attempted clearance on the line), it will have turned nightmares into sweet dreams for the half-time substitute, who passed up a good headed chance and then blasted another shot over before finding his target. "I come on to make the difference," he said. "The third chance came after I missed a couple and I'm happy to have scored for the people who came here to cheer, as well as for my team-mates and for my family, who were here tonight."

Galeno's star continues to rise

Arnautović was not the only player to be rewarded for his persistence this week, with Galeno also reaping the benefits for years of hard graft. The dazzling midfielder played in the UEFA Europa League in four consecutive campaigns for Rio Ave, Braga and Porto before seizing his chance on the biggest stage in club football in the last two seasons.

His sensational winner against Arsenal moved him joint-top of the scoring charts in the competition this term with five, while his nine goal involvements so far cannot be equalled by any of the illustrious names in the 2023/24 Champions League. "He came up with a wonderful winner, having displayed defensive hard work and discipline," noted UEFA's technical observer, also appearing to give a nod to the 26-year-old's dedication and determination.