UEFA Youth League round of 16: Milan, Madrid, Bayern, Mainz, Nantes, Porto, Copenhagen, Olympiacos through
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
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AC Milan, Real Madrid, Bayern, Nantes, Mainz, Porto, Olympiacos and Copenhagen are into the last eight.
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AC Milan, Bayern München, Nantes, debutants Mainz, former UEFA Youth League winners Real Madrid and Porto (who beat holders AZ Alkmaar), Copenhagen and Olympiacos have all booked quarter-final slots after the conclusion of the round of 16.
In this round, the eight UEFA Champions League path group winners took on the eight winners of the play-offs between the domestic champions path winners and the Champions League path group runners-up.
All the ties were played as one-off games, going straight to penalties if level after 90 minutes. As in previous seasons, the semis and final will be staged at a single venue in April.
Road to the finals: Youth League knockout draw
Round of 16
Tuesday 27 February
AZ Alkmaar 1-1 Porto (3-4 pens)
Žilina 1-1 Copenhagen (2-4 pens)
Mainz 2-1 Manchester City
Wednesday 28 February
Olympiacos 2-2 Lens (4-2 pens)
AC Milan 2-2 Braga (4-2 pens)
Salzburg 0-1 Nantes
Bayern München 3-2 Feyenoord
Real Madrid 2-0 Leipzig
Quarter-finals: 12/13 March
1: Mainz vs Porto
2: Nantes vs Copenhagen
3: Bayern vs Olympiacos
4: Milan vs Real Madrid
Semi-finals: 19 April (single venue)
1: Bayern / Olympiacos vs Nantes / Copenhagen
2: Mainz / Porto vs Milan / Madrid
Final: 22 April (single venue)
Winners semi-final 1 vs Winners semi-final 2
Matches
Wednesday 28 February
Olympiacos 2-2 Lens (4-2 pens)
Olympiacos became the first Greek quarter-finalist after coming back from two down to end Lens's debut run on penalties. Konstantinos Tanoulis converted the winning kick after the visitors had missed their third and fourth attempts.
Ayanda Sishuba's free-kick had given Lens a 19th-minute lead which Rayan Fofana doubled early in the second half. However, in a five-minute spell either side of the hour, Charalampos Kostoulas pulled one back from the penalty spot and Stavros Pnevmonidis pounced to equalise to force the shoot-out.
Milan are one step from reaching the semi-finals for the second year running, recovering from conceding a last-gasp equaliser to pip debutants Braga on penalties. Diego Sia won a 12th-minute spot kick, only to miss it, but still put Milan in front midway through the first half as he turned in Filippo Scotti's cross.
Dinis Rodrigues levelled on 66 minutes following good work by Rúben Furtado, but soon after Milan substitute Davide Bartesaghi put in a cross that Kevin Zeroli met with an outrageous back-heeled volley. Deep in added time Rúben Furtado headed an equaliser to prompt penalties, yet it was Zeroli who still got a winner with the decisive kick.
Bayern booked their first quarter-final at the tenth attempt. Having lost at this stage twice before, Bayern were three up by half-time today. Benedikt Wimmer poked in a Jonathan Asp Jensen corner on 20 minutes, Javier Fernández ran on to Lovro Zvonarek's through ball to notch the second and Emirhan Demircan got the third in similar style just before half-time.
Fabiano Rust pulled one back on 52 minutes following a Nesto Groen pass, and it was soon 3-2 as substitute Djomar Giersthove rose to nod in a cross from the left. However, Bayern held on, keeper Max Schmitt turning Ayoub Ouarchi's strike on to the crossbar in added time.
Former champions Salzburg fell in the round of 16 for a second consecutive season as Nantes continued their best run in this competition.
Nantes led on 15 minutes when Exaucé Mafoumbi sent Malang Gomes clear in the box to score at the second attempt, after Salzburg keeper Salko Hamzic blocked the first shot. Salzburg pushed hard but could not find an equaliser, Adam Daghim hitting the post in the 90th minute.
The 2019/20 champions extended their record number of quarter-final appearances to eight (from ten editions), seeing off a side in the round of 16 for the first time. Madrid were ahead on 24 minutes when César Palacios's turn and pass teed up Gonzalo García to score from the edge of the area.
It remained a tight encounter until Madrid clinched victory with nine minutes left, substitute Daniel Meso sending a deep corner to the edge of the box for Cristian Perea to drive in.
Tuesday 27 February
AZ Alkmaar 1-1 Porto (3-4 pens)
Holders AZ are out after a dramatic finish against the 2018/19 winners. Porto had the better of the early stages but in the 34th minute AZ led as Julian Oerip combined with Jayden Addai and played a pass that sent Yoël van den Ban clear to chip in past Diogo Fernandes. AZ looked set to win their sixth Youth League games in a row without conceding but in added time António Ribeiro headed in a Gil Martins corner and after Diogo Fernandes denied Kees Smit at point-blank range, the tie went to penalties.
Porto's second kick from Anhá Candé was stopped by Tristan Kuijste but Diogo Fernandes saved from Rayan Atikallah and Jayden Addai, allowing Gonçalo Sousa the opportunity to covert and take the visitors through a year after they fell at this stage on penalties to Liverpool. AZ have at least equalled Chelsea's record of 17 straight UEFA Youth League matches unbeaten over 90 minutes.
Žilina 1-1 Copenhagen (2-4 pens)
Copenhagen are into their first quarter-final in this competition and are one win from giving Denmark their maiden appearance in the last four. There was drama from the off when Mário Sauer had an early penalty saved by Oscar Gadeberg Buur, but he then hit a tenth-minute equaliser for Žilina as in between Amin Chiakha had made it 1-0 to Copenhagen, becoming the competition's top scorer this season in six.
Buur again showed his prowess in the shoot-out as, with Vladimír Vaľko having already missed and Copenhagen having scored all four of their penalties, the keeper saved from Vuk Atanasijević and was engulfed by celebrating team-mates. There was a crowd of 10,785 at Štadión MŠK Žilina, the second biggest ever in the round of 16 after the 12,871 that saw Anderlecht beat Barcelona 1-0 in 2015.
Mainz, already on their club's best European run at any level, are now the first Youth League debutants to get to the quarter-finals since Hoffenheim in 2018/19 as they delighted a sell-out Bruchwegstadion. The home team led on 16 minutes when Tim Müller finished off a fine team move but City piled on the pressure and equalised just before half-time through Justin Oboavwoduo.
The decisive moment came early in the second half when Safyan Toure, brought on by Mainz at the interval, was fouled in the box by Mahamadou Susoho and Philipp Schulz converted the penalty to ultimately decide the tie.