Missed the Saka penalty because of the timing of the night prayer, and I was honestly worried. If things had gone sideways, the weight on his shoulders would've been heavy again.
But as the game went on, my confidence grew. This Madrid side? Nowhere near the hype. The whole Remontada talk was silent. Their flying forwards? Clipped.
Rodrygo was missing across both legs. Vinicius? Jurriën Timber built a wall around him. The best he managed were corner kicks. If not for Saliba’s lapse, we’d have had a clean sheet against Madrid in our history books.
Top performance across the board — hard to even single anyone out.
Lewis Skelly (how old is he again?) played like a seasoned pro.
Kiwior was a rock — no signs of rust despite limited minutes.
Rice? Lord over the midfield across both legs. His reading of the game and interceptions were next level.
Even with Saliba’s slip, he was magnificent. 12 clearances. Unmatched.
Honestly, it even felt like we didn’t move into second gear. Some attacks felt too calm, like when Ødegaard got into good positions but chose to slow it down. Maybe it was all part of the plan.
That Martinelli moment? Anticipated it all night and it didn’t disappoint. His speed was key. And shoutout to Merino for those two assists - massively underrated.
Quarter-finals: ✅
Next stop: PSG.
Can’t wait.