We recap the biggest and best moments from the first round of the UEFA Champions and Europa League playoff rounds.
Urban Pitch’s European Week in Review is back, and just like the competitions themselves, we’ve debuted a brand-new format for the knockout stages.
During the group stage, things were straightforward: best games, standout storylines, and top moments. But now, with the drama of knockout football in full swing, we’ve added some extra flair to match the thrills and spills of elimination football.
In upcoming editions, we’ll highlight the round’s standout performers, most hype moments across all ties, and shout out the most intense stadium atmospheres. Staying true to UP’s style, we’ll also dive into the fits — showcasing the best kit matchups of each round and our favorite pregame outfits.
Without further ado, here’s everything you might’ve missed (and more) from the playoffs of UEFA’s elite competitions.
Star Men of the Round
Kylian Mbappe
The only way to begin this review was by spotlighting the world’s best player. Kylian Mbappe delivered yet another masterclass, scoring his second hat-trick in seven games, and bringing his 2025 goal total to 14 in as many matches.
What defines true greatness is unleashing every weapon in your arsenal when the stakes are highest. Real Madrid vs. Manchester City had become the marquee matchup of recent seasons — a clash between two footballing titans who’ve dominated the sport like no others. All eyes were glued to the Santiago Bernabéu, and Mbappe rose to the occasion.
With the world watching, he scored three beautiful goals, handing City their earliest Champions League exit since 2012-13, and reasserting Real Madrid’s status as title contenders in the eyes of fans worldwide.
The murmurs about Mbappe’s supposed decline and lack of game-breaking ability earlier this season now seem premature at best and outright asinine at worst.
Chemsdine Talbi
The Champions League has always provided a platform for the birth of new football icons. Names that the casual fan might not know can swiftly become household.
The playoffs might have given us one of those names. Chamsdine Talbi, just 19 years old, won Player of the Match in the first leg of Club Brugge’s tie with Atalanta for his assist and overall brilliant performance. Little did we know, he had even more in his bag.
In the second leg, he put the nails in the coffin with a brace, becoming the fourth-youngest player ever to score twice in a UEFA Champions League knockout fixture, as his goals gave his side a stranglehold on this game which they would not relinquish, eventually going on to win the tie 5-2 on aggregate.
Talbi is now on seven goals and four assists in all competitions this season, and he will be crucial if Brugge are to advance past Aston Villa.
Paulo Dybala
Roma’s Argentine magician had to be substituted in the first half of their first leg against FC Porto, a game which would end in a 1-1 draw with both sides struggling to create chances and find real cutting edge. Add a red card for Bryan Cristante and it was a difficult night for the Italians, and they would have it all to do back in Rome.
Football matches are so often defined by moments of brilliance, and luckily for Roma, they employ a superstar who can provide them. Two superb goals in four minutes were the perfect response to Porto’s opener through Samu’s overhead kick.
Most Hype Moments
Bodo/Glimt’s Stoppage Time Madness
I know we said hype “moments” but the entire tie between Bodo/Glimt and FC Twente was incredible.
On pure entertainment value, this was the best matchup of the playoffs. Both legs had nail-biting late drama, with FC Twente winning the first leg 2-1 with a penalty from captain Ricky van Wolfswinkel that gave the Dutch side immense confidence as they traveled to Norway for the second leg.
That confidence would’ve skyrocketed as they got the opening goal of the second leg through a Fredrik Sjøvold own goal that made it 3-1 on aggregate.
A second-half penalty near the hour mark from the host’s No. 9 Kasper Høgh set up a grandstand finish, and the fireworks beyond 90 minutes were legendary.
The fourth official put up his board showing five minutes of added time, and the game exploded into action. Bodo had been knocking at the door for the entirety of the second half and the pressure finally paid off in the first minute of stoppage time.
A teasing cross into the box took a cruel deflection off of Twente’s Mees Hilgers for the second own-goal of the game and set up extra time. However, not even two full minutes later, Bodo had a third on the night, a thunderbolt from Brice Wembangomo that rippled the net. With less than a minute to play, surely that was the goal to send the Norwegians into the round of 16. Fate had other plans.
A chaotic goal-mouth scramble led to Sem Steijn smuggling the ball into the Bodo/Glimt net, silencing the Aspmyra Stadion and ensuring there would indeed be extra time.
The 111th minute would prove decisive when Sondre Fet slammed the ball home after a corner kick and reasserted a one-goal lead on aggregate, but if this game taught us anything, it’s that another goal is never far away. Two minutes later the ball was in Twente’s net once more, a third own goal this time from Arno Verschueren, and the host’s first two-goal lead of the entire tie. They wouldn’t relinquish the cushion, and Bodo/Glimt booked their spot in the next round with an absolutely bonkers 6-4 aggregate win.
Mbappe sends Gvardiol to the Shop
Mbappe really broke Gvardiols Ankles
😂😂😂, Hurts to watch pic.twitter.com/60v2LvJZv1— MAGE 🐧 (@Mage_Crypt) February 20, 2025
There was no way you could speak about hype moments without mentioning the most viral incident across football social media this week.
For the second goal of his brilliant hat-trick against Manchester City, Mbappe received the ball in the box after some brilliant interplay between Madrid’s big four. Jude Bellingham found Vinicius Jr. with an incisive slide rule ball before the Brazilian found his countryman Rodrygo through a low cross.
The rest was down to the Frenchman. Rodrygo slid through Mbappe and with five Manchester City players around him, it seemed as if he was playing alone on the training ground. Unfazed, unbothered, and unfettered as of late and it showed as his feint sent Josko Gvardiol tumbling into next week before he rifled it in at Ederson’s near post.
As he wheeled away in celebration he looked back to point at the Croatian in mimic his hopeless slide, adding insult to injury in the most disrespectful way; and we absolutely loved it.
Best Kit Matchup
Bayern Munich vs. Celtic, Second Leg
In one of the games which hung tantalizingly in the balance at kickoff, Bayern needed to avoid defeat at home to Celtic to book their place in the round of 16. What else could elevate this clash of two historic giants but two gorgeous kits?
Both come courtesy of adidas, with Bayern’s cream third kit featuring the iconic Trefoil in its simple but effective design. Celtic matched the Bavarians by donning their third kit, an army green colorway showing they were ready for war, and they most certainly brought the fight.
Alphonso Davies would have the final say on the pitch with a scrappy last-minute winner to ensure that Celtic’s dream of an upset went up in smoke, but Celtic might have edged it in the almighty kit battle.
Best Pregame Fits
If you look good, you feel good and you play good. Big European ties mean business, and clubs often follow suit with their pregame arrivals.
Many of Europe’s biggest teams partner with the fashion world’s biggest brands and produce some cold fits for players and coaches so when they strut out of the plane or into the stadium, the uniformity, camaraderie, and drip are on full display. We scoured Instagram and the club’s pages and found the three cleanest of the bunch.
AC Milan x Off-White
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Milan unveiled their new OFF-WHITE fourth kit before their 1-0 win over Hellas Verona in Serie A last weekend, and their arrival for their crucial second-leg matchup with Feyenoord featured the iconic brand once more.
Black-on-black was the choice, with a blazer and tee that featured a centered “OFF” logo, which provided a slight pop of color.
PSG x Dior
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I’m a sucker for simplicity.
PSG pulled up in Dior black suits looking like they were ready for a funeral, that should’ve been our first hint. Nothing beats a good suit and tie, and on the night there was nothing Brest could do to beat PSG.
Real Madrid x Zegna
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My personal favorite, Real Madrid rocked a black and orange ensemble in collaboration with Italian fashion house Zegna en route to Manchester for the first leg of their playoff tie.
The shirts featured bold orange stripes on the sleeves, while the orange lining of the jackets and the shoelaces to match gave a burst of life to the ensemble. The subtle nod to their full-orange away kit did not go unnoticed, and they would sport that very kit in their 3-2 win at the Etihad.
Best Stadium Atmosphere
PSV vs. Juventus, Second Leg
The stuff of dreams 🇳🇱
PSV overturn their first-leg deficit and knock out Juventus after a thrilling night in Eindhoven!
An incredible night, an incredible atmosphere and some fantastic football – the magic of the Champions League.
1/2#UCL pic.twitter.com/43LNUWFXAE
— Champions Journal (@champsjournal) February 19, 2025
The Philips Stadion is one of the toughest places to get results for opposing teams in world football. It lived up to its reputation and then some in the second leg of PSV’s clash with Juventus.
Fans painted the arena red with their flag display as the teams walked out and the chants were almost deafening. Through the night it seemed like PSV had that extra spring in their step, and showed more desire in the duels than their counterparts. Their boisterous fans undoubtedly played a part as they rode the wave of their energy and found the opening goal in brilliant fashion in the 52nd minute.
The moment the ball rippled the net, the mixture of relief and joy quickly turned to burning desire as the crowd willed their team towards victory.
A Juventus equalizer did little to quell the fire in Eindhoven and when PSV eventually found the winner in extra time through Ryan Flamingo, the roar was ear-splitting; bettered only by the eruption when the referee blew his full-time whistle.
PSV have not lost at home since November…of 2022. They’ve truly made their home ground a fortress.
