And then there were four. The UEFA Champions League quarterfinals wrapped up on Wednesday, with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid delivering an all-time classic, while Arsenal secured the clean sheet they needed to hold Sporting CP at bay.
On Tuesday, Paris Saint-Germain confirmed their supremacy over Arne Slot's wilting Liverpool, while Atlético Madrid got the better of Barcelona in their all-Spanish quarterfinal.
So, what to make of it all? ESPN FC writers Gab Marcotti, Sam Marsden, Julien Laurens and Sam Tighe are here to break down the action as it happened and look ahead to the semis.
- After Champions League defeat, can Madrid's project be salvaged? - VAR Review: Why was Liverpool denied a penalty? - While other giants fire, Arteta's Arsenal continues to flicker
Tighe: Last week in Paris, Slot galaxy-brained his team selection with a vague 5-2-1-2 formation that, for the most part, we haven't seen Liverpool ever play. It didn't stop PSG creating at will and scoring twice, while it threatened almost nothing in attack itself, registering just 0.17 xG. Just about anything would have counted as an improvement upon that and while yes, the Reds carried significantly more threat in the second leg at Anfield, questions once again must be asked of Slot's decisions.
Alexander Isak was a surprise starter, but he probably shouldn't have been. He registered just five(!) touches and completed two of three passes before being withdrawn at half-time. Before Tuesday, he, Ekitiké and Florian Wirtz had shared a paltry 88 minutes on the pitch together since the start of the season.