play1:34Leboeuf praises Doué’s ‘perfect’ performance for PSG vs. MonacoFrank Leboeuf reacts to Désiré Doué’s performance in PSG’s Champions League comeback win against Monaco.
Sam TigheCloseSam TigheESPNSam is a writer, broadcaster and podcaster for ESPN. He will write on the Premier League, scouting and transfers.Follow on X, Beth LindopCloseBeth LindopCorrespondentBased in Liverpool, Beth Lindop is ESPN’s Liverpool correspondent and also covers the WSL and UWCL.Follow on X, Mark OgdenCloseMark OgdenSenior Writer, ESPN FCMark Ogden is a senior soccer writer for ESPN.com. Read his archive here and follow him on Twitter: @MarkOgden_.Follow on X, Sam MarsdenMultiple AuthorsFeb 18, 2026, 07:53 PM ET
Q2. Real Madrid had a wobbly and dramatic road win on Tuesday, marred by allegations of racial abuse towards Vinicius Jr., but they carry a narrow lead into next week’s second leg. Can Álvaro Arbeloa join some illustrious coaches who have taken over a big club in midseason and lead them to Champions League glory?
Luis Enrique: We showed our level vs. Monaco (1:23)Paris Saint Germain manager Luis Enrique believes his side showed their level against AS Monaco after beating them 3-2 in the play-off first leg of the UEFA Champions League. (1:23)
Leboeuf praises Doué’s ‘perfect’ performance for PSG vs. MonacoFrank Leboeuf reacts to Désiré Doué’s performance in PSG’s Champions League comeback win against Monaco.
Frank Leboeuf reacts to Désiré Doué’s performance in PSG’s Champions League comeback win against Monaco.
Q3. Which team of those that lost this week is most likely to turn around a first leg deficit?
Q4. Which performance (player or team) impressed you most in the first legs?
So, following a raucous set of first legs this week, ESPN FC writers Mark Ogden, Sam Tighe, Beth Lindop and Sam Marsden weigh in on the action so far and what’s still to come.
Sam Tighe: I am not remotely surprised that any club that went deep into last summer’s Club World Cup looks incoherent or racked with injuries. In PSG’s case, it’s both. Three weeks between “seasons” is not sufficient, so these players are undoubtedly struggling both physically and psychologically.
They look more like a team of individuals rather than the well-oiled machine they were by the end last season. But that individual quality could still win the day.
But don’t rule PSG out. They showed their quality by overturning a 2-0 deficit against Monaco and they can beat any team in Europe on their day. I think it will be tough for them to win the Champions League again this season, especially with Chelsea or Barcelona up next in the round of 16, but the experience of winning last year means they know how to do it again.
Sam Marsden: I have to admit I am wobbling on PSG for all the reasons mentioned above, but I am still backing them to deliver when it matters. It’s true that tiredness, injuries and a tight title race are pushing them to the limit at the moment, but when their backs are to the wall, I still think they can deliver.
As Mark says, at 2-0 down against Monaco, and especially after losing Ballon d’Or winner Dembélé to injury, things looked bleak, but they showed their quality and their depth. This time it was Doue, on for the injured Dembélé, who won the match for them, but next time it could just as easily be Khvicha Kvaratskhelia or Bradley Barcola. I am always going to back a Luis Enrique team, too.
Leboeuf praises Doué’s ‘perfect’ performance for PSG vs. Monaco
But let’s be honest. If you have Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Thibaut Courtois, Trent Alexander-Arnold — need I go on? — in your team, you can win the Champions League. As long as the coach doesn’t over-complicate things with tactical demands or selection eccentricities, the best players always have a chance. And Real are stacked with world-class players.
Lindop: I agree with Mark. As much as Real Madrid (by their own lofty standards) have had a pretty unremarkable season so far, you can never count them out when it gets to the Champions League knockouts. More than any other club, Real have a special relationship with this competition and they have so many match winners within their squad. Arbeloa seems to have brought a sense of togetherness to the team and the return of Trent could also be key to helping the team tick.
You’d definitely fancy them to get the job done in the second leg against Benfica and then it’s all down to who they’re drawn against in the last 16.
That said, Madrid actually looked improved in midfield against Benfica, which is where I would say they are weakest. Arbeloa’s use of Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga, Valverde and Arda Güler worked well, allowing more freedom for Mbappé and Vinícius in attack. It may be difficult to maintain that balance when Bellingham returns, though.
I cannot dispute that this Real Madrid side have the quality — particularly up front and between the sticks — to win this tournament and their special relationship with it increases the allure. And yet for some reason, I absolutely cannot picture it.
Perhaps it’s because I’ve seen them play so poorly too often this season. Perhaps it’s because I place more of an importance on the manager than, say, Mark does, and Arbeloa is a genuine rookie. Whatever it is, it’s gnawing at me, and when predicting something as wild and random as a Champions League winner, you have to trust your gut. My gut says no.
Nicol: Vinícius Jr. showed maturity with reaction to alleged racist abuse
Inter have the atmosphere of a packed San Siro to drive them on, but Bodo have now beaten Inter, Atlético Madrid and Manchester City in successive Champions League games, so they will go to Milan with confidence from that run. I just don’t see Dortmund having the same self-belief — this is a team was well beaten away to Tottenham Hotspur — so I’m backing Atalanta to turn the tie around and win the second leg.
Inter could pull off a turnaround too, buoyed by the brilliance of the San Siro. However, I did dub them my biggest disappointment of the group stage, and Wednesday night’s result hasn’t done an awful lot to change that.
Marsden: Firstly, a great result for Bodø/Glimt again. I think we need to give their run of results some real credit. They have now beaten, in Europe, Manchester City, Atlético Madrid and Inter in consecutive games. So while my first thought was to go for Inter as the most likely to turn the tie around, I am going to back the Norwegian side to see the tie out — although it won’t be easy at the San Siro.
Ogden: It has to be Anthony Gordon. If you score four goals in a Champions League game, then you deserve your flowers.
Lindop: It has to be Gordon for me, too. The Newcastle forward has had a pretty indifferent couple of years after his eye-catching form saw him tipped for a £70 million move to Liverpool in the summer of 2024. He hasn’t scored enough goals for Newcastle over the past two seasons, but he more than made up for it on Wednesday night.
He’s still very much capable of turning in scene-stealing displays and, at 24, he still has the potential to get even better. With the World Cup just a few months away, his return to form is no bad thing for both club and country.
Tighe: OK, Gordon’s had enough praise. Let’s spotlight a guy who got three goal contributions on Wednesday on a famous night for his club: Kasper Høgh of Bodø/Glimt.
He’s showcased a remarkable finishing pedigree over the last two seasons, but can we take a moment to appreciate his link-up and creative play too? The Dane scored, but also teed up two goals here, one of which was absolutely exceptional. The reason Glimt are so good to watch going forward is that they attack the center of the pitch better than almost anyone.
Rather than turn to wide combinations and crosses, they work beautiful combinations in tight spots just outside the penalty box, somehow creating space for a shot that shouldn’t be there. Høgh is both integral to creating this space and finishing these chances. He’s having an incredible Champions League campaign.
This time last year, Les Parisiens were in the middle of beating Brest 10-0 on aggregate in the Champions League playoffs. They began to hum, striking fear into the watching world in the process. A year on, things feel so different that Ousmane Dembélé recently called out his teammates by suggesting they were putting themselves ahead of the club, rather than the club first (like last season). There are other key changes too: Defensive leader Marquinhos’ level has notably dropped, while they’ve gone from calling upon one of the world’s finest, game-breaking shot-stoppers in Gianluigi Donnarumma (who left for Manchester City) to a grim choice between two underperformers, Lucas Chevalier and Matvey Safonov.
Beth Lindop: It’s not so long ago that it was hard to see anyone beating PSG. After a bumpy start to last season, Luis Enrique’s side really hit their stride after the turn of the year. They have a lot of supremely talented players so you can’t totally write them off and they showed great fight to come back against Monaco. That said, they don’t quite look like the force they once were and, as Sam pointed out, you can hardly blame them considering the workload they had to shoulder over the summer.
Luis Enrique: We showed our level vs. Monaco (1:23)Paris Saint Germain manager Luis Enrique believes his side showed their level against AS Monaco after beating them 3-2 in the play-off first leg of the UEFA Champions League. (1:23)
Paris Saint Germain manager Luis Enrique believes his side showed their level against AS Monaco after beating them 3-2 in the play-off first leg of the UEFA Champions League. (1:23)
CloseSam TigheESPNSam is a writer, broadcaster and podcaster for ESPN. He will write on the Premier League, scouting and transfers.Follow on X
CloseBeth LindopCorrespondentBased in Liverpool, Beth Lindop is ESPN’s Liverpool correspondent and also covers the WSL and UWCL.Follow on X