Manchester City were the big winners in the first legs of the Champions League quarter-finals, with the English champions recording a 3-0 victory over Bayern Munich at the Etihad Stadium.
Tuesday's three-goal success has left Pep Guardiola's side in a strong position when it comes to reaching the semi-finals of the competition, with the second leg taking place at Allianz Arena next week.
Inter Milan, meanwhile, recorded a 2-0 win over Benfica on Tuesday, with the Italian giants also in a commanding position to progress to the final four.
Serie A leaders Napoli lost 1-0 to AC Milan at San Siro in their first leg on Wednesday, while the holders Real Madrid recorded a 2-0 victory over Chelsea at Bernabeu to put themselves in a solid position in the tie.
Here, Sports Mole selects its standout Champions League XI from the first legs of the last-eight ties in Europe's premier club competition.
DEFENCE
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Mike Maignan gets the nod between the sticks in this XI, with the 27-year-old one of four goalkeepers to keep clean sheets in the last-eight first legs. The Frenchman was at his commanding best against Napoli, making five saves and impressing with the ball at his feet, boasting a pass success rate of 78% at San Siro.
A back four includes two Inter Milan defenders, as neither Matteo Darmian nor Alessandro Bastoni deserved to be left out due to their displays against Benfica. Darmian was brilliant defensively and offensively, ending with a pass success rate of 89%, while Bastoni assisted Nicolo Barella's opener and was also excellent on the ball, completing 39 of his 45 passes, in addition to making three tackles.
Ruben Dias is also included for his performance against Bayern, with the Portugal international putting in a dominant display at the back. The 25-year-old won three aerial duels and three tackles, while he completed 55 of his 63 passes during an all-round strong outing for Man City on Tuesday night.
David Alaba completes the defensive unit, with the Austrian helping Real Madrid keep a clean sheet against Chelsea. The 30-year-old used all of his experience in an excellent performance, which saw him end with a pass success rate of 90%, finishing the match at left-back after Eduardo Camavinga's departure.
MIDFIELD
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Nicolo Barella had to be included in the midfield following a strong display against Benfica in Portugal, with the 26-year-old making the breakthrough in the 51st minute and playing a key role in the two-goal success. The Italian contributed heavily in an attacking sense, completing three dribbles, but he was also busy defensively, making two tackles and winning one aerial duel in Tuesday's affair.
Meanwhile, Rodri and John Stones are also included in midfield for Man City; the former made the breakthrough against Bayern with a spectacular long-range strike, but it was his overall performance that made the strongest impression, as he dominated the midfield battle at the Etihad Stadium.
The same can also be said for Stones, who thrived in an unfamiliar role further forward. The England international provided the assist for Erling Braut Haaland to make it 3-0 late on, and he was excellent alongside Rodri, with the duo key contributors to their team's three-goal success.
ATTACK
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Bernardo Silva was also a certainty for Man City, with the 28-year-old providing the assist for Rodri's opener before netting himself in the 70th minute. There remains speculation surrounding his future, and the Portuguese has not always been at his best this season, but this was a standout performance from the gifted attacker.
Erling Braut Haaland also had to be included after scoring and providing an assist in the win over Bayern. The 22-year-old has now scored 45 goals in all competitions this season, including 11 in the Champions League, and he was a constant threat for Guardiola's side on Tuesday night.
The final spot in the XI is awarded to Vinicius Junior, who was the standout player for Real Madrid in their two-goal win over Chelsea on Wednesday night. The Brazilian was heavily involved in his side's opener before providing the assist for Marco Asensio to make it 2-0, and Chelsea struggled to live with the forward, who completed four dribbles and had three shots in the last-eight first leg in the Spanish capital.
SPORTS MOLE'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK
Sports Mole's Champions League team of the week (4-3-3): Maignan; Darmian, Dias, Bastoni, Alaba; Stones, Rodri, Barella; Bernardo, Haaland, Vinicius
Matt Law
