The UEFA Champions League knockout phase got back with a bang on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, throwing two of Europe’s most successful football clubs into huge difficulties. After conceding early, Liverpool lost 1-0 at home to Galatasaray at the RAMS Park and could not find a way through an impenetrable Turkish defence. On the other hand, Barcelona at St. James’ Park had a very close call, and it would have been a disaster if the first leg had gone their way. They were made to wait for a stoppage time penalty to draw level, and they will be going back home with no score advantage.
| Matchup | Score | Key Performers | Venue |
| Galatasaray vs. Liverpool | 1-0 | Mario Lemina (7′), Victor Osimhen | RAMS Park |
| Newcastle vs. Barcelona | 1-1 | Lamine Yamal (90+6′ P), Harvey Barnes (86′) | St. James’ Park |
| Atalanta vs. Bayern Munich | 1-6 | Michael Olise (2 Goals), Serge Gnabry | Gewiss Stadium |
| Atletico Madrid vs. Tottenham | 5-2 | Julian Alvarez (2 Goals), Antoine Griezmann | Metropolitano Stadium |
Mario Lemina Header Leaves Liverpool With Anfield Mountain To Climb
Arne Slot’s Liverpool squad suffered a night of “bad dj vu” in Istanbul, going down – 0 against Galatasaray only a few months after a similar loss in the league phase. The critical moment occurred in the 7th minute when Mario Lemina was the fastest to head in the ball after Victor Osimhen had initially created the chance. Even though they had a lot of the ball, the Reds were not as sharp as the hosts in the atmosphere of RAMS Park.
The excitement remained high in the second half as Ibrahima Konate seemed to have scored an equaliser. However, after a very long VAR review, the goal was disallowed for a Frenchman’s handball. Galatasaray also had an Osimhen goal disallowed for offside; the score remained tight but impactful. Liverpool is returning to Merseyside with the realisation that they must deliver another legendary European performance at Anfield on March 18 to avoid an early exit from the tournament.
Lamine Yamal Saves Barcelona From Newcastle Heartbreak
Newcastle United, in their first-ever Champions League knockout game, almost pulled off the dream. Harvey Barnes smashed home in the 86th minute, and the place went wild. Earlier, Joelinton thought he’d scored, only for offside to kill the moment. Still, when Barnes scored, it looked like Newcastle had it in the bag.
But then, deep into stoppage time, things unravelled. Malick Thiaw gave away a pointless penalty after fouling Dani Olmo. Last kick of the match as Yamal didn’t blink. He buried the penalty in the 96th minute, beating Aaron Ramsdale and silencing the crowd. Eddie Howe praised his team’s intensity, and they really did push Barcelona to the edge. Still, that late equaliser shifts momentum to Hansi Flick’s side as they head to Camp Nou for the second leg.
