UEFA Youth League: Barcelona and Bayern Munich secure quarter-final berths

Barcelona and Bayern Munich have advanced to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Youth League after registering victories in their respective Round of 16 encounters on Wednesday.

Barcelona defeated Manchester City 3-1 at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, with goals from Lamine Yamal, Angel Alarcon, and Alex Valle. Bayern Munich, meanwhile, overcame a resilient Inter Milan side 2-1 at the Sportpark Heimstetten, courtesy of strikes from Arijon Ibrahimovic and Paul Wanner.

Barcelona dominated possession against Manchester City and created several scoring opportunities throughout the match. They took the lead in the 22nd minute when Yamal converted a penalty after Alarcon was brought down in the box.

Manchester City equalized in the 55th minute through a stunning long-range effort from Oscar Bobb. However, Barcelona regained the lead just two minutes later when Alarcon tapped in a rebound from close range following a shot from Valle.

Valle sealed the victory for Barcelona in the 75th minute with a composed finish after being set up by Alarcon. The win sees Barcelona reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Youth League for the first time since 2018.

Bayern Munich also faced a tough challenge against Inter Milan, but they managed to secure a hard-fought victory. Ibrahimovic gave Bayern the lead in the 25th minute with a well-taken free-kick.

Inter Milan equalized in the 57th minute through a penalty converted by Valentin Carboni. However, Bayern regained the lead in the 65th minute when Wanner fired home a powerful shot from the edge of the box.

Bayern held on to their lead for the remainder of the match, with goalkeeper Johannes Schenk making several important saves to preserve the victory. The win sees Bayern Munich advance to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Youth League for the second consecutive season.

The draw for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Youth League will take place on Friday, March 17. Barcelona and Bayern Munich will be among the eight teams vying for a place in the semi-finals.