UCL Update: Vini's defiance, Italian woes and potential bangers in the Round of 16

Vinicius Jr. took to the corner flag to dance after scoring Real Madrid's winner on Wednesday as the Los Blancos booked their place in t...

Vinicius Jr. took to the corner flag to dance after scoring Real Madrid's winner on Wednesday as the Los Blancos booked their place in the Round of 16 of the Champions League. (Photo credit: CNN)

Wednesday fixtures in the UEFA Champions League playoffs produced the final teams to feature in Friday's Round of 16 draws, and potentially, we have a round to relish ahead.

It's important to look at the state of affairs around some of the playoff fixtures before diving into potential Round of 16 ties with the likes of Real Madrid, PSG, and the lot of Italian teams struggling to make a good showing in the competition.

Real Madrid edged Benfica over two legs, but they must do better if they want to advance in this competition that they have owned with the number of trophies they have in their illustrious cabinet.

The Vinicius Jr. situation overshadowed the contest between Benfica and Real Madrid, and it was exciting to see the Brazilian retain his energy after scoring what proved to be the winner at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night.

The Los Blancos forward netted in the second half and took to the corner flag to celebrate, just as he did in the first leg, which many pointed at as the reason behind the racial slur he allegedly suffered; nothing can justify such in football or anywhere else in the world.

For PSG, it was another underwhelming display at home against Monaco. They got a one-man advantage away at Monaco, and it helped them to overcome the troublesome hosts; they had to rely on numerical advantage again to advance after Monaco forced them to a 2-2 draw.

The holders went through the playoffs to lift the title last season; they have returned to the same path, but with Chelsea as a potential opponent in the next round, they will need to do better than what we have seen so far.

Atalanta is the only Italian team left in the competition, and it took a collapse of epic proportions from Borussia Dortmund to see Atalanta overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit as they won 4-1 at Bergamo on Wednesday.

Why are Italian teams struggling on the big stage? Juventus labored in vain, as their 3-0 win in regulation time meant nothing with Victor Osimhen among the scorers in extra time. Juventus got a red card at both ends of the tie. Is discipline another issue?

It's hard to explain how Bodo/Glimt knocked out Inter Milan after winning both legs. The league leaders didn't cover themselves in glory, and with Atalanta likely to meet Bayern Munich or Arsenal, is there hope for Italian football in the tournament?

Real Madrid could meet Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon. The Madrid players are already anticipating a scenario where they face the Cityzens; that would be quite exciting for the neutrals.