A thrilling night of football saw 18 teams battle it out in the final group matchday of the competition’s new format. With a stacked goal tally, the night concluded with the traditional powerhouses remaining undefeated.
Liverpool and Barcelona shone as the only teams assured of a spot in the top eight, progressing directly to the round of 16. Despite Liverpool’s 3-2 loss to PSV Eindhoven and Barca’s 2-2 draw with Atalanta, they maintained their first and second rankings, respectively.
Joining them in the next round are Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa, and Lille. Lille, in particular, delivered the performance of the night, thrashing Feyenoord 6-1.
Manchester City, the 2023 European champions, faced a challenging first half at the Etihad. However, they bounced back in the second half, with goals from Mateo Kovacic, Joel Ordonez (own goal), and Savinho securing their progression.
PSG, starting in 22nd place, swiftly rose to the occasion, racing to a 3-0 halftime lead at Stuttgart. Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele, with a hat-trick, sealed the deal with a 4-1 victory.
Atletico Madrid mirrored this score at Salzburg, thanks in part to two goals from Antoine Griezmann.
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| Soccer Football – Champions League – A jubilant scene as Lille celebrates their victory over Feyenoord at the Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France, on January 29, 2025. Photo courtesy of Reuters |
Red Card
Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez scored a hat-trick in their 3-0 win over Monaco, who played with 10 men after Christian Mawissa’s red card in the 12th minute. Arsenal displayed their prowess, coming from behind to defeat Girona 2-1 and secure third place.
Leverkusen also bypassed the play-offs with a 2-0 win over Sparta Prague, finishing sixth. Lille’s remarkable ascent from 12th to seventh place was highlighted by their 6-1 victory over Feyenoord, who conceded three own goals.
Real Madrid, chasing their 16th European title, booked their playoff berth with a 3-0 win against Brest. Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham starred with two goals and one goal, respectively.
Brest, despite consecutive losses, made the playoffs due to their impressive early campaign. Aston Villa dominated Celtic with a hat-trick from Morgan Rogers and additional goals from Ollie Watkins and Adam Idah.
AC Milan, starting in sixth, dropped to the playoffs after a 2-1 loss to Dinamo Zagreb, who finished just outside the playoff spots. Bayern Munich defeated Slovan Bratislava 3-1 with goals from Thomas Mueller, Harry Kane, and Kingsley Coman.
Benfica impressed with a 2-0 win at Juventus, securing playoff spots for both teams. The draw for the two-legged next stage takes place on Friday, with no restrictions on team pairings. The matches will be played on Feb 11/12 and 18/19, with the winners advancing to the round of 16.
The final, set for May 31 in Munich, promises to be a thrilling conclusion to this exciting tournament.
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