In this article, we take a look at all the action from the second legs of the Playoff Round of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League (UCL).
Chemsdine Talbi scored an early double as Club Brugge stormed into the Champions League last 16 with a shock 3-1 away victory over Atalanta, securing a 5-2 aggregate win.
Talbi fired home just two minutes into Tuesday’s clash before doubling his tally and his side’s lead at the Gewiss Stadium in the 27th minute. Ferran Jutglà netted Brugge’s third goal in a dominant first-half performance, leaving Atalanta reeling with a 3-0 deficit at the interval.
Nicky Hayen’s side still had to defend resolutely in the second half as Atalanta looked to conjure up an unlikely comeback. Ademola Lookman pulled one back less than a minute into the second half but then had a penalty saved by veteran goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who made several other important stops.
Those saves and their inability to break through only added to Atalanta’s frustration as captain Rafael Tolói was sent off late on for violent conduct towards Maxim De Cuyper in the 87th minute.
Millions of Celtic hearts were broken on Tuesday as Bayern Munich scraped through with one of the scrapiest goals in the final seconds to secure a 1-1 draw on the night and a 2-1 aggregate win to dramatically secure their place in the round of 16.
The first half was an entertaining spectacle, with Celtic heading into half-time wondering how they had not found the net, as Daizen Maeda, Callum McGregor and Nicolas-Gerrit Kühn all went close early on, but Bayern also had chances of their own, most notably when Harry Kane crashed the bar just before the break.
As the game crossed the hour-mark, Celtic gained momentum, and they took the lead on the night when Kühn was played through by Maeda and slotted past Manuel Neuer, pulling the Bhoys level in the tie.
Celtic faced an onslaught from Bayern in the remaining 30 minutes of the game, with the hosts unbelievably missing a number of clear goal-scoring opportunities, but the Bavarians were eventually awarded for their persistence in the final seconds of the game, when substitute Alphonso Davies turned in from close range to secure a narrow victory and a spot in the last 16.
The victory means that Bayern Munich will advance to the Champions League last 16, where they will face either Bayer Leverkusen or Atlético Madrid, while Celtic fail to win a knockout tie for the 10th consecutive time in this competition.
Feyenoord knocked AC Milan out of the Champions League as they recovered to draw 1-1 on Tuesday for a 2-1 aggregate playoff win to earn a place in the Champions League last 16, with the hosts having Theo Hernández sent off six minutes into the second-half.
Milan went on the attack from the start and took less than a minute to level the tie on aggregate when Santiago Giménez scored against his former club. Milan looked the more likely to take the overall lead before the break, Feyenoord goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther made some important saves to keep the Dutch side in the game.
Feyenoord’s chances received a massive boost six minutes into the second half, however, when Hernandez picked up a second booking for simulation, but the visitors continued to struggle to create any real opportunities.
Hugo Bueno floated a delightful ball to the far post from outside the area and substitute Julián Carranza rose unchallenged to power his header over keeper Mike Maignan. Milan pushed desperately for a goal to take the tie to extra time, but Feyenoord held on under late pressure.
Following the result, Feyenoord will meet either Inter Milan or Arsenal in the last 16, with their opponents to be decided in Friday’s draw.
Benfica snatched a thrilling 3-3 draw against ASMonaco on Tuesday to reach the Champions League last 16 with a 4-3 aggregate victory in the play-off round.
Monaco twice led on the night and came close to forcing extra-time but Orkun Kökçü’s 84th minute equaliser helped Benfica scrape through in Lisbon.
Benfica, who had a one-goal advantage from the first leg, opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with winger Kerem Aktürkoglu’s close-range strike after a fine pass from Vangelis Pavlidis.
But Monaco had the hosts on the ropes for much of the match and midfielder Takumi Minamino equalised with a simple finish 10 minutes later before Eliesse Ben Seghir put them in front after the break with a stunning first-time shot inside the right post.
Benfica were then awarded a penalty and Pavlidis coolly converted from the spot to make it 2-2 before Monaco substitute George Ilenikhena scored in the 81st minute to give the away fans a glimmer of hope but Benfica’s Orkun Kökçü added a goal a few minutes later to seal the tie for the Portuguese club.
Benfica will be up against either Liverpool or Barcelona in the last 16, depending on Friday’s draw.
Also read: UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Sponsors
Borussia Dortmund and Sporting played out a goalless draw at the Signal Iduna Park to take Dortmund into the Round of 16 with a 3-0 aggregate.
Playing without their star striker Viktor Gyökeres, Sporting looked happy to sit back and hit on the counter. Dortmund had the first real chance but Marcel Sabitzer’s curling shot from distance went wide of the post. The first half ended goalless.
Dortmund was awarded a penalty in the 58th minute when Sporting keeper Rui Silva fouled Karim Adeyemi in the box but the Sporting keeper saved the resulting spot-kick from Serhou Guirassy. Substitute Giovanni Reyna scuffed a glorious opportunity but he hit the crossbar and couldn’t score from the rebound either. The game ended without any real opportunity from Sporting who looked resigned to a defeat.
Last year’s finalists, Borussia Dortmund will play either Aston Villa or LOSC Lille in the Round of 16.
PSV overturned a one-goal deficit from the first leg and scored an extra-time winner to eliminate Juventus from the Champions League.
Playing at home, PSV showed early intent with winger Noah Lang a constant threat for the Old Lady. However, neither side could manage clear-cut chances in the first half which ended goalless.
In the 53rd minute, PSV winger Lang drove forward and crossed into the box for an onrushing Ivan Periši? who scored the opener. Periši?’s take and finish for the goal were sublime to say the least. However, Juventus equalised ten minutes later through Timothy Weah’s powerful shot into the far bottom corner. The goal was initially denied for offside for obstruction but VAR check allowed the goal, taking the aggregate to 3-3.
The game went into extra-time as the tie couldn’t be decided in full-time. PSV looked the more attacking side and they scored the winner through defender Ryan Flamingo who scored from close-range as Juventus defenders failed to clear a Periši? cross into the box.
This game further accentuated the Italian clubs’ misfortunes as after AC Milan and Atalanta, now even Juventus has been knocked out of the Champions League.
PSV Eindhoven will now face either Arsenal or Inter Milan in the Round of 16.
Kylian Mbappé’s hat-trick guided the Los Blancos into the last 16 knocking out Manchester City with a comfortable win at the Santiago Bernabéu.
The Cityzens were already at a disadvantage, missing their main man Erling Haaland due to a knee injury. Real Madrid made it even tougher when they took the lead in the 4th minute when a long ball forward couldn’t be cleared by City defender Rúben Dias and Mbappé latched onto it and lobbed it over an onrushing Éderson. Mbappé then doubled the lead when he scored from close-range leaving a desperate Joško Gvardiol on the floor. City could hardly manage a shot on target in the first half.
The hosts piled on the pressure in the second half and missed a couple of chances before Mbappé put the result beyond doubt with his hat-trick in the 61st minute, scoring from the edge of the box after being teed up by Rodrygo. City earned a late consolation through January signing Nico González but it was too little too late for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Real Madrid will now face either Atlético de Madrid or Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the Round of 16.
Paris Saint-Germain absolutely destroyed Brest FC ending their maiden Champions League campaign in utter humiliation.
Seven different players scored for PSG in the game where they ran riot against a defensively inept Brest side.
The opener was scored by winger Bradley Barcola in the 20th minute when he got hold of a long ball forward, dribbled past his marker into the box and scored near post. January signing Kvicha Kvaratskhelia doubled the score in the 39th minute with a top finish from a tight angle.
Brest tried to find a response but PSG killed their momentum with another goal just before the hour-mark through Vitinha and four minutes later, Désiré Doué added a fourth. The French Champions were now making merry and Nuno Mendes added a fifth in the 69th minute. Forward Gonçalo Ramos scored the sixth and the Parisians went into seventh heaven when Senny Mayulu scored the seventh four minutes from time to complete the rout.
PSG won this game with their best ever aggregate in the Champions League and will now play either Barcelona or Liverpool in the Round of 16. As for Brest, their maiden Champions League campaign came to a brutal end.
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