Between Tuesday, February 24th and Wednesday, February 25th, the club competition was one of the most intense the Champions League has ever seen, delivering a full dose of drama, last-minute goals, and stunning comebacks that decided who would advance to the Round of 16. ⚽
Real Madrid’s qualification was marked by controversy both on and off the pitch. Real Madrid overcame SL Benfica with a 2-1 victory at the Bernabéu to secure a 3-1 aggregate win and book their passage to the next round. Vinícius Jr. scored the decisive goal late in the game, while Tchouaméni also contributed a crucial goal.
Atalanta staged a spectacular comeback on one of the most memorable nights of the round, overcoming a first-leg deficit to defeat Borussia Dortmund 4-1 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate thanks to a penalty in stoppage time. It was a display of unwavering commitment.
Meanwhile, Galatasaray defeated Juventus in extra time in a thrilling match. Juventus won the second leg 3-2, but Galatasaray advanced with a 7-5 aggregate score after extra time, thanks to Osimhen’s decisive goal in the final minutes. The Old Lady fought with all her might, but ultimately fell short. They are out of the Champions League this year. 🥅
Paris Saint-Germain held firm and drew 2-2 with Monaco. This result was enough to advance with a 5-4 aggregate score, overcoming an intense tie and demonstrating once again why they are always a contender who rises to the occasion in the decisive stages of the competition.
These were the results from Tuesday, February 24th:
Atlético de Madrid 4-1 Club Brugge (Atlético advances 7-4 on aggregate)
Inter 1-2 Bodø/Glimt (Bodø/Glimt advances 5-2 on aggregate)
Bayer Leverkusen 0-0 Olympiacos (Leverkusen wins 2-0 on aggregate)
Newcastle United 3-2 Qarabag (Newcastle advances 9-3 on aggregate)
These were the results from Wednesday, February 25th:
Atalanta 4-1 Borussia Dortmund (Atalanta advances 4-3 on aggregate)
PSG 2-2 Monaco (PSG advances 5-4 on aggregate)
Juventus 3-2 Galatasaray (Galatasaray advances 7-5 on aggregate)
Real Madrid 2-1 Benfica (Real Madrid wins 3-1 on aggregate)
Finally, these are the last teams to qualify for the Round of 16, joining the other teams already in contention. The following teams have already been determined:
Real Madrid
PSG
Atalanta
Newcastle
Bayer Leverkusen
Bodø/Glimt
Atlético de Madrid
Galatasaray
The draw for the next phase, with matches to be played in March, will take place soon.
