Liverpool, Manchester City, and Barcelona have secured their places in the last 16 of the Champions League following the final round of league-phase matches on Wednesday. They are joined by Tottenham and Chelsea, ensuring five English teams advance directly.
However, reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain and 15-time winners Real Madrid both failed to secure a top-eight finish and will proceed to the knockout play-off round.
English Clubs Dominate Top Eight
At Anfield, Liverpool confirmed their place with a decisive 6-0 victory over Qarabag. Goals came from Alexis Mac Allister (2), Florian Wirtz, Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitike, and Federico Chiesa. The win placed them third in the final 36-team table.
Manchester City, the 2023 champions, earned their spot with a 2-0 win against Galatasaray, with Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki scoring. Tottenham secured fourth place by defeating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0, while Chelsea eliminated Serie A champions Napoli with a 3-2 victory in a closely contested match.
Barcelona Rallies for Victory
Barcelona recovered from an early deficit to defeat FC Copenhagen 4-1 at Camp Nou, finishing fifth overall. After conceding in the fourth minute, Barcelona responded with goals from Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Marcus Rashford to secure their last-16 berth.
PSG and Real Madrid Face Play-offs
Paris Saint-Germain was held to a 1-1 draw at home by Newcastle. Despite a goal from Vitinha, an equalizer from Joe Willock means PSG must navigate the play-offs, a route they also took on their way to winning the title last season.
Real Madrid suffered a 4-2 defeat to Benfica in a dramatic match that saw Benfica’s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, score a 98th-minute header to secure the final play-off spot for his team. The loss means the Spanish club also misses out on direct qualification.
Other clubs confirmed for the play-off round include Inter Milan, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, and Galatasaray.
