Five English clubs have secured qualification for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 after finishing in the top eight of the league phase on Wednesday.
Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham all sealed top-eight finishes in the final round of matches, joining Barcelona and Sporting Lisbon in claiming automatic qualification. They add to Arsenal and Bayern Munich, who had already secured direct passage to the knockout stage before the final games.
Reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain, however, will once again have to navigate the knockout play-offs. They are joined by Real Madrid, after the record 15-time winners suffered a dramatic 4-2 defeat to Benfica in Lisbon.
The encounter between Benfica and Real Madrid descended into chaos, with two players sent off and a goalkeeper finding the back of the net. Benfica and Ukraine international goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored the first goal of his career in the dying moments of the match, sealing a stunning 97th-minute strike to complete the 4-2 victory at the Estádio da Luz.
Trubin’s extraordinary goal capped a memorable night for the Portuguese side and condemned Real Madrid to the play-offs.
Teams Qualified for the Champions League Round of 16:
Arsenal
Bayern Munich
Liverpool
Tottenham
Barcelona
Chelsea
Sporting CP
Manchester City
The knockout stages promise further drama as Europe’s elite battle for continental glory.
