Khaberni - The final round of the Champions League group stage saw dramatic developments, with Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid falling into the "playoff" trap (preliminary round), while English clubs dominated the top spots that qualify directly for the round of 16.
Madrid setback.. Real and Atlético to the playoff
In an unexpected surprise, the two capitals' giants took a heavy blow; Real Madrid failed to secure direct qualification after losing to Benfica, while Atlético Madrid stumbled against Bodø/Glimt. These results mean both teams must engage in the preliminary round of 32, where a draw would have been sufficient for Real Madrid to qualify.
Real Madrid and Atlético's opponents in the draw:
The draw will be held next Friday, and these are the possible scenarios:
• Real Madrid: will face either Bodø/Glimt or Benfica (return match at Santiago Bernabéu).
• Atlético Madrid: will face either Galatasaray or Club Brugge (return match at Wanda Metropolitano).
Barcelona is safe.. and English dominance sweeps
Contrary to Madrid's struggle, Barcelona delivered strong performances and secured a place in the fifth spot, ensuring home legs up until the quarterfinals, and avoiding Chelsea (sixth-placed) until the final.
As for the overall lead, Arsenal took the top with a perfect score, followed by PSV Eindhoven. Thus, 5 English clubs qualified directly to the round of 16.
List of the 8 teams directly qualified (top spots):
• Arsenal
• PSV Eindhoven
• Liverpool
• Tottenham
• Barcelona
• Chelsea
• Sporting Lisbon
• Manchester City
The round of 16 playoffs draw.. Exciting matches anticipated
Final paths will be determined on Friday, here are some of the notable potential matches in the preliminary round:
• Monaco or Qarabağ against Paris Saint-Germain or Newcastle.
• Club Brugge or Galatasaray against Juventus or Atlético Madrid.
• Bodø/Glimt or Benfica against Real Madrid or Inter Milan.
• Borussia Dortmund or Olympiacos against Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen.
Teams that exited the Champions League
Other Spanish clubs officially left the competition; Athletic Bilbao was eliminated after losing to Sporting Lisbon, while Villarreal's exit was confirmed in the previous round.
It's worth noting that teams ranked between 9th and 24th (which include giants such as Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle, and Juventus) will compete in home and away matches to claim the remaining eight spots for the round of 16.
