Champions League: Arsenal, Barcelona, Man City Secure Round of 16 as Real Madrid Suffer Shock Exit
Eight heavyweight clubs — Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Manchester City, Sporting Lisbon and Chelsea — have secured automatic qualification for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 following the conclusion of the league phase on a dramatic Wednesday night, PulseNets learned.
Already assured of progression with a game to spare, Arsenal sealed top spot in the league phase with a narrow 3-2 victory over Kairat Almaty. The Gunners struck early as Viktor Gyökeres opened the scoring inside the opening minute. However, the visitors responded swiftly, with Jorginho converting from the penalty spot five minutes later to restore parity.
Arsenal regained control in the 16th minute when Kai Havertz finished clinically inside the box after being picked out by Ben White. The hosts extended their advantage shortly before half-time as Gabriel Martinelli turned in a loose ball that had been nudged into his path by Gyökeres. A late effort by Christian Nørgaard in the 88th minute was ruled out for offside, but Kairat grabbed a consolation goal deep into stoppage time through Ricardinho, who headed home Valeri Gromyko’s cross. Despite the late scare, Arsenal held on for maximum points to book their place in the last 16.
Manchester City also confirmed their automatic qualification after a composed 2-0 win over Victor Osimhen’s Galatasaray at the Etihad Stadium. First-half goals from Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki ensured Pep Guardiola’s side avoided the playoff round, PulseNets reported.
In Spain, Barcelona produced a commanding second-half display to thrash Copenhagen 4-1 at the Camp Nou. The Danish side stunned the home crowd early on when Viktor Dadason struck in the fourth minute, allowing the visitors to head into the break with a surprise lead. Barcelona responded almost immediately after the restart as Robert Lewandowski capitalised on a loose pass from Lamine Yamal before the teenager turned scorer himself on the hour mark, finishing from Fermín López’s assist.
Raphinha made it 3-1 from the penalty spot nine minutes later after Lewandowski was fouled in the area. The Catalans wrapped up the win late on when former Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford curled home a direct free kick in the 85th minute to confirm Barcelona’s place in the round of 16.
One of the night’s biggest shocks unfolded in Portugal, where Real Madrid were knocked out of the automatic qualification zone following a stunning 4-2 defeat to José Mourinho’s Benfica. Kylian Mbappé had given the Spanish giants the lead on the half-hour mark, heading in Raúl Asencio’s cross, but Benfica responded quickly through Andreas Schjelderup’s header.
The hosts took control just before the interval as Vangelis Pavlidis calmly dispatched a penalty. Schjelderup completed his brace shortly after the restart, converting Pavlidis’ assist in the 54th minute. Real Madrid pulled one back through Arda Güler, who finished off a pass from Mbappé, but the game took a dramatic turn in stoppage time when Asencio and Rodrygo were both sent off for second yellow cards.
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Benfica sealed the result in remarkable fashion as goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin headed home a free kick delivered by Fredrik Aursnes, securing a crucial playoff place for the Portuguese side, PulseNets learnt.
Full Results
Ajax 1–2 Olympiacos
Arsenal 3–2 Kairat Almaty
Athletic Club 2–3 Sporting Lisbon
Atletico Madrid 1–2 Bodo/Glimt
Barcelona 4–1 Copenhagen
Bayer Leverkusen 3–0 Villarreal
Benfica 4–2 Real Madrid
Dortmund 0–2 Inter
Club Brugge 3–0 Marseille
Frankfurt 0–2 Tottenham
Liverpool 6–0 Qarabag
Manchester City 2–0 Galatasaray
Monaco 0–0 Juventus
Pafos FC 4–1 Slavia Prague
PSV Eindhoven 1–2 Bayern Munich
Napoli 2–3 Chelsea
Union St. Gilloise 1–0 Atalanta
