Top 8 set: English clubs shine, PSG and Real Madrid to battle in play-offs
PSG and Newcastle United also failed to make the top eight and will play in the knockout play-off round after their thrilling 1–1 draw at Parc des Princes.
KATHMANDU: The group stage of the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League concluded on Wednesday with 18 simultaneous matches, delivering joy for Premier League clubs.
Five English teams—Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, and Manchester City—secured direct qualification to the Round of 16 by finishing in the top eight of their respective groups. Joining them are Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Sporting CP, who also advanced straight to the knockout stage.
In a dramatic twist, Real Madrid failed to secure direct qualification and will now compete in the play-off round.
Meanwhile, Benfica, led by José Mourinho, stunned Real with a last-minute goal from goalkeeper Anatoli Trubin, claiming a 4–2 victory and advancing to the play-offs.
PSG and Newcastle United also failed to make the top eight and will play in the knockout play-off round after their thrilling 1–1 draw at Parc des Princes.
Both teams were in contention for direct qualification but settled for 11th (PSG) and 12th (Newcastle) positions following the stalemate.
The match itself was a tense affair. PSG took an early lead in the eighth minute with a brilliant goal from Vitinha, while Newcastle’s Jo Willock equalized just before halftime.
Earlier, a penalty opportunity for PSG in the opening 46 seconds was saved by Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope, keeping the game finely balanced.
Benfica’s Last-Minute Heroics
In Madrid, Real initially took control as Kylian Mbappé scored in the 30th minute.
Benfica responded with Andreas Schjelderup leveling the score in the 36th minute, followed by Vangelis Pavlidis giving Benfica the lead from a penalty just before halftime.
Schjelderup scored again in the 54th minute, and although Mbappé pulled one back in the 58th, Real Madrid could not regain control.
The dramatic conclusion came in stoppage time when Real was reduced to nine players following red cards to Raúl Asensio and Rodrigo, allowing Trubin to head in a decisive goal and send Benfica through to the play-offs.
Meanwhile, major clubs Marseille and Napoli failed to advance, ending their Champions League campaigns prematurely.
The draw for the play-off round will take place on Friday morning, with teams ranked 9th to 24th vying for the remaining spots in the Round of 16. Teams ranked 25th to 36th have been eliminated from the tournament.
