By Efosa Taiwo

The inaugural league phase of the UEFA Champions League has come to an end with eight teams making it directly to the round of 16 and 16 teams to battle it out at the playoff round.

The final round of fixtures delivered plenty of action, with goals pouring in as teams battled for a place in the knockout stages.

With six spots in the Round of 16 still up for grabs before kick-off, the night was filled with tension and excitement.

Liverpool, having already secured qualification, claimed the top spot despite a 2-1 defeat at PSV Eindhoven, benefiting from Barcelona’s 1-1 draw with Atalanta.

Arsenal ensured their place in the Round of 16 with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Girona, while Aston Villa sealed automatic progression after an exhilarating 4-2 triumph against Celtic at Villa Park. Unai Emery’s side moved ahead of Atalanta to finish among the top eight.

Joining them in the knockout stage are Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, and Lille, who also secured direct qualification.

Teams Through to the Champions League Round of 16

• Liverpool
• Barcelona
• Arsenal
• Inter Milan
• Atletico Madrid
• Bayer Leverkusen
• Lille
• Aston Villa

Teams to battle it in playoff round

Teams ranked 9th to 24th will now enter a two-legged playoff round, with the winners advancing to face the top eight teams in the Round of 16.

Manchester City secured a playoff spot with a crucial 3-1 victory over Club Brugge at the Etihad. Despite losing to Aston Villa, Celtic also progressed, marking their return to the Champions League knockout stage for the first time since the 2012/13 season.

Teams Advancing to the Playoff Round

• Atalanta
• Borussia Dortmund
• Real Madrid
• Bayern Munich
• AC Milan
• PSV Eindhoven
• Paris Saint-Germain
• Benfica
• AS Monaco
• Brest
• Feyenoord
• Juventus
• Celtic
• Manchester City
• Sporting Lisbon
• Club Brugge

Vanguard News