REAL Madrid missed out on automatic qualification for the Champions League knockout rounds after crumbling to a dramatic 4-2 defeat away to Benfica on a frenetic final night of group-stage action across Europe on Wednesday.
Kylian Mbappe’s early goal had put the 15-time champions on course for the victory they needed to secure a top-eight finish, but the night unravelled as Jose Mourinho’s Benfica mounted a stunning comeback.
Despite leading 3-2 late on, Benfica were still heading for elimination until goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored an extraordinary fourth goal in the 98th minute, heading home to seal victory. The result saw the Portuguese giants sneak into the playoffs in 24th place on goal difference.
Real Madrid, who started the night third but slipped to ninth, were left facing the playoffs and could be drawn against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt. Their misery was compounded when Raul Asencio and Rodrygo were both sent off in stoppage time.
Holders Paris Saint-Germain also dropped out of the top eight after being held to a 1-1 draw at home by Newcastle United, a result that condemned both teams to the playoffs despite starting the night in automatic qualification positions.
Liverpool ended their group campaign in emphatic fashion with a 6-0 demolition of Qarabag to finish third, with Alexis Mac Allister scoring twice and Mohamed Salah also among the goals.
Barcelona, who began the night ninth, avoided the playoffs by coming from behind to beat Copenhagen 4-1. Goals from Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Marcus Rashford lifted them to fifth place, one spot behind surprise package Tottenham Hotspur, who won 2-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Chelsea trailed 2-1 away to Napoli but struck twice through Joao Pedro to secure a 3-2 victory and finish sixth. The defeat left Napoli eliminated in 30th place.
As a result, five of the six English clubs have already qualified for the last 16, with Newcastle still in contention via the playoffs.
Portugal’s Sporting claimed a dramatic 3-2 win at Athletic Bilbao thanks to a last-gasp goal by Alisson Santos, snatching a top-eight place and effectively pushing Real Madrid into the playoff round.
Manchester City beat Galatasaray 2-0 at home to climb from 11th to eighth, sparing themselves a repeat of last season when they failed to reach the last 16 after losing to Real Madrid in the playoffs.
Arsenal, already assured of a top-eight finish alongside Bayern Munich, became the first club in the new 36-team group format to record a 100 per cent record, beating bottom side Kairat Almaty 3-2. Bayern closed their campaign with a 2-1 win at PSV Eindhoven, a result that eliminated the Dutch side.
Just as in last season, UEFA’s expanded Champions League group stage delivered late drama, with suspense lasting until the final seconds of the eighth and final round of fixtures. Before kick-off, only four of the 36 clubs had been eliminated, while only Arsenal and Bayern Munich were guaranteed places in the last 16.
— Reuters
Full results
- Dortmund 0-2 Inter
- PSG 1-1 Newcastle
- Benfica 4-2 Real Madrid
- Manchester City 2-0 Galatasaray SK
- PSV 1-2 Bayern München
- Liverpool 6-0 Qarabağ
- Napoli 2-3 Chelsea
- Barcelona 4-1 Copenhagen
- B. Leverkusen 3-0 Villarreal
- Arsenal 3-2 Kairat Almaty
- Atlético 1-2 FK Bodo Glimt
- Union Saint-Gilloise 1-0 Atalanta
- Monaco 0-0 Juventus
- Eintracht Frankfurt 0-2 Tottenham
- Club Brugge 3-0 Olympique Marseille
- Ajax 1-2 Olympiacos
- Athletic Club 2-3 Sporting CP
- Pafos 4-1 Slavia Praha
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