Champions League Roundup, Playoff Round
The playoff round of the 2024/25 Champions League season featured exciting games, unexpected outcomes, and outstanding displays from some players . This Champions League roundup provides an overview of the games from this round.
AC Milan 1-2 Feyenoord
Feyenoord’s first knockout stage match in Europe’s top club tournament since the 1984/85 season resulted in a 1-0 victory against AC Milan in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off. Although Milan equalized the aggregate score just a minute into the second leg, they was eliminated from the UCL in the playoff round after being held to a 1-1 draw by Feyenoord, ultimately losing the tie 2-1 on aggregate.
Benfica 4-3 Monaco
Benfica went into the second leg of their UEFA Champions League playoff round against Monaco with a slight edge, having secured a 1-0 victory in the first leg at Stade Louis II, thanks to a second-half goal from Vangelis Pavlidis. Benfica then maintained their impressive unbeaten streak at home against French teams, now at 19 matches, after an exciting 3-3 draw with Monaco, which allowed them to advance to the UEFA Champions League last 16 with a 4-3 aggregate score.
Bayern Munich 3-2 Celtic
Celtic experienced their first home loss in any competition since December 2023, falling 2-1 to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League playoff round match. A last-minute goal from Alphonso Davies in the second leg allowed Bayern Munich to advance to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, as he substitute equalized after Nicolas Kühn’s goal, overshadowing a strong performance from Celtic. Bayern won 3-2 on aggregate.
Atalanta 2-5 Club Brugge
Club Brugge secured a dramatic late penalty to win 2-1 against Atalanta B.C. in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League playoff tie. Club Brugge then defeated Atalanta 3-1 in Bergamo in the second leg, securing a 5-2 aggregate victory to advance to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League.
Dortmund 3-0 Sporting CP
Dortmund achieved their third away victory in the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) in their last 13 tries by beating Sporting CP 3-0 at Estádio José Alvalade in the first leg of their playoff round tie. The two teams then played a dull 0-0 draw at the Signal Iduna Park, allowing Dortmund to advance to the last 16, where they will compete against either Aston Villa or LOSC Lille.
Real Madrid 6-3 Manchester City
Jude Bellingham netted a last-minute goal in the 92nd minute, helping Real Madrid come from behind twice to secure a 3-2 victory over Manchester City in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League playoff tie, marking their first win at the Etihad Stadium in under 90 minutes. Real Madrid then triumphed over Manchester City in the second leg at the Bernabéu, as Kylian Mbappé’s outstanding hat-trick led to a 3-1 win on the night, advancing Los Blancos to the last 16 with a commanding 6-3 aggregate score.
PSV 4-3 Juventus
A late goal from Samuel Mbangula gave Juventus a slim advantage in the first leg, following a thrilling UEFA Champions League (UCL) play-off match where PSV Eindhoven showed promise but ultimately fell short. PSV Eindhoven then delivered an impressive performance in the second leg, overcoming a first leg deficit to secure their spot in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) with a 3-1 victory, eliminating Juventus from the competition.
PSG 10-0 Brest
Paris Saint-Germain had the upper hand in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League (UCL) playoff tie, achieving a 3-0 victory against Brest. They advanced to the UCL round of 16 for the 13th straight season by dominating Brest 7-0 in the second leg at the Parc des Princes, resulting in a 10-0 aggregate score.
