Champions League Playoff Results
The second legs of the Champions League's first playoff round took place on February 25, deciding the aggregate winners. Atalanta, PSG, Real Madrid, and Galatasaray all secured their places in the tournament's Round of 16. The playoff stage is a high-stakes knockout route for teams that did not automatically qualify for the last 16.
In the match between Atalanta and Borussia Dortmund, the final score was 4:1 in favor of the Italian side, allowing them to advance 4:3 on aggregate. Goals in this encounter were scored by Scamacca, Zappacosta, Pasalic, and Samardzic, while Adeyemi scored for Dortmund. Notably, Bensebaini received a booking that led to a suspension for the next match, and both Schlotterbeck and Scalvini were sent off with red cards.
The PSG versus Monaco fixture ended in a 2:2 draw, but Paris Saint-Germain progressed 5:4 on aggregate. Marquinhos and Kvaratskhelia scored for PSG, while Monaco replied with goals from Akliouch and Tchouameni. In this game, Mamadou Coulibaly received a second yellow card in the 58th minute, a pivotal moment for his team.
Other Match Results
- In the Real Madrid vs. Benfica match, the Madrid side secured a 2:1 victory, giving them a 3:1 aggregate advantage. Goals were scored by Tchouameni and Vinicius for Real, while Rafa Silva scored for Benfica.
- The final match of the evening saw Juventus lose 2:3 to Galatasaray, resulting in a 7:5 aggregate victory for the Turkish club. Locatelli, Gatti, and McKennie scored for Juventus, while Osimhen and Yilmaz netted for Galatasaray. In this match, Lloyd Kelly received a direct red card following a VAR review, and the game went into extra time.
The first matches of the new playoff round are scheduled for March 10-11. The initial unseeded participants for the Round of 16 were already determined on February 24. Ukrainian defender Illia Zabarnyi was part of the PSG squad but did not take to the pitch during the match.
These results confirm the high level of competition in the Champions League, where every match is critical for the teams involved. The upcoming fixtures in March promise to be equally tense, as the clubs battle for a place in the tournament's quarter-finals.