The UEFA Champions League league phase concluded on Wednesday with a final flurry of goals and dramatic shifts in the standings. Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea all secured critical victories to cement their places in the top eight, earning direct passage to the Round of 16. In Italy, Chelsea edged Napoli in a five-goal thriller at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, while Manchester City dismantled Galatasaray at the Etihad Stadium to confirm their automatic qualification.
High-scoring performances defined the evening as Liverpool delivered a masterclass at Anfield, routing Qarabag 6-0 to finish as one of the competition’s highest seeds. Meanwhile, Barcelona dominated Copenhagen 4-1 at the Camp Nou, and Arsenal survived a late scare to defeat Kairat Almaty 3-2. The biggest shock occurred in Lisbon, where Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored a historic 98th-minute header to beat Real Madrid 4-2, a result that forces the defending champions into the perilous playoff round alongside rivals Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
The official results from Wednesday’s decisive fixtures include:
Liverpool thrashed Qarabağ 6-0 while Barcelona comfortably defeated Copenhagen 4-1. Manchester City beat Galatasaray 2-0 and Arsenal overcame Kairat Almaty 3-2. Chelsea secured a vital 3-2 away win against Napoli as Benfica stunned Real Madrid 4-2. Bayern Munich edged PSV Eindhoven 2-1 and Inter Milan won 2-0 at Borussia Dortmund. Tottenham Hotspur defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 while Bayer Leverkusen beat Villarreal 3-0.
Sporting Lisbon triumphed 3-2 over Athletic Club and FK Bodø/Glimt shocked Atletico Madrid with a 2-1 away victory. Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United played to a 1-1 draw. Club Brugge defeated Marseille 3-0 and Olympiacos won 2-1 at Ajax. Pafos beat Slavia Praha 4-1 while Union Saint-Gilloise secured a 1-0 win against Atalanta. Monaco and Juventus ended in a goalless 0-0 draw.
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