Matchday 8 will forever be one for the history books
It was an eventful round of the Champions League league phase, to say the least, with endless goals, late drama, and major upsets taking centre stage. The likes of Barcelona, Sporting, and Man City managed to sneak their way into the top 8 to secure direct qualification to the last 16. Whereas Real Madrid, PSG, and Atletico are some of the big names who failed to hang on to their place in the top 8 and will now have to make do with a position in the playoff round. Stay tuned as we go into further detail behind the best moments of the final round of Europe’s finest competition.
Benfica stun Los Blancos to pick up a last minute play-off spot
It would be impossible to talk about the best moments from the final round without factoring in Benfica’s famous victory over Los Blancos. The Portuguese side sat in 29th place before this match, staring at a Champions League exit—that is until they managed to stun Real Madrid and secure the last position of the playoff spot. Schjelderup was at the heart of Benfica’s victory tonight, with the Norwegian winger scoring twice as well as constantly keeping Madrid’s defense on their toes. It would be impossible to talk about this game, however, without mentioning Turbin’s heroics, with his last-minute header sending Benfica through to the playoffs.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, will be kicking themselves for not being able to clinch a spot in the top 8 and will now have to face a two-legged tie in the play-off round. Los Blancos will be hoping for a favorable draw on Friday as they seek a place in the last 16. Regardless of who they face, Real Madrid are guaranteed to play the second leg at home due to being in the top half of the playoff table.
Sporting manage to sneak their way into the top 8 of the UCL
Another highlight of this final round of matches was Sporting’s last-minute victory over Athletic Bilbao, which saw them sneak their way into the top 8. Sporting were on their way to a play-off position, but their never-say-die spirit saw them secure direct qualification to the Round of 16. The Portuguese side had to come back from behind twice before eventually sealing the win at San Mamés. Sporting’s victory can be largely credited to their quick transitions and their direct passing, which exposed and left Athletic Bilbao’s backline with no answer.
Chelsea break Napoli’s hearts and end their European campaign
To add on to the absolute craziness of Matchday 8, Chelsea managed to come from behind to seal a hard-fought 3-2 victory against Napoli. Napoli looked as if they were going to at least seal a place in the bottom half of the playoff table, until Joao Pedro pulled the rabbit out of the hat and sent Chelsea straight to the last 16. Unfortunately for the Gli Azzurri, they were not able to do enough to save their European campaign. The Serie A champions will now have to shift their focus to their domestic campaign for the rest of the season.
Liam Rosenior, on the other hand, will be delighted with Chelsea’s result, as the English coach has managed to record four victories out of five games since taking charge at the helm. The former Strasbourg coach would have certainly generated belief amongst the players and fans and will now aim to build on that momentum.
What Matchday 8s Champions League results mean
In terms of how things look going forward in the Champions League, with how everything stands, the draw on Friday will determine who faces each other in the play-off round. Real Madrid could either face one of Bodo/Glimt or Benfica in the play-off round, with Inter facing whoever Los Blancos does not end up facing. From then on, the respective winners of each play-off tie will then face off against one of the sides that finished in the top 8. It must be noted that the respective winner of each play-off tie is guaranteed to play the second leg away from home.
