Shock in the UCL: Madrid, Juventus, Inter & PSG Fail to Secure Round of 16 Spot!

Top European sides Real Madrid, Inter Milan, holders Paris Saint-Gernain and Juventus will have to go through the playoffs to reach this season’s UEFA Champions League round of 16 stage.

While Juventus and PSG recorded draws and Inter won, Madrid suffered a dramatic 4-2 loss to Benfica, on the final day of the league phase.

Madrid started the day in third place and needed a win to secure their spot in the top eight.

But a stoppage time goal by Benfica’s goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin sent Madrid to the playoffs.

Inter defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in Germany, Juventus held AS Monaco to a goalless draw and PSG played 1-1 with Spurs in France.

Madrid ended the league phase in ninth place on 15 points, Juventus in 13th spot on 13 points, in 10th place is Inter on 15 points and PSG finished in 11th on 14 points.

All the five Premier League teams – Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs all made it to the round of 16.

The Gunners topped the league phase with a perfect record of 24 wins out of 24 matches.

Mikel Arteta’s men bounced back from their defeat to Manchester United by edging out Kairat Almaty 3-2.

In other results, Chelsea defeated Napoli 3-2, Barcelona came from behind to thrash Copenhagen 4-1 and Liverpool hammered Qarabag 6-0.

Also Galatasaray, with Victor Osimhen in action lost 2-0 to Manchester City and Ademola Lookman’s Atalanta lost 1-0 at Union SG.

The eights who have already booked automatic qualifications to the first knockout stage are Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Spurs, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon and Man City.

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