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After losing to PSV Eindhoven in a thrilling five-goal match, Liverpool lost their perfect winning record in the Champions League this season. After leading twice in the Netherlands, Liverpool, who had won their previous seven games, lost twice at the end of the first half of their eighth and final group-phase encounter.
A play-off between the clubs who finished 15th to 18th in the league phase will determine Liverpool's opponents in the round of 16.
Barcelona's attempt to pass Liverpool in the rankings was unsuccessful, despite their aspirations to win the league phase. At the Estadi Olimpic, a win over Atalanta would have been sufficient, but the Catalans ultimately managed to get only a 2-2 tie.
Ultimately, it means Barcelona will have to be content with a second-place league result. Nevertheless, Flick and his team will be quite happy that they are still in the Champions League's round of 16, as they do not have to compete in the play-offs next month.
Manchester City defeated Club Brugge at Etihad Stadium to narrowly advance to the Champions League play-offs after a major scare. The Premier League winners, led by Pep Guardiola, understood that winning was the only way to save themselves from the humiliating shame of finishing outside the top 24 in the tournament's new format.
Shortly before halftime, Raphael Onyedika gave Club Brugge a startling lead by turning in Ferran Jutgla's cross, leaving them to face that bleak scenario. A Belgian team that showed enough to earn their spot in the playoffs provided City with the answer they needed as the stress increased. When City eventually established some control, Joel Ordonez shifted Josko Gvardiol's cross into his net after Mateo Kovacic had driven low past former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet eight minutes after the time.
Savinho's low drive that slipped past Mignolet at his near post gave City the confidence boost they needed, and Guardiola was now able to look forward to greater success in the league that Manchester City had won in 2023.
Despite easily defeating Brest, Real Madrid missed out on finishing in the top eight and now has to play in the Champions League play-offs and a matchup with either Manchester City or Celtic. Jude Bellingham's goal and a double from Rodrygo gave the defending champions the victory; they needed to win in France to guarantee a spot in the round of 16.
However, Carlo Ancelotti's team needs to play an extra two-leg tie to defend their championship due to outcomes elsewhere. Brest's first Champions League campaign also enters the knockout stages.