Champions League Group Stage ends: Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal Secure Top 3 Spots

 


After eight matches, Liverpool, Barcelona, and Arsenal finished in the top three of the Champions League group stage, securing direct qualification for the pre-quarterfinals. Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich barely managed to stay in contention for the Round of 16.

Liverpool’s Defeat to PSV

Liverpool faced PSV in their final group-stage match, having already secured the top spot. Coach Arne Slot fielded a second-string squad, yet Cody Gakpo put Liverpool ahead. However, Johan Bakayoko equalized within five minutes. Another five minutes later, Harvey Elliott restored Liverpool’s lead. Just before halftime, PSV turned the game around with goals from Ismael Saibari and Ricardo Pepi. In the 87th minute, PSV’s Amara Nallo received a red card, but Liverpool still lost 2-3.

Barcelona Draw with Atalanta

Second-placed Barcelona played out a 2-2 draw against Atalanta. Lamin Yamal and Ronald Araújo scored for the Spanish club, while Ederson and Mario Pašalić twice equalized for Atalanta. Despite the draw, Barcelona secured second place in the standings.

Arsenal’s Victory Over Girona

Arsenal, meanwhile, ended their group-stage campaign with a 2-1 win over Girona. The Spanish side took the lead through Arnaut Danjuma in the 28th minute, but Arsenal responded with goals from Jorginho and Ethan Nwaneri to claim victory.

Man City’s Must-Win Game

Defending champions Manchester City faced a do-or-die situation in their final match against Club Brugge. Despite falling behind to a Raphael Onyedika goal, City mounted a comeback. Goals from Mateo Kovačić, Joel Ordóñez, and Savinho secured a 3-1 win, allowing Pep Guardiola’s side to advance.

Wins for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich

Real Madrid dominated Brest with a 3-0 victory, featuring a brace from Rodrygo and a goal from Jude Bellingham. Bayern Munich also secured their spot by defeating Slovan Bratislava 3-1, thanks to goals from Thomas Müller, Harry Kane, and Kingsley Coman.

Final Standings and Knockout Qualification

After eight matches, Liverpool topped the standings with 21 points, followed by Barcelona and Arsenal, both on 19 points (with Arsenal ranked third on goal difference). Real Madrid finished 11th with 15 points, while Bayern took 12th with the same tally. Manchester City finished 22nd with 11 points.

According to this year’s Champions League rules, the top eight teams qualify directly for the pre-quarterfinals. Teams ranked 9th to 24th will enter the playoffs, where eight more teams will advance. The bottom 12 teams (25th to 36th) are eliminated.

Dinamo Zagreb finished 25th, level on 11 points with Manchester City, but Guardiola’s side survived on goal difference.


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