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Final Qualification Spots for Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Atalanta and Galatasaray

The curtain has fallen on the play-off round for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, completing the line-up of qualified teams after intense battles that remained open until the final moments on multiple fronts.

In the French capital, Paris Saint-Germain continued their title defense after overcoming domestic rivals Monaco in an all-French clash that delivered plenty of drama. The second leg at the Parc des Princes ended in a 2-2 draw, but PSG’s first-leg advantage proved decisive, having secured a 3-2 away victory.

Monaco entered the match with clear determination and stunned the hosts when Maghnes Akliouche opened the scoring in the 45th minute, putting the principality side ahead before the break. However, PSG’s experience came to the fore in the second half, as Brazilian captain Marquinhos leveled the score in the 60th minute. Just six minutes later, Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put Luis Enrique’s side in front, capitalizing on a numerical advantage after Mamadou Coulibaly was sent off in the 58th minute. Monaco refused to surrender and Dutch defender Jordan Teze equalized in stoppage time (90+1), but the goal was not enough to prevent their elimination.

In Madrid, Real Madrid once again got the better of Benfica to reach the Round of 16. The Spanish giants entered the second leg with the confidence of a 1-0 away win and reinforced it with a 2-1 victory at home.

Rafa Silva gave the Portuguese side the lead in the 14th minute, but Aurélien Tchouaméni responded swiftly for Madrid two minutes later. Vinícius Júnior then sealed the win with an 80th-minute strike.

In Italy, Atalanta’s clash with Borussia Dortmund produced a dramatic storyline. The Italian side had lost the first leg 2-0 but turned the tie around with a commanding 4-1 victory.

Gianluca Scamacca opened the scoring as early as the fifth minute, and Davide Zappacosta doubled the lead before half-time. In the 57th minute, Croatian midfielder Mario Pašalić added a third, reigniting hope in Bergamo. Although Karim Adeyemi pulled one back in the 75th minute, the decisive moment came deep into stoppage time (90+8), when Serbian midfielder Lazar Samardžić converted a penalty to seal qualification. The heated encounter also saw Algerian defender Ramy Bensebaini sent off for the foul that led to the penalty, along with Nico Schlotterbeck, who had already been substituted.

In Turin, Juventus endured a turbulent night against Galatasaray in what could only be described as a chaotic encounter. The Italian side needed to overturn a heavy 5-2 first-leg defeat in Istanbul and began the task with a Manuel Locatelli penalty in the 37th minute. Their situation worsened when English defender Lloyd Kelly was sent off at the start of the second half. Despite being down to ten men, Juventus showed resilience, as Federico Gatti scored in the 70th minute, followed by Weston McKennie’s third goal in the 82nd minute, leveling the aggregate score at 5-5 and forcing extra time. In extra time, Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen struck a decisive goal in the 105+1 minute before Barış Yılmaz added another in the 119th minute, sealing a 7-5 aggregate victory for the Turkish side. Juventus’ European campaign ended at the play-off stage, while Galatasaray progressed after one of the most thrilling ties of the round.

Blog / Final Qualification Spots for Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Atalanta and Galatasaray

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