Bayern Munich Advances on a Shocking Night for Italian Football
Bayern Munich, Benfica, Feyenoord, and Club Brugge secured their places in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, while Italian football suffered a major setback as AC Milan and Atalanta were eliminated in the playoff round.
At the Allianz Arena in Munich, substitute Alphonso Davies rescued Bayern with a dramatic equalizer in stoppage time against Celtic, securing a 1-1 draw and sending the German giants through thanks to their 2-1 first-leg victory.
Celtic had taken the lead through Germany’s Nicolas Geret Cohen (63’), but Davies struck in the 94th minute to ensure Bayern’s progression. The Bavarians, aiming for their first UCL title since 2020, will now face either Bayer Leverkusen or Atlético Madrid in the next round.
Bayern also extended their unbeaten home run in the Champions League to 21 matches, dating back to April 2021.
Shocking Exits for Italian Sides
At the San Siro, seven-time European champions AC Milan were stunned by Feyenoord, who secured a 1-1 draw to advance 2-1 on aggregate.
Mexican forward Santiago Giménez, who had joined Milan from Feyenoord in the winter transfer window, opened the scoring against his former club in the first minute.
Feyenoord capitalized on the sending-off of French defender Theo Hernández, who received his second yellow card in the 51st minute, to equalize through Argentine Julián Carranza with a header past French goalkeeper Mike Maignan (73’).
Feyenoord, having reached the Round of 16 for the first time since the 1974-75 season, will face either Inter Milan or Arsenal in the next round.
Meanwhile, in Bergamo, Club Brugge eliminated Atalanta with a 3-1 away victory, completing a dominant 5-2 aggregate win.
Belgian-Moroccan youngster Shamseddine Talbi stole the show, scoring twice (3’, 27’), while Spanish forward Ferran Jutglà added a third (45+3’).
At just 19 years and 285 days old, Talbi became the youngest Belgian to score in the Champions League knockout rounds and the fourth-youngest to score a brace, behind Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Nicolò Zaniolo.
Atalanta’s Nigerian striker Ademola Lookman pulled one back (46’) but later missed a penalty, denied by Simon Mignolet.
Club Brugge will now face either Aston Villa or Lille in the Round of 16.
Goal Fest in Lisbon
In Lisbon, Benfica secured a dramatic qualification with a thrilling 3-3 draw against Monaco, progressing thanks to their 2-1 first-leg victory.
Benfica’s goals came from Turkish midfielder Kerem Aktürkoğlu (22’), Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis (76’ pen), and another Turkish star, Orkun Kökçü (84’).
Monaco, who led twice in the match, saw goals from Japan’s Takumi Minamino (32’), Moroccan youngster Eliesse Ben Seghir (51’), and Nigerian substitute George Ilenikhena (81’).
Benfica, who exited in the group stage last season but reached the quarterfinals in 2022 and 2023, will now take on either Barcelona or Liverpool in the next round.
For Monaco, a club that reached the Champions League semifinals in 1994, 1998, and 2017, their European journey ends prematurely as they fall short of the Round of 16, failing to recapture past glories.
