On Wednesday, the UEFA Champions League knockout play-offs brought plenty of excitement as Real Madrid CF, Paris Saint-Germain, Atalanta BC, and Galatasaray SK earned their spots in the Round of 16.
In Madrid, Real won 2-1 against SL Benfica, wrapping up a 3-1 total win. Rafa Silva gave the Santiago Bernabéu a quick surprise, but goals from Aurélien Tchouaméni and Vinícius Júnior made sure the Los Blancos team moved forward without any trouble.
In Paris, PSG got through a tense match against AS Monaco FC. Even though they ended the second leg with a 2-2 draw, the French champions moved on with a 5-4 aggregate win. Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored for the home team, but Monaco’s late efforts weren’t enough.
The biggest comeback of the night happened in Bergamo, where Atalanta managed to beat Borussia Dortmund 4-1 after losing the first leg 2-0. An intense penalty in the 98th minute secured a 4-2 aggregate win for the Italian team.
In Turin, Galatasaray got through against Juventus FC with a 7-5 win over two legs, clinching it in extra time. Even though Juventus pushed hard with just 10 players to take the game into extra time, Victor Osimhen’s crucial goal sealed the win for the Turkish champions.
The Round of 16 draw is set for Friday, and Europe’s top teams are now waiting to find out who they’ll face next in what should be an exciting stage.
