The Champions League play-off round reached its conclusion on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the final eight ties confirming the full line-up for the last 16, İdman.Biz reports.
On Wednesday night, Atalanta produced one of the standout performances of the round, beating Borussia Dortmund 4-1 in Bergamo to overturn the deficit and advance 4-3 on aggregate. Real Madrid also completed the job at home, edging Benfica 2-1 to seal a 3-1 aggregate victory and underline their status as perennial contenders in Europe.
In Paris, PSG were held to a 2-2 draw by Monaco but progressed 5-4 over the two legs after a dramatic tie between the Ligue 1 rivals. Juventus, meanwhile, defeated Galatasaray 3-2 after extra time in Turin, only for the Turkish side to advance 7-5 on aggregate following their commanding first-leg display.
Tuesday’s action had already seen Atletico Madrid book their place in the next round with a dominant 4-1 home win over Club Brugge, going through 7-4 overall. Bayer were held to a goalless draw by Olympiacos but advanced 2-0 on aggregate thanks to their first-leg advantage.
There was disappointment for Inter, who fell 2-1 to Bodo/Glimt and exited the competition 5-2 on aggregate in one of the surprises of the play-offs. Newcastle, by contrast, completed a comprehensive job against Qarabag, winning 3-2 on the night to progress 9-3 across the two matches and continue their strong European campaign.
The draw for the Champions League round of 16 will take place in Nyon on Friday, 27 February, as the competition moves into its decisive spring phase.
