Manchester City faces the imminent threat of an embarrassing exit from the Champions League following a shocking defeat to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Real Madrid has secured its place in the knockout stages by decisively defeating Salzburg.
In a high-pressure matchup featuring two financially robust clubs that have underperformed, Man City squandered a two-goal advantage, resulting in a 4-2 loss in Paris. Despite this setback, City remains at risk of elimination along with PSG as the final set of matches approaches next week. Currently, Manchester City, the reigning champions, finds itself in 25th position out of 36 teams but could still qualify for the knockout playoff round if they manage to beat Club Brugge.
“We will do everything there, and if we don’t do it, we don’t deserve it,” stated manager Pep Guardiola regarding the pivotal match set to take place in Manchester in a week. Brugge, however, would only need a draw to secure advancement. PSG has climbed to 22nd place and will face a challenging encounter against Stuttgart, currently in 24th, where victory appears essential.
In the early moments of the second half, Manchester City seemed poised to push PSG closer to elimination as they established a two-goal lead. Jack Grealish, who came on as a substitute at halftime, netted a goal in the 50th minute, followed by a deflected pass across the goal that Erling Haaland converted just four minutes later. However, PSG responded astonishingly in a rapid six-minute span, with goals from Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola leveling the score. Joao Neves scored the crucial goal in the 78th minute to complete PSG’s comeback, and Gonçalo Ramos added another in stoppage time.
As for Real Madrid, the defending champions made a smooth transition into the knockout rounds after maintaining their dominant form. Despite the initial drama in the new Champions League setup which saw them losing three out of six matches to teams like Lille, AC Milan, and Liverpool, Madrid rebounded by overpowering Salzburg 5-1. The victory lifted them to 16th position. Brazilian stars Rodrygo and Vinícius Júnior each contributed with two goals, while Kylian Mbappé also found the net, all ahead of their anticipated clash in the FIFA Club World Cup set to occur in Philadelphia on June 26.
Arsenal and Inter Milan both secured expected victories to elevate themselves to third and fourth place, respectively, although their place in the top eight that guarantees a direct spot in the round of 16 is yet to be assured. Arsenal cruised to a 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb, while Inter managed a narrow 1-0 victory at Sparta Prague. Both clubs currently boast 16 points, putting them three points clear of ninth-place Aston Villa. AC Milan quietly climbed to sixth place with a 1-0 victory over Girona, thanks to an impressive first-half strike from Rafael Leão.
Conversely, Bayern Munich struggled, suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat at the hands of Feyenoord, thus positioning them in 15th place amid a competitive field that includes well-respected clubs like Madrid and Juventus. These teams now face the possibility of confronting each other in the knockout playoffs set for February. The teams finishing in the 15th to 18th spots will compete against one another for the chance to face off against Liverpool and likely Barcelona in the playoffs. Bayern has the advantage of an apparently easier matchup ahead, playing at home against Slovan Bratislava, who have experienced a losing streak of seven games.
In other scenarios, Celtic secured its passage into the knockout rounds by defeating last-place Young Boys 1-0, another team that has struggled with seven losses. Leipzig broke its six-game losing streak by winning 2-1 against Sporting Lisbon, though the Portuguese champions remain favored to progress. Shakhtar Donetsk stayed in the running with a 2-0 victory over Brest, ensuring their place in the knockout rounds as well.
Next Wednesday will see all 36 teams compete simultaneously in 18 matches, kicking off at 9 p.m. Central European Time (2000 GMT). The top eight teams in the final standings will have a reprieve until March, awaiting the round of 16 draws, while those finishing between ninth and 24th will enter the knockout playoffs. The two-legged matchups will be drawn on January 31 at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
