Liverpool has secured its spot in the last 16 of the new Champions League format following a 2-1 victory over Lille. This match took place on Tuesday, and saw Barcelona mount an incredible comeback to defeat Benfica 5-4 in a game filled with dramatic twists and turns.

Harvey Elliott scored the decisive goal with a deflected shot shortly after Lille had equalized, marking Liverpool’s seventh consecutive win. Mohamed Salah had initially put Liverpool in front with his opening goal, and the Reds only required a single point at Anfield to confirm their advancement as one of the top eight teams, thereby bypassing the playoff round for clubs ranked ninth to 24th.

Salah’s 22nd goal across all competitions this season came in the 34th minute, as he broke through to give Liverpool the lead. However, the match took an unexpected turn when Lille’s Aissa Mandi received a red card shortly before the hour mark, leading many to believe Liverpool would easily secure another victory. But Jonathan David shocked the home crowd by equalizing in the 62nd minute. Liverpool responded swiftly, regaining the lead through Elliott’s deflected shot just five minutes later. “Playing in the Champions League has always been a dream for me, especially at Anfield with our fans. Scoring in this match is simply unbelievable,” Elliott expressed.

Barcelona’s clash with Benfica was nothing short of electrifying as the teams combined for a staggering 33 goals in a single night across nine matches. Raphinha netted a last-minute goal to cap off an amazing comeback after Barcelona found themselves trailing 4-2 with less than 15 minutes remaining. Vangelis Pavlidis, from Benfica, achieved a remarkable hat trick, finding the net three times in quick succession, benefiting from mistakes by Barcelona’s goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny. Barcelona continues to hold second place in the standings with 18 points from their seven matches, remaining unbeaten in their last six contests across all competitions this year.