GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany — Manchester City finds itself on the verge of an embarrassing exit from the Champions League following a shocking defeat against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. In contrast, Real Madrid has secured its place in the next round after decisively defeating Salzburg.
In a high-stakes showdown among two affluent teams that have underperformed, Manchester City squandered a two-goal advantage, ultimately falling 4-2 to PSG in Paris. Despite this setback, the English champions could still face elimination depending on the outcomes of the final games next week. Currently ranked 25th in a 36-team standings, Manchester City must defeat Club Brugge to keep their hopes alive for a spot in the knockout stage. On the other hand, PSG has moved up to 22nd and will face 24th-ranked Stuttgart.
As for Real Madrid, the title defenders have climbed from 22nd position at the start of Wednesday’s matches to 16th after an impressive 5-1 victory over Salzburg. Meanwhile, Arsenal and Inter Milan secured expected wins, putting them in third and fourth place, but they are not yet guaranteed a place alongside Liverpool and Barcelona who are likely to qualify directly for the round of 16.
Arsenal triumphed over Dinamo Zagreb with a score of 3-0, while Inter Milan achieved a narrow 1-0 victory against Sparta Prague. In a surprising twist, Bayern Munich suffered a 3-0 loss against Feyenoord, leaving them at 15th in a congested mid-table filled with prestigious clubs like Madrid and Juventus, snubbed by the knockout rounds next February.
Next Wednesday promises to be an exciting conclusion to the group stage, where all 36 teams will take part in the last round of matches. With 18 games starting simultaneously, only the top 24 teams will secure their advancement to the knockout phase.
Manchester City looked poised to send PSG packing after establishing a two-goal lead early in the second half. Jack Grealish, who came on as a substitute at halftime, scored in the 50th minute, followed by a stunning assist to Erling Haaland just four minutes later. Yet within six extraordinary minutes, PSG equalized thanks to goals from Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola. The dramatic comeback reached its peak in the 78th minute when Joao Neves scored the critical third goal, with Goncalo Ramos sealing the game with a fourth during stoppage time.
AC Milan quietly climbed to sixth place after a 1-0 victory against Girona at San Siro. Celtic also advanced by defeating Young Boys 1-0, marking the latter’s seventh consecutive loss. Sporting Lisbon, however, faces the threat of elimination after a 2-1 defeat against Leipzig, which marked the end of their six-match losing streak. Shakhtar Donetsk kept its hopes alive with a 2-0 victory against Brest, securing a place in the knockout phase.
