Liverpool secured their spot in the last 16 of the Champions League with a 2-1 victory over Lille on Tuesday, becoming the first team to guarantee advancement in the new competition format. The win at Anfield marked Liverpool’s seventh consecutive victory in the league stage. Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the 34th minute, netting his 22nd goal of the season. Although Lille equalized through Jonathan David shortly after the hour mark, Harvey Elliott quickly restored Liverpool’s lead with a deflected shot just five minutes later. Elliott expressed his joy, stating, “All my life I’ve dreamt of playing Champions League football… it’s kind of a pinch-me moment.”
In a thrilling match in Lisbon, Barcelona staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Benfica 5-4, overcoming a two-goal deficit with less than 15 minutes remaining. Raphinha scored the decisive goal in stoppage time, capping off a remarkable performance that saw Barcelona rally from 4-2 down. Vangelis Pavlidis of Benfica made headlines with a rapid hat trick, but Robert Lewandowski’s two penalties kept him at the top of the Champions League scoring charts with nine goals. Raphinha, who also scored twice, highlighted the team’s resilience, saying, “We came with the mindset that we could turn the game. We never gave up and managed to grab a win.”
Elsewhere, Aston Villa’s hopes for automatic qualification took a hit with a 1-0 loss to Monaco, leaving them in eighth place. A goal from Wilfried Singo in the eighth minute secured the win for Monaco, who now sits in ninth. Borussia Dortmund’s struggles continued with a 2-1 defeat to Bologna, marking their fourth consecutive loss in all competitions this year. Despite an early lead from Serhou Guirassy, the match turned when Bologna scored twice in quick succession. Meanwhile, Atalanta solidified their position for a direct spot in the round of 16 with a commanding 5-0 victory over Sturm Graz. In Europa League action, Galatasaray squandered a 3-1 lead, settling for a 3-3 draw against Dynamo Kyiv, missing the opportunity to climb to third in the table.
Related topics
