The Champions League defines its map towards the round of 16
This Wednesday was a key day in Europe. With all 18 games played at the same time, the outlook for the round of 16 became much clearer.
Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon and Manchester City sealed their direct pass. They join Arsenal and Bayern Munich, who already had the ticket in their pockets.
It was an intense day that defined the eight direct qualifiers and the 16 teams that will compete in the play-offs in February. The fight for those last tickets promises fire.
The greats who will go to the playoffs
This is where things get heated. Some heavyweights will have to work hard in February to avoid being left out.
Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Atlético de Madrid and Borussia Dortmund are some of the historical teams that will seek their place in this way.
Seeing these names in the playoffs is a reminder of how competitive this edition is. Nobody gives anything away.
The hard list: the 12 eliminated
The bitter side of sport. Twelve teams saw their European dream ended tonight. Among them, names that hurt.
Ajax, Olympique de Marseille, PSV Eindhoven and Napoli are the most notable casualties. Two teams from the Spanish LaLiga and two from the Dutch Eredivisie also appear on this list.
The harshest statistic goes to Slavia Prague, Villarreal and FC Kairat, who were unable to add a single victory in their eight games. Eight games, zero wins. A hard lesson about the level required in this competition.
Now, everything is preparing for an electrifying play-off in February. Those who arrived directly can plan; The others will have to give their all in one more round.
