Champions League Play-Off Drama: Feyenoord, Vincent Kompany’s Side, and Benfica Advance

The Champions League playoff round saw thrilling performances and heartbreaking exits. Celtic gave their all in the Allianz Arena, but were edged out by Bayern Munich after leading for much of the match. Meanwhile, Club Brugge held strong against Atalanta, Benfica fought off Monaco, and Feyenoord shocked AC Milan to reach the last 16.

Celtic’s Courage Falls Short in Allianz Arena
Celtic were impressive in the Allianz Arena but narrowly lost to Bayern Munich after leading for much of the game. Callum McGregor, Daizen Maeda, and Nicolas Kuhn came close early on, with Kuhn scoring in the second half to give Celtic the lead. However, Alphonso Davies’ late goal after a save from Kasper Schmeichel sent Bayern through, eliminating Celtic in cruel fashion.

Club Brugge “Bridges” Gap to Knockout Stage, Topple Atalanta

Club Brugge won 3-2 on the night, holding a 2-1 first-leg lead. They quickly extended their advantage, with Ferran Jutgla setting up Chemsdine Talbi for an early goal. Atalanta thought they had equalized in the 17th minute, but it was ruled offside. Talbi added another after a rebound, and Jutgla scored before halftime to seal the tie. Ademola Lookman pulled one back for Atalanta in the second half, but a missed penalty and a late red card for Rafael Toloi sealed their elimination.

Benfica Edge Monaco to Secure Last 16 Spot
Benfica sealed a thrilling 3-2 win over Monaco, progressing to the last 16 of the Champions League for the third time in four years. The tie was decided by a goal from Orkun Kokcu, after Monaco fought back to level the aggregate score before conceding late.

Feyenoord’s Resilience Clinches Last 16
Feyenoord stunned AC Milan with a late header from Julian Carranza, progressing to the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time in 50 years. Milan, who had the upper hand for much of the match, were reduced to 10 men when Theo Hernandez was sent off, and Feyenoord made them pay for their loss of momentum with a superb cross from Hugo Bueno to Carranza.

As the dust settles, these teams will look ahead to the next challenge in Europe’s elite competition, while others, like Celtic and Milan, face the disappointment of elimination after fighting hard in their respective ties.