Overview
- Under the revamped 36‑team league phase, 18 simultaneous matches on Jan. 28 set the direct round‑of‑16 berths, the playoff field and the eliminations.
- The eight teams advancing directly are Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting CP and Manchester City.
- Sixteen clubs move into the playoffs, a group that includes Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Paris Saint‑Germain, Atlético de Madrid, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Monaco, Qarabag, Bodo/Glimt and Benfica.
- Benfica beat Real Madrid 4‑2 in Lisbon, with goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scoring a stoppage‑time header that sealed Benfica’s playoff spot and left Madrid ninth and bound for the playoff round.
- Key results on the night included Barcelona’s 4‑1 win over Copenhagen to clinch the top eight, Liverpool’s 6‑0 rout of Qarabag with an Alexis Mac Allister brace, Chelsea’s 3‑2 victory at Napoli featuring an Enzo Fernández goal, and Bodo/Glimt’s 2‑1 upset at Atlético.