The Champions League playoffs have begun, with Borussia Dortmund and PSG securing dominant 3-0 victories. Juventus edged PSV 2-1, while Real Madrid staged a thrilling 2-3 comeback against Manchester City in the first leg of the round.
The revamped UEFA Champions League introduced a playoff round where teams ranked 9th to 24th in the new overall standings compete for a spot in the Round of 16. The top eight teams from the standings automatically advance, while the rest must fight for their place.
First-Leg Results
Yesterday, the first leg of this playoff round took place, with four teams making a strong case for a spot in the next phase.
Two teams all but secured their qualification with commanding performances. Borussia Dortmund cruised to a 3-0 victory over Sporting CP in Lisbon, with goals from Serhou Guirassy, Pascal Groß, and Karim Adeyemi. The German side will now host the second leg at Signal Iduna Park with a comfortable advantage.
PSG also secured a 3-0 win at home against Stade Brestois, thanks to a goal from Vítor Ferreira and a brace from Ousmane Dembélé. With this result, Brest faces an uphill battle in the return leg at the Parc des Princes. While nothing is certain in football, these results strongly suggest Dortmund and PSG are on their way to the Round of 16.
In a tighter contest, Juventus claimed a late 2-1 victory at home against PSV. Weston McKennie and Samuel Mbangula found the net for the Italian side, while Ivan Perišić pulled one back for the Dutch club.
Finally, in what could have been a final-worthy showdown, Real Madrid came from behind to defeat Manchester City 2-3 at the Etihad. Goals from Kylian Mbappé, Brahim Díaz, and Jude Bellingham overturned an early brace from Erling Haaland.
The second-leg matches of these thrilling encounters will take place on Wednesday, February 19.
Cover photo: X (@Champions League)
