Champions League Final Matchday: Teams Battle for Knockout Spots

SALTA, Argentina — The final matchday of the UEFA Champions League group stage kicked off Wednesday, with nearly all teams vying for crucial spots in the knockout rounds. Only Liverpool and Barcelona had secured direct qualification to the Round of 16 before the day’s matches began, leaving the remaining teams to fight for playoff berths or survival in the competition.

Among the key matches, Atlético Madrid took a 2-0 lead over Salzburg thanks to a goal from Antoine Griezmann, positioning the Spanish side for direct qualification to the Round of 16. Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain secured a playoff spot with a 1-0 victory over Stuttgart, courtesy of a sixth-minute goal by Barcola. This result added pressure on Manchester City, who struggled in a 0-0 draw against Bruges, putting their Champions League future in jeopardy.

In other action, Inter Milan‘s Lautaro Martínez scored a penalty against Monaco, propelling his team into third place and a potential direct qualification spot. Monaco, however, remained in playoff contention. Elsewhere, Aston Villa‘s Emiliano Martínez started in goal against Celtic, while Santi Castro, Nicolás Otamendi, and Ángel Di María featured in key matches for their respective teams.

Argentine players were heavily involved, with Julián Álvarez, Rodrigo De Paul, and Giuliano Simeone leading Atlético Madrid’s charge against Salzburg. Exequiel Palacios also took the field for Bayer Leverkusen in their clash with Sparta Prague.

As the final whistle approaches, the fate of several teams hangs in the balance, with only 90 minutes separating them from glory or elimination in Europe’s premier club competition.