Evening of upsets with FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid

FC Barcelona put on a memorable spectacle on the penultimate day of the Champions League by beating Benfica 5-4 thanks to a decisive goal from Raphinha in the 90th + 6 minute. Despite a difficult start to the match, the Catalans were able to turn the situation around and qualify for the round of 16 of the competition. Hopes of qualification were revived by a series of goals in a thrilling encounter where Lewandowski scored from the penalty spot, and Eric Garcia equalized shortly before the final blow was struck.

As for Atlético de Madrid, the clash against Bayer Leverkusen was just as captivating. Despite the early expulsion of Pablo Barrios, Xabi Alonso’s men demonstrated remarkable tenacity. Julian Alvarez was the star of this meeting by scoring twice, allowing Atlético to emerge victorious with a score of 2-1 and climb to third place in their group. This performance was crucial to the Colchoneros’ aspirations in the competition.

The other matches of the evening also had their share of surprises. Borussia Dortmund, despite taking a 1-0 lead thanks to Serhou Guirassy, ​​were brought down by two quick goals from Bologna. In a less lively encounter, Bruges and Juventus drew 0-0. PSV won against Red Star, and Stuttgart defeated Slovan Bratislava. These performances have redesigned the rankings and opened new perspectives for the teams involved.

The details and in-depth analyzes of this exceptional evening were covered by our editorial team and can be consulted on the website of our colleagues at Sud Quotidien, highlighting the crucial issues of this European competition.