Champions League Drama: PSG and Real Madrid Fall Short

On a thrilling final night of the Champions League group stage, both Paris St Germain and Real Madrid failed to secure automatic spots in the knockout rounds. PSG, drawing 1-1 with Newcastle United, found themselves facing a playoff, despite starting the evening in an automatic spot.

Real Madrid, with an illustrious history of fifteen titles, saw their hopes dashed after a 4-2 defeat to Benfica, dropping from third to ninth position. The night was not without highlights, as Barcelona battled from a goal down to overcome Copenhagen 4-1, securing fifth place, while Chelsea's comeback victory over Napoli clinched sixth place.

Sporting pulled off an unexpected 3-2 win against Athletic Bilbao, effectively pushing Real Madrid into the playoffs. Meanwhile, Arsenal made history as the first club in the new 36-team format to complete the group stages with a perfect record, defeating Kairat Almaty to round off an exhilarating group phase.