Champions League: Liverpool and Barcelona Secure Top 2 Finishes; Arsenal Advances to Round of 16
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Synopsis
Liverpool topped the Champions League group stage despite a 3-2 loss to PSV Eindhoven. Barcelona confirmed their top-two finish with a draw against Atalanta, while Arsenal secured their place in the last 16 after a comeback win over Girona.
Key Takeaways
- Liverpool finishes group stage first.
- Barcelona secures a top-two finish.
- Arsenal advances to the last-16.
- PSV Eindhoven qualifies for knockout phase.
- Exciting matches lead to crucial standings.
Eindhoven, Jan 30 (NationPress) Liverpool concluded the Champions League group stage at the top, despite suffering a 3-2 loss away to PSV Eindhoven on the last day of matches.
The thrilling first half at Philips Stadium on Wednesday night saw the Reds take the lead twice. The first came from a penalty converted by Cody Gakpo at his former club, followed by a goal from Harvey Elliott.
However, Johan Bakayoko and Ismael Saibari equalized for the Eredivisie side, and a close-range effort from Ricardo Pepi put them ahead in stoppage time.
No more goals were added in the second half, ending Liverpool’s perfect record in the group stage at the last minute.
Arne Slot’s team will continue their Champions League journey in the last 16 in March against either Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Monaco, or Brest.
PSV, on the other hand, secured their place in the knockout phase after their entertaining win against Liverpool.
In other news, FC Barcelona secured a top-two finish in their Champions League group after playing to a 2-2 draw with Atalanta. They missed the opportunity to finish atop the table, even with PSV’s victory over Liverpool.
Atalanta came back twice to deny Barcelona the win that would have guaranteed them the top spot. Lamine Yamal scored from close range after receiving a pass from Raphinha, but Ederson equalized with a powerful shot. A precise header from Ronald Araujo from a Raphinha corner looked to have given Barcelona all three points, but Mario Pasalic equalized seven minutes later, sending La Dea into the knockout phase play-offs.
Barcelona will return to European action in late February against one of Monaco, Brest, PSG, or Benfica.
Meanwhile, Arsenal finished third in the Champions League table, securing a place in the last 16 after a 2-1 comeback victory over Girona.
All goals were scored in the first half, with Arnaut Danjuma giving the hosts an unexpected lead. However, Arsenal turned the game around with two goals in four minutes from a Jorginho penalty and a superb strike from Ethan Nwaneri.
Raheem Sterling missed a penalty deep into stoppage time, but Arsenal had done enough to secure their sixth victory out of eight matches this season, finishing behind only Liverpool and Barcelona.
The Gunners will face the winners of the playoff between teams that ended up in 13th or 14th, or 19th or 20th. The teams in those positions are AC Milan (13th), PSV Eindhoven (14th), Feyenoord (19th), and Juventus (20th).
