Champions League Penultimate Match DayA Chapter by Steve Clark The following article details matches of the 2024-25 Champions League. Champions League Penultimate Match Day After six Match Days, the results culminated in the below table.
The penultimate Match Day for the 2024/2025 Champions League had teams on edge. Powerhouses struggling to make the Playoffs were Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and Atalanta.
The only team eliminated at this stage was Dundee FC, who were without a point and cannot mathematically make it. Sturm Graz and Atalanta were outside chances but needed to win their final two matches and hope results fell their way. Lille and Club Brugge were also in a similar situation, also needing to rectify a poor goal difference, even though Club Brugge had drawn five out of their six matches.
Vying for automatic progression to the Round of 16 were Bayern München and Liverpool, on the same points as Celtic and AC Milan, but behind on goal difference. Hypothetically, teams placed down to 27th could make automatic progression, though realistically, the powerhouses were likely to come home strong.
A win for Real Madrid, Monaco and Manchester City guaranteed a place in the last sixteen.
Atalanta faced off against Sturm Graz, with the former having a 3-4-1-2 formation, while Sturm Graz styled their usual 4-4-2.
Gorenc Stanković and Ademola Lookman had the best chances for their respective sides, before Seedy Jatta looked dangerous with a through ball in the 27th minute for Sturm Graz. Instead, the striker scored in the 31st minute, again with a through ball where he never had any doubt. William Bøving assisted with pure delightful touch. Charles De Ketelaere tried getting Atalanta back in the game, only to have his shot saved. For Sturm Graz, Tochi Chukwuani shot the ball from the edge of the box, though he missed to the right.
Mateo Retegui came out for Atalanta after the break, trying to draw level, but his right footer was saved. Otar Kiteishvili also tried the same down the other end, only hit the ball straight at the Atalanta goalkeeper. Atalanta attacked down the right wing, leading to a De Ketelaere shot missing the mark. Instead, it was Lookman who set up Retegui to equalise after poor Sturm Graz errors.
Jatta almost set up Bøving, only to have it saved in the 68th minute. Retegui nearly scored his second, also saved. Instead, the striker finished off an attempt that was initially saved, only to pocket into an open goal for his fourth goal in seven games. That goal sealed the deal for the visitors, eliminated from Champions League knockout contention, while Atalanta kept the faintest of hopes alive.
Monaco, in second, hosted 19th-placed Aston Villa, with the visitors without Ollie Watkins due to his red card in the previous match.
Aleksandr Golovin had the best chance in the first period for Monaco, only to come up short. Ben Sigher also missed to the left of goal as both sides worked down their left wing to advance towards goal.
Leon Bailey had an early shot in the second half, trying to get Aston Villa back into the match. Bailey then set up Jhon Durán, whose shot needed a choice lefthanded save. Down the other end, Breel Embolo led the charge in shots, only to have them saved or to go over the bar, considering the defensive pressure, it was only natural.
In the 84th minute, however, Embolo scored the winning goal, placed alone by a through ball, and powered into the back of the net for his sixth goal in seven matches.
Aston Villa tried in vain to equalise, but Monaco inflicted on Aston Villa their first loss, whilst also gaining their fifth win.
A win for Aston Willa in the final match is now a necessity to progress to the playoffs.
As for Barcelona, victory would propel them above Benfica and have a good chance at making the top eight, even after languishing down the bottom of the ladder early in the Champions League.
Barcelona had a couple of chances go wide, and though they had the upper hand, the Catalans were unable to penetrate deep enough to score.
In the second half, two tackles from behind not deemed a foul led Benfica to attack, only to for Vangelis Pavlidis to shoot over the bar. Barcelona ramped up the pressure in the final stages, all to no avail. 0-0 the final result.
Club Brugge, the home side, made two changes, one thanks to a red card, while visitors Juventus brought in Weston McKennie. However, the incoming for Juventus gave away an early penalty, and Christos Tzolis made no mistake, hitting to the right of the goalkeeper, who jumped left.
Needing to gain back a goal, Juventus worked down the left wing. Dušan Vlahović tried to shoot, only to be deemed offside from the Kenan Yildiz through ball.
Jutglá had a chance go begging to double the lead for Club Brugge at the end of the half, only to fire wide of the mark.
After the break, Juventus had the edge, including Timothy Weah’s shot being saved after given a through ball to be one-on-one. However, Club Brugge held on for the solitary-goal win, and Club Brugge overtook Juventus on the table with their first win.
PSV made two changes due to red cards, while Viborg kept their same 4-1-2-3 formation. Two misses by the away side to the right of goal did not help their chances. Instead, Viborg’s Player of the Match Isak Jensen set off a fast break and smashed it beyond the goalkeeper. Jensen could have scored a second, only to have the ball halted.
Instead, PSV’s Bakayoko managed to swerve the momentum of the first half, scoring in the 36th minute, first shooting then backing up the shot by getting his knee onto the attempted clearance, and the ball sailed into the back of the net.
PSV had the better chances of the second half, only to not produce a much-needed second goal.
Lille had one last attempt to stay in contention, only to face Liverpool in their seventh match, with the England side needing a win to propel into the top eight. Liverpool certainly had their chances to take a lead, only to not finish strong. Lille had chances late, though of a difficult nature.
That momentum shift seemed to rally Lille, as Hákon Arnar Haraldson took on the Liverpool defence, and from long range pocketed a crucial goal.
Liverpool had their chances in the second half, all to no avail. It was until substitute Diogo Jota had two attempts on goal. The first hit the woodwork, while the second eased into an open goal.
The match all tied up meant Lille was likely to miss out on a playoff spot, and attack they did, though they shot wide of the mark from long range. However, Jota scored in additional time to win the game for Liverpool, sending them probably into the top eight, with results pending.
Dundee made one change thanks to their red card in defence, while Stuttgart needed a win to keep in contention for the playoffs. Eight minutes in, Deniz Undav had the ball in the back of the net. Dundee gave their all to reply, only for Stuttgart to gain back control at the end of first half. Poor shooting by Dundee in the second half ensured Stuttgart’s solitary-goal victory.
Borussia Dortmund, just outside the top 24, needed to beat Bologna and overtake them in the process. They started off well, with Jamie Gittens chesting down a cross from the right wing before powering home with no defenders around him. Bologna could not make the most of any attempts to equalise, and soon the game in the second half showed little progress. However, when Emre Can received his second yellow card, Bologna could sniff a goal. Poor shots, though, meant Borussia Dortmund could keep ahead, and late in the match, countered via Gitten, who drew the goalkeeper out and gave the ball on a platter to Julian Brandt, finishing the match off in style.
Atlético de Madrid hosted Bayer Leverkusen in a match where the former could sniff a top eight place on the horizon, while the latter needed a result to keep in the playoff zone. The hosts had the better chances to score, while the visitors kept shooting from outside the box. Still, halftime saw the match scoreless.
Atlético de Madrid tried in the second half, only to not score. Bayer Leverkusen held themselves in regard, shooting at times as well, but it was Atléti who really dropped two points.
On Wednesday, Red Bull Leipzig hosted Sporting Lisbon, where both sides were on ten points, and both wanted to within reach of the top eight for automatic gain to the Round of 16. The first half saw Leipzig missing potential goals, and Sporting hitting the ball straight to the goalkeeper.
The second half was much the same, where Leipzig missed chance upon chance, while Sporting had their shots blocked. In the end, the scoreless draw did not do either team any favours.
Red Bull Salzburg flew to Real Madrid, with the latter keeping the visitors deep in their own defensive half for most of the first period. That resulted in a goal for Real Madrid, where Rodrygo had a ping from the edge of the box. It deflected off defender Samson Baidoo’s foot, altering the trajectory enough into the back of the net.
Salzburg were more enterprising in the second half, creating small chances to equalise. However, Real Madrid never looked like losing, and Rodrygo scored the hosts’ second in the 86th minute. His initial shot hit the post, before bouncing off the back of the goalkeeper. Rodrygo was first to the ball, and ensured the ball crossed the line, and Real kept their top spot on the ladder and a place in the Round of 16. Salzburg, meanwhile, sit precariously close to missing out on progressing.
Arsenal also had the chance to guarantee their place in the top eight with a one-nil win over Dinamo Zagreb. The visitors had minor chances to score off a corner, only to be thwarted. Instead, Arsenal kept their cool and took opportunities where necessary. Their best was finished by Kai Havertz off their own corner, where the talisman struck with the outside of his left foot to power the ball into the back of the net. David Raya in goals did his part for the team, as Arsenal gained their fifth win of the campaign.
Inter Milan and Sparta Praha both needed wins to keep in contention for the playoffs, but when Matěj Ryneš gained a red card for a challenge in the 36th minute, it gave Inter the advantage. From there, Federico Dimarco stole the ball off the goalkeeper and slotted into the open goal. Inter kept up the attack, only to not score again, but one goal was simply enough.
Paris Saint Germain sought to solidify their chances of a top-eight position with two early goals against Manchester City, who was one point above them. Ousmane Dembélé polished off with his left foot a goal that exposed the visitors’ defence. Randal Kolo Muani then became the overlay in the 25th minute where he scored with relative ease. Manchester City had minor chances in the first half, but the first period belonged to PSG.
Right after the break, Kolo Muani again was the extra man in a series of passes that saw him give PSG a three-goal lead. Nathan Aké tried getting back a goal for the visitors, only to hit the crossbar. However, Jérémy Doku was first to the ball and eased his header over the line. Marquinhos, though, restored PSG’s three-goal advantage and was found alone at the edge of the box, making no mistake.
In the first half, AC Milan had the better chances, while Girona had the better build up play, though it led to nought as they both wanted to solidify their chances at a top-eight position. Instead, Girona settled into defending, while AC Milan kept up the pressure. Then, in the 88th minute, Christian Pulisic found a way through to goal, and that ended Girona’s chance of making the top eight.
Harry Kane scored his hat trick in the first half for Bayern München away to Feyenoord, who were only two points behind them. Feyenoord needed to wrestle back the match, as a loss would endanger their chances of making the top 24, and though they tried in the first half, the game petered into both sides playing it out.
Celtic looked the better side in their match against Young Boys, only for an offside to deny them an opening goal. Young Boys held their own, even when Kyogo Furuhashi hit the crossbar when it should have been a certain goal. Celtic pushed at the death, and in the 88th minute, Daizen Maeda stepped up and shot from the “D”, ensuring the three points was theirs.
Brest knew a win would press their chances for reaching the playoff stages. However, Shakhtar Donetsk had other ideas, and scored twice in the first half, as they dominated much of the play. Kevin scored first when Lassina Traoré won the ball, turned his defender, then passed in front of Kevin, who hit first time. Traoré then had his own goal when Brest failed to clear from their box, and the striker pounded the ball with his right foot to double their lead. He did the same straight after the break, ensuring the full three points, while Brest must win their final game to have any chance of progressing.
All final Match Day games will be played at the same time, meaning relying on results for teams will be nerve-wracking, even if they do their part in their match.
Guaranteed Round of 16: Real Madrid and Monaco cannot be knocked out of the top eight.
Guaranteed playoff position: Arsenal Paris Saint-Germain Celtic Bayern München AC Milan Liverpool Manchester City Benfica
Lille, Sturm Graz and Dundee have no way to make the playoffs. Sparta Praha have an outside chance but must defeat Bayer Leverkusen and have other results go their way �" essentially all the teams above them to do poorly.
RB Salzburg must defeat Atlético de Madrid to make the playoffs and hope three of the teams on eight or nine points falter at the last hurdle. Atlético could mathematically miss out on the playoffs, but a draw will solidify that. They have no way of making the top eight, but a win will benefit their position in the playoffs.
Bayern München should win against bottom side Dundee, thus securing a place in the Round of 16. A loss could see them slip outside the top eight.
Seventh-place AC Milan fly to Dinamo Zagreb in the hope of staying in the top eight, while the hosts must win to make the playoffs.
Brest face top side Real Madrid, and must win and hope results go their way, while Real will hope to secure top spot after the eight matches.
Borussia Dortmund, two points ahead of Shakhtar Donetsk, will hope to win to ensure being in the top sixteen. The visitors must come up with a result to have a chance of making the playoffs.
Barcelona also hopes to win to ensure a top sixteen position, who Atalanta have an outsider’s chance of making the playoffs and must win and have teams above them lose.
Aston Villa sit precariously on eight points and will need at least a win to guarantee a playoff position. A draw may do it. Celtic will look to win and place up high in the top eight after their late winning goal by Maeda places them currently in fifth.
Young Boys are in a similar position to Aston Villa, while Viborg must win and have results go their way to ensure a playoff spot.
Stuttgart lies on the edge of being knocked out, and they play at home to fourth-placed PSG. PSG will hope to remain in the top four.
Sporting Lisbon have a slim chance to make the top eight but would prefer to have a result ensure they remain high in the playoff rankings. They face Bologna, who must win to have any hope of sneaking inside the top 24.
Sturm Graz will hope to bring something to their final match, perhaps inflicting damage on Leipzig who have a mathematical chance at making the top eight but are likely to finish in the top 16.
PSV must win big against Liverpool to have any hope of a playoff spot, while Liverpool lies in eighth and will need a result to ensure games off before the Round of 16.
Manchester City face Club Brugge, where the hosts must win and ensure a place in the top eight, while Club Brugge must win to ensure their playoff progression.
Lille cannot make any playoffs and will look to inflict a defeat upon Feyenoord who are fighting for a playoff advantage.
Juventus must win to make the playoffs, while Benfica will chance their arm at a top eight spot. © 2025 Steve Clark |
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Added on June 23, 2025 Last Updated on June 23, 2025 Author
Steve ClarkAdelaide, South Australia, AustraliaAboutA free spirited educator who dabbles in the art of writing novels and articles. more.. |
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