Champions League Final Match DayA Chapter by Steve Clark The following article details matches of the 2024-25 Champions League. Champions League Final Match Day
The final Match Day arrived, with plenty of results swaying the final look of the ladder.
Morgan Rogers set the tone of the Aston Villa-Celtic match when he scored with ease early on. Both sides had minor chances to gain a second goal of the game, but to no avail. In the second half, Celtic came up short chasing the equaliser. Both sides knew the results were enough to carry on to the next phase.
Atalanta flew to Barcelona, hoping that a win would give them an outsider’s chance of making the playoffs. Barcelona, though, attacked without relent. However, on the half hour mark, Ademola Lookman pounced on a through ball after a Barcelona corner, ran half the field and scored in the bottom left corner. Barcelona threw everything at Atalanta in the second half, gaining three injuries in the process, only to have Lookman score again with a through ball, and made the Barcelona goalkeeper go the wrong way before pocketing his brace in similar fashion. From there, Atalanta held on for the win, giving themselves a good chance to make the playoffs.
Bayer Leverkusen set about the right way as they hosted Sparta Praha, scoring twice early. Jonas Hofmann kept up his scoring ways with a coolly taken shot when he was found alone running into the box. Patrik Schick then doubled the lead six minutes later when he headed home the ball after an initial goalkeeping save sent the ball high into the air, and easy for the tall striker to score. However, despite domination, the visitors edged back a goal right before the break, with Albion Rrahmani given the ball as his marking man was drawn out to the right wing. Hofmann, after the break, though, scored two more goals to make it a hat trick, and though Rrahmani scored a late consolation prize, it was Bayer Leverkusen who reigned supreme.
Borussia Dortmund and Shakhtar Donetsk faced off in a crucial final day, with the hosts looking the better side in the first half. Three goals from the hosts, thanks to two from Jamie Gittens surrounding a Serhour Guirassy classic meant the full three points for Borussia, and Shakhtar to turn their attention to other results.
Real Madrid flew to Brest and had seventeen shots in the first half, all to no avail. The second half looked much the same, with blocks and saves aplenty. Brest then caught the visitors on a counter and scored via Ludovic Ajorque, who was found open as he powered the goal with his left foot. From there, Brest held on for the win.
Dinamo Zagreb hosted AC Milan in a battle needing to make the top 24, while the visitors craved a top four finish. Both sides had chances early, only for AC Milan to have more shots at goal in the first half, all to no avail. The hosts came out charging in the second period, only for AC Milan to work down the right wing and eventually give the ball to Álvaro Morata, who snuck the ball in between the goalkeeper and the post. AC Milan then managed the game from there, taking the win, and leaving Dinamo Zagreb on the floor of the Champions League.
Bayern München was in a similar position to AC Milan, hoping to bounce into the top four with a solid win over bottom-placed Dundee. It started with a header from Jamal Musiala before Leroy Sané doubled the lead. Harry Kane extended that after the break, before Michael Olise capped off a good game in the 89th minute.
Both RB Salzburg and Atlético Madrid had chances go begging in the first half, only for both defences to hold steady. The hosts needed a win to have any chance of making the playoffs, whilst the visitors could smell the top eight on their horizon. Instead, less chances came the way of either team, and the match ended a scoreless draw.
Girona, needing a result to stay in a playoff position, faced off against Arsenal who were in third and craved a top two spot. Neither side look like scoring in the first half, but it was Cristhian Stuani who came out on top, scoring a goal for his side and keeping them high in the top sixteen.
Inter Milan also needed their best game against Monaco. However, Breel Embolo opened the scoring early. Inter struggled but kept up their belief, only to come undone by another Embolo goal, this time a through ball that bounced off the inside of the post. Marcus Thuram pegged a consolation goal at the end, but the Monacans knew the three points was theirs, and when they heard Real Madrid lost, knew they finished top of the league against all odds without a single loss.
Benfica flew to Juventus hoping to crack the top eight, only to go down a goal early. Dušan Vlahović was the instigator, as Juventus needed a win to make the top 24. The hosts kept up the pressure, not allowing Benfica a solid chance on goal. From there, Juventus played out a solid and crucial victory.
Lille hosted Feyenoord and took the lead right before the break with a penalty by Jonathan David. He doubled the lead after the break, and Rémy Cabella capped off the win in the 90th minute.
Club Brugge needed to defeat Manchester City, while the hosts had to win to crack the top eight. Erling Haaland had the best right the end of halftime, only to be deemed offside. The striker had two more chances, only to be caught on the counter and Ferran Jutglá finished off the quick passes. Instead, Rodrigo came off the bench and when no defender came towards him, he took the shot and equalised. Haaland then gave them the lead in the 87th minute. From there, Macnhester City held on.
PSV hosted Liverpool, needing a win to stay in the Champions League. Neither side could finish goals in the first half. Liverpool had chances late go begging, and a scoreless draw ensued.
RB Leipzig made two changes in their match against Sturm Graz in the hope of gaining around ninth or tenth spot, due to their poor goal difference compared with the teams around them. Sturm Graz had the better first period, though Leipzig stepped up in the latter part of the first half, but without a goal to their name. In the second half, Leipzig ramped up the pressure, with fifteen shots across the match, only for a scoreless draw to ensue.
Bologna needed a victory against Sporting Lisbon to have any hope of continuing their Champions League campaign. However, the hosts kept them blocked in their own half for great periods of time, due to their quick tackles gaining back possession. That paid off, as Bologna adjusted their style to going down the wings, which left the left back exposed, and from there, Sporting Lisbon earned a penalty. Victor Gyökeres made no mistake from the spot. After the break, Bologna attacked for an equaliser, only to be undone by Gyökeres, twice, and again from the penalty. A hat trick ensured Sporting’s three points, but goal difference then became a real factor when Geovany Quenda snuck the ball between the goalkeeper’s legs for a fourth.
Stuttgart hosted PSG in a first half that started in favour of PSG, at least in terms of shots at goal. However, by the end of the half, Stuttgart had evened up the match, and the second half was going to be a ripper, as both sides craved the win; Stuttgart to continue their campaign, and PSG to enter the top echelons, even though they knew they had a spot in the Round of 16. Stuttgart should have had the lead in the second half, only to miss twice. Instead, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia came off the bench and scored for PSG with his second shot. PSG sought a second goal to put the match to bed, only they could not, and in the 90th minute, Angelo Stiller equalised for the hosts, giving them a slim hope as they awaited the results around them.
Make the playoffs or miss out: that was the ultimatum between Young Boys and Viborg. The hosts looked the better side, particularly when they gained a goal via Silv�-re Ganvoula. Viborg stepped up in the second half, only the match became box to box football. Young Boys should have doubled the lead, only for injury time to see them come unstuck, and substitute Anosike Ementa got the smallest of touches to send the ball over the line, and the match to end up a draw.
As a result, Celtic and Sporting Lisbon missed out by a point on making it all the way to the Round of 16, with Liverpool edging them out.
Down in 24th place, Stuttgart and Inter Milan saw off Feyenoord by two and one goal differences respectively. Feyenoord dropped from 17th to 25th in one Match Day, and that will haunt them for at least a year. Club Brugge would have made it, had they not relinquished that final goal to Haaland. Still, it was a grand eight Match Days.
As a result:
Inter Milan v Celtic
Barcelona v Sporting Lisbon
Juventus v Girona
Brest v Borussia Dortmund
Stuttgart v Benfica
Atalanta v Bayer Leverkusen
Young Boys v RB Leipzig
Aston Villa v Atlético Madrid
Matches will be played across two legs.
© 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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