Title: Barcelona and Dortmund Secure Spot in UEFA Champions League Knockout Rounds
Barcelona have qualified for the UEFA Champions League knockout stages for the first time in three seasons, overcoming Porto with a 2-1 comeback victory. Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix were the goal-scorers for the Catalan giants, who needed a top-two finish in Group H to secure their progress.
After consecutive group stage exits, the five-time champions are now back in the last 16, topping the group with 12 points—three clear of both Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk. The latter’s 1-0 win over Antwerp on Tuesday has kept their qualification hopes alive, setting up a final match-day decider between Porto and Shakhtar.
Barcelona, who were outplayed in the first half, were kept in the contest by goalkeeper Inaki Pena, who stepped in for the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Pena made several key saves before Cancelo and Felix led the comeback in the second half. Felix’s strike against the crossbar in the 47th minute was a precursor to their winning goal, as Cancelo set up Felix for a neat finish in the 57th minute.
In Group F, Borussia Dortmund confirmed their progression to the knockout rounds with a resounding 3-1 victory against AC Milan at the San Siro. Goals from Marco Reus, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, and Karim Adeyemi secured top spot in the group for Dortmund on 10 points. Dortmund’s city rivals, Paris Saint-Germain, sit second on seven points after a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United. AC Milan, with five points, can still make the top two if they win their final match and Dortmund lose to PSG.
Lastly, Atletico Madrid booked their place in the knockout rounds of the Champions League with a 3-1 win over Feyenoord, eliminating the Dutch side in the process. Two own goals and a精彩 strike from Mario Hermoso secured the victory for Atletico, who join Barcelona and Dortmund in the next phase of Europe’s premier club competition.
All these results set the stage for the final group stage matches, which will determine the complete lineup for the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League.
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