Champions League results: Man City fight back, join PSG in knockouts

Manchester City secured their place in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds with a dramatic 3-1 comeback victory over Club Brugge on Wednesday.

As fellow European superclubs advanced with ease on a chaotic final day of this inaugural “league phase,” City, in a must-win game at home, conceded late in the first half, then charged back to win 3-1, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Savinho's goal spread relief around a previously-stunned Etihad Stadium. But it was not much of a reprieve, because City will now face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the first knockout round.

Elsewhere, PSG smashed Stuttgart to qualify comfortably.

Dinamo Zagreb upset AC Milan, and nearly snuck into the top 24, but perished along with Stuttgart when Sporting Clube de Portugal snatched a late goal to draw Bologna and advance.

At the other end of the single table, which fluctuated constantly throughout 18 simultaneous games, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille and Aston Villa won and clinched byes to the Round of 16, joining Barcelona and Liverpool.

Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also won, but fell short of the top eight, and will enter the playoff round — which will feature the teams placed 9-24.

And in that playoff round, there will be at least one clash of giants, because the final Champions League table, after all was said and done, looked like this:

1. Liverpool
2. Barcelona
3. Arsenal
4. Inter Milan
5. Atlético Madrid
6. Bayer Leverkusen
7. Lille
8. Aston Villa

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9. Atalanta
10. Borussia Dortmund
11. Real Madrid
12. Bayern Munich
13. AC Milan
14. PSV Eindhoven
15. PSG
16. Benfica
17. Monaco
18. Brest
19. Feyenoord
20. Juventus
21. Celtic
22. Manchester City
23. Sporting CP
24. Club Brugge
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Eliminated: Dinamo Zagreb, Stuttgart, Shakhtar Donetsk, Bologna, Sparta Praha, RB Leipzig, Girona, Red Star Belgrade, Sturm Graz, RB Salzburg, Slovan Bratislava, BSC Young Boys

News.Az