Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid both secured their places in the Champions League Round of 16 on Tuesday, though both victories were hard-fought. PSG drew 2-2 with Monaco, progressing with an aggregate score of 5-4, while Real Madrid defeated Benfica 3-1 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw at the Bernabéu.
The Parisian side, under coach Luis Enrique, found themselves in a challenging match against Monaco. Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored for PSG, but goals from Akliouche and Teze for Monaco kept the outcome in doubt until the final whistle. Following the match, Enrique acknowledged the difficulty of the encounter. “What I can say is that in the first half, we were not used to playing a team that plays like us, that seeks to play at the same level. Normally, we have more continuity, more precision and I think the first half was very balanced. After the break, we changed, we were more precise and I think we deserved this victory, this qualification. But it was difficult, it was a trap match at the start. I think we have to be happy to what we did, and to overcome these complicated moments in the first minutes,” he explained at a press conference.
Real Madrid’s path to the knockout stages was also not straightforward. Rafa Silva opened the scoring for Benfica, but Tchouaméni quickly equalized. Vinicius then secured the lead for Real Madrid with a well-placed finish, ultimately sealing their qualification. The match saw a back-and-forth dynamic, with Tchouaméni’s goal coming shortly after Benfica’s opener.
Elsewhere, Juventus suffered a dramatic exit from the competition, despite a remarkable comeback against Galatasaray. Leading 3-0, Juventus conceded five goals to Galatasaray, ultimately losing 5-7 on aggregate after extra time.
The Champions League Round of 16 now features the following pairings: PSG will face either Chelsea or Barcelona; Galatasaray will play either Liverpool or Tottenham; Real Madrid will take on either Sporting or Manchester City; Atalanta will face either Arsenal or Bayern; Newcastle will face either Chelsea or Barcelona; Atlético will play either Liverpool or Tottenham; Bodo Glimt will face either Manchester City or Sporting; and Olympiacos will play either Arsenal or Bayern.
Notably, Luis Enrique recently extended his contract with Paris Saint-Germain through 2030, rejecting interest from Manchester United, according to reports.
