Arsenal, Barca, Napoli, Atletico top respective groups
As the group stage matches of Groups A-D of UEFA Champions League concluded, 8 teams made it to the Round of 16. These teams include - Arsenal, Napoli, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid which came on top of their groups; and Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich, which finished second in these respective groups. Eight more teams will progress from Groups E-F tonight.
The 4 teams that qualified for Europa League
The 4 teams from Groups A-D that earned a Europa League transfer by finishing third in the group stage were - Ludogorets Razgrad (A), Besiktas (B), Borussia Monchegladbach (C), and the Russian team Rostov (D).
Arsenal pip French champions PSG to top spot
Arsenal pipped Paris Saint-Germain to the Group A top spot. Lucaz Perz scored a hat-trick as Wenger's men thumped Basel 4-1 in an away match. On the other hand, PSG who needed a home win against Ludogorets to secure the first place, were restricted to a 2-2 draw by the Bulgarian side. Thus the French champions slumped to second place in Group A.
Napoli, Benfica move to knockout stage
Napoli's 2-1 victory over Benfica at Lisbon ensured the Italians position in the knockout phase as toppers of Group B. A win against Dynamo Kyiv would have ensured a Round of 16 berth for Besiktas but the Turkish side were thrashed 6-0 and had to settle for a third place Europa League qualification. Their defeat also enabled Benfica's progress to knockout round.
Barcelona breeze past Monchengladbach, City held by Celtic
It was another easy day at office for Barcelona as they breezed past Borussia Monchengladbach to win 4-0 at home. Messi scored the opener and Arda Turan fired a hat-trick. Manchester City with a struggling form were held to 1-1 draw by Celtic. The match results mattered little in this group as the qualifiers - Barcelona, City, were already confirmed by previous match outcomes.
Atletico finish on top despite losing to Bayern
Atletico Madrid finished on top of Group D despite losing their last match to Bayern Munich 1-0. Atletico entered the match with a 5-0 win record, while Bayern saw two defeats, one in an away match to Atletico and the other to Rostov. Both these teams had already qualified for Knockout round. The PSV, Rostov match ended 0-0, ensuring Europa League qualification for Rostov.
