Heavyweight outfits battling for places in the last 16
La Liga giants Real missed out on automatic qualification by a solitary point, with a 4-2 defeat in Lisbon against Benfica proving to be costly for the 15-time European Cup winners. Former Blancos boss
Mourinho oversaw ‘the miracle of Da Luz’, with Ukrainian goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin heading home a 98th-minute effort that nudged his side through on goal difference by the narrowest of margins. Real will get an immediate opportunity for revenge.
PSG made history last season by capturing the most prestigious of European trophies for the first time, but they have been short of their best this term - despite having Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele on board - and will have to defend their crown the hard way.
Newcastle were the only Premier League side not to finish in the top eight - as Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City all made their way into the last-16 - but the Magpies are clinging to continental dreams. They do, however, face a long journey to Azerbaijan.
Elsewhere, three-time winners Inter will take on Norwegian giant-killers Bodo/Glimt and Serie A heavyweights Juventus will lock horns with Galatasaray. Atletico Madrid will fancy their chances against Belgian opponents Club Brugge.
The two German sides involved at this stage of the competition, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, will be tackling Atalanta and Olympiacos respectively, with some epic contests being lined up.
Mixed emotions for Champions League title hopefuls
Real Madrid will still be licking their wounds when lining up against Benfica again, with a dramatic night on Portuguese soil leaving ‘Galactico’ forward Kylian Mbappe frustrated. He has questioned the “desire” being shown by some of his team-mates and cursed the addition of two more games to an already stacked schedule.
The French superstar has said: “We aren't being consistent in our play. We have to solve that. We can't do it one day, and then not another. A team of champions doesn't do that. We have two more games, and that hurts a bit. We wanted to have time in February to work on our play, and instead we'll play the play-offs.”
While those in the Spanish capital are disappointed, over in Paris the mood is much more optimistic. PSG boss Luis Enrique remains convinced that his side are serious contenders to go back-to-back in the Champions League-winning stakes - despite only finishing 11th in the league phase.
The Spaniard has said: “I don’t see anyone more favored than us. We knew this could happen. I have no complaints about my team. Of course, we can play better and get better results, but we’re always ready to compete.”
