The Champions League league phase came to a dramatic close as football fans were treated to 18 matches that took place simultaneously, including six Premier League sides.
Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham all fought for a spot in the top eight, as the evening saw the table move around throughout the night.
Arsenal, who started the night top of Europe’s most prestigious competition and already qualified for the knock-out stages, won 3-2 against FC Kairat.
Liverpool saw two of their summer signings score in their 6-0 thrashing of Qarabağ FK, while Manchester City cruised to a 2-0 victory over Galatasaray.
Newcastle perhaps had the hardest fixture, travelling to Paris to face the reigning Champions PSG, which, after a nail-biting thriller, resulted in a 1-1 draw.
Chelsea struggled against Napoli for the first hour of play before a João Pedro brace secured a 3-2 victory.
Tottenham won 2-0 against Eintracht Frankfurt to maintain their remarkable record of 25 games undefeated in Europe.
The results mean Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City have advanced automatically through to the last 16, while Newcastle will be required to play an additional knockout game to join already qualified sides.
GB News provide a full round-up of all this evening’s Champions League action.
On Wednesday night, 18 matches took place simultaneously
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Arsenal 3-2 Kairat
Kai Havertz marked his return to the starting lineup with a stunning individual display as Arsenal dispatched Kairat 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The German midfielder, whose past year has been plagued by hamstring and knee operations, was making only his fourth appearance of the campaign and his first start in nearly 12 months.
Havertz proved instrumental throughout, netting once and creating both of Arsenal’s other goals during an impressive 45-minute showing before being substituted at half-time.
The victory ensured Mikel Arteta’s side completed a flawless group stage campaign with eight wins from eight matches, cementing their status as genuine contenders for a maiden Champions League triumph.
Viktor Gyokeres needed just 102 seconds to put Arsenal ahead, finishing off a swift counter-attack after Riccardo Calafiori’s composed clearance and Havertz’s through ball.
The Swedish striker, who had been dropped for recent fixtures against Inter Milan and Manchester United, swept home confidently to settle early nerves following the weekend’s Premier League defeat.
Kairat equalised from the penalty spot through Jorginho after VAR spotted Calafiori’s shirt pull, but Havertz restored the lead on 15 minutes with a clinical left-footed strike.
Gabriel Martinelli added a third before the break, tapping in after Gyokeres could only partially connect with Havertz’s delivery.
Ricardinho’s late consolation denied Arsenal a record of winning eight straight Champions League games by two goals or more.
Arsenal started the night top of Europe’s most prestigious competition and already qualified for the knock-out stages
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Liverpool 6-0 Qarabağ
Liverpool secured their passage to the Champions League last 16 with a comprehensive 6-0 demolition of Qarabag, with Alexis Mac Allister netting twice alongside strikes from Florian Wirtz, Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitiké and substitute Federico Chiesa.
The emphatic victory continues Arne Slot’s side’s outstanding continental form this campaign, adding to impressive triumphs over Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan and Marseille.
Anfield has a strong record of emergency defensive reinforcements during the winter window. Steven Caulker arrived on loan approximately a decade ago, while a centre-back shortage in 2021 prompted moves for Preston’s Ben Davies and Schalke’s Ozan Kabak.
Jeremie Frimpong’s evening lasted just two minutes before he pulled his hamstring, leaving Slot with only Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson as recognised defenders on the pitch.
The Dutch international’s injury means Liverpool currently have no fit right-back at their disposal, with Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez both already unavailable through injury.
Ibrahima Konaté remains absent due to personal reasons, while Giovanni Leoni faces an extended spell on the sidelines.
Despite investing over £400million during the summer, Liverpool have been inactive in January.
However, Frimpong’s setback has intensified calls for the club to seek reinforcements before the transfer window closes.
Liverpool secured their passage to the Champions League last 16 with a comprehensive 6-0 demolition of Qarabag
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Napoli 2-3 Chelsea
Chelsea booked their spot in the Champions League last-16 following a dramatic 3-2 triumph against Napoli, avoiding the need for additional playoff matches.
Liam Rosenior’s side appeared set to surrender their opportunity for a top-eight finish after failing to capitalise on an early advantage.
Enzo Fernandez had converted from the penalty spot to put the Blues ahead, but Antonio Vergara and former Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund responded to give the Italian side the lead before half-time.
Joao Pedro then struck twice after the interval to turn the contest around, with Cole Palmer coming off the bench to provide the assist for the winning goal.
The victory in Naples marked Chelsea’s first away success in Europe’s premier club competition since October 2022, ending a lengthy winless run on the road.
For Antonio Conte, the defeat brought a painful conclusion to his return to the Champions League with Napoli, as the Italian club were knocked out of the tournament entirely.
The result proved particularly significant for Rosenior’s squad, who now progress directly to the knockout rounds without needing to navigate the additional playoff fixtures that await teams finishing outside the top eight in the league phase standings.
Chelsea booked their spot in the Champions League last-16 following a dramatic 3-2 triumph against Napoli
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Manchester City 2-0 Galatasaray
Manchester City’s triumph over Galatasaray proved sufficient to secure passage to the Champions League last 16.
City claimed the eighth and final automatic qualifying berth, narrowly avoiding the play-off round.
For supporters, there remains hope that these months do not represent the conclusion of Pep Guardiola’s remarkable 10-year tenure at the Etihad Stadium.
The Spanish manager’s latest tactical shift appears to be emerging as City approaches the crucial phase of the campaign.
The formation deployed against Galatasaray mirrored what Guardiola had implemented days earlier versus Wolverhampton Wanderers.
This system features a box-shaped midfield configuration paired with split strikers, whilst the full-backs are tasked with supplying attacking width.
The tactical approach appeared to suit several players, though City ought to have secured a more convincing victory margin.
Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki both found the net during the opening period.
Guardiola continues pursuing the complete dominance he desires as his squad battles across four competitions simultaneously.
Bypassing the play-off lottery spares City two additional fixtures in an already packed schedule.
Manchester City’s triumph over Galatasaray proved sufficient to secure passage to the Champions League last 16
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Eintracht Frankfurt 0-2 Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur claimed fourth position in the Champions League league phase following their 2-0 triumph against Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.
The result means Thomas Frank’s side have now secured a direct route to the last-16, bypassing the play-off round entirely.
Perhaps most remarkably, Spurs find themselves positioned above some of European football’s most illustrious names in the final standings.
Manchester City, Barcelona, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Paris St-Germain all finished below the north London club.
The victory marked Tottenham’s fifth win of the league phase.
The breakthrough arrived just two minutes into the second period when Xavi Simons delivered a free-kick from the left flank to Cristian Romero at the far post.
The Argentine defender nodded the ball across the goalmouth, where Kolo Muani applied the finishing touch.
The French striker’s goal carried added significance given his acrimonious departure from Frankfurt to Paris St-Germain back in 2023.
Solanke entered the fray on 72 minutes and needed only five more to double the advantage.
Mahmoud Dahoud’s header over his own defence left the German side’s backline completely exposed, allowing Solanke to outpace Nathaniel Brown before slotting home with composure.
Tottenham Hotspur claimed fourth position in the Champions League league phase following their 2-0 triumph against Eintracht Frankfurt
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PSG 1-1 Newcastle
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United delivered a nail-biting Champions League performance at the Parc des Princes, earning a draw against PSG.
The Magpies gave the reigning European champions a significant fright, with Harvey Barnes squandering a golden opportunity from six yards in the closing stages.
Barnes, normally clinical from such range, lost his balance whilst connecting with Anthony Gordon’s deflected effort and directed the ball wide of the target.
Travelling supporters initially celebrated, believing the ball had crossed the line, whilst players and staff stood in disbelief at the miss.
After weathering early PSG pressure, Newcastle dominated the second period but failed to convert their rapid counter-attacks into a winning goal.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on automatic progression to the last 16, the result carried significant consequences for their opponents.
PSG’s failure to win meant the French giants fell short of a top-eight berth in the competition.
Newcastle’s record against the Parisian club now stands at three matches without defeat, including both visits to their iconic stadium.
Opponents in the two-legged knockout phase will view the Magpies as formidable adversaries following this display.
The away contingent serenaded their players long after the final whistle, recognising a tremendous effort against elite European opposition.
