Bayern Secure UCL Last-16 Spot with Dramatic Finish Against Celtic
PARIS: Bayern Munich secured their place in the UEFA Champions League last 16 with a last-minute goal against Celtic on Tuesday. Meanwhile, AC Milan suffered elimination at the hands of Feyenoord, while Club Brugge and Benfica also advanced.
Playing at home in Germany, Bayern held a narrow 2-1 lead from the first leg but struggled to seal the tie, with Harry Kane striking the crossbar before halftime. Celtic capitalized on the opportunity and took the lead in the 63rd minute through former Bayern player Nicolas Kuehn, who found the net after Kim Min-jae’s failed clearance.
With the match heading toward extra time, Bayern found a breakthrough in stoppage time. Alphonso Davies bundled in a close-range finish in the 94th minute, securing a 1-1 draw on the night and a 3-2 aggregate victory for the six-time European champions.
Bayern will discover their next opponents in Friday’s draw, where they could face either Bayer Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid. Reflecting on the match, Bayern manager Vincent Kompany emphasized the importance of securing a result. “Of course, we always want to dominate, especially at home. But in the end, the result matters most,” he told UEFA.com.
Despite the heartbreaking defeat, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers praised his team’s resilience. “It never looked like we would concede the goal that we did, but unfortunately, we did. The players gave everything, and I take immense pride in their performance,” he said.
Elsewhere, seven-time European champions AC Milan were knocked out by Feyenoord following a 1-1 draw at San Siro, which saw the Dutch club advance 2-1 on aggregate. Santiago Gimenez gave Milan an early lead in the first minute, leveling the tie on aggregate. However, Milan’s hopes were dented when Theo Hernandez received a second yellow card early in the second half. Feyenoord took advantage, with Julian Carranza equalizing in the 73rd minute. Despite having Givairo Read sent off late in the match, Feyenoord held on and could now face Inter Milan or Arsenal in the next round.
In Portugal, Benfica edged past Monaco in a thrilling 3-3 draw, winning the tie 4-3 on aggregate to book a possible matchup against Barcelona or Liverpool. After a 1-0 first-leg victory, Benfica extended their lead with a first-half goal from Kerem Akturkoglu. However, Monaco responded strongly, with Takumi Minamino and Eliesse Ben Seghir scoring to bring the aggregate score level. Vangelis Pavlidis restored Benfica’s advantage with a penalty, but Monaco’s George Ilenikhena quickly equalized. The decisive moment came in the 84th minute when Orkun Kokcu netted Benfica’s third goal, sealing their progression.
Club Brugge also secured a spot in the last 16 with a commanding 3-1 away victory over Atalanta, completing a 5-2 aggregate win. Teenage sensation Chemsdine Talbi struck twice before Ferran Jutgla added a brilliant third goal. Atalanta, despite dominating with 29 attempts on goal, could only respond through Ademola Lookman’s early second-half strike. Lookman later missed a penalty, and Atalanta’s frustrations deepened when captain Rafael Toloi was sent off late in the game.
The Champions League play-offs continue on Wednesday, with Real Madrid defending a 3-2 first-leg advantage against Manchester City in the standout fixture.
