Champions League: AC Milan drops opener, Bayern Munich ekes by Celtic. The first half of the new Champions League knockout stage playoffs is now complete.
Eight of Europe’s elite club teams kicked off their two-game series on Tuesday, while the remaining contenders, vying for a spot alongside eight automatic qualifiers in the round of 16, began their matches on Wednesday.
Here are the key insights from the matches.
AC Milan has struggled with inconsistency this season. The coaching change in December and their current seventh-place standing in Serie A highlight their challenges, especially for a team with such a rich history in football.
Once a dominant force, the seven-time European champions found a brief respite in the Champions League, but a loss against Dinamo Zagreb on the final day of the group stage denied them a bye into the last 16.
On Wednesday, AC Milan faced another setback against Dutch powerhouse Feyenoord, where Igor Paixão scored the decisive goal just three minutes into the match—a goal that goalkeeper Mike Maignan should have saved.
Christian Pulisic, the team’s top scorer this season, had a quiet outing before being substituted after an hour. As coach Sérgio Conceição integrates new players like Kyle Walker and João Félix, the onus will be on Pulisic to spearhead the attack in the upcoming match and keep Milan’s hopes of an eighth Champions League title alive. Failure to do so may result in an extended absence from Europe’s premier club competition until at least the 2026-27 season.
Meanwhile, at an electrifying Celtic Park in Glasgow, Celtic put up a fierce fight against Bayern Munich for the first 44 minutes. However, the sheer quality of Bayern shone through when Michael Olise scored just before halftime, giving the visitors the lead.
The second goal for Bayern was a result of a defensive lapse, as Celtic failed to mark Harry Kane during a corner kick, allowing him to score with ease.
Celtic did manage to score late in the match through Daizen Maeda, providing a glimmer of hope as the series heads to Munich. While Bayern, a six-time European champion, remains the favorite to advance, Celtic will surely regret not leaving with a more favorable result.
Advantage Benfica, Club Brugge
Benfica capitalized on a critical opportunity, leaving Monaco with a 1-0 lead despite the latter playing nearly the entire second half with ten men. The Eagles secured the decisive goal well before Al-Musrati was sent off in the 52nd minute for a second yellow card, placing them in a strong position ahead of the return leg in Portugal.
In Belgium, Club Brugge achieved a notable victory over Serie A’s Atalanta, albeit under controversial circumstances. The match seemed destined for a 1-1 draw until substitute Gustaf Nilsson converted a penalty deep into stoppage time, granting Brugge a 2-1 aggregate lead. The legitimacy of the penalty remains a topic of debate, and fans are encouraged to form their own opinions.
Despite their lead, Brugge’s journey is far from over. Given the contentious nature of the match’s conclusion, Atalanta’s players and supporters will be highly motivated to overturn the deficit in the upcoming fixture in Northern Italy.
