Atletico Madrid officially entered the Champions League round of 16 this Wednesday after defeating Lokomotiv Moscow 2-0, coming on the heels of Atalanta's impressive qualification from Group C. Bayern Munich maintained their winning streak against Tottenham with a 3-1 victory at home, while Juventus, PSG, and Real Madrid also closed out the group phase with wins. For Atletico, the pressure was immense, as a defeat paired with a Leverkusen victory over Juventus would have meant elimination.
Atletico Madrid claimed the final spot in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday with a 2-0 win over Lokomotiv Moscow, after Atalanta completed an impressive comeback in Group C to qualify. Bayern Munich sealed consecutive victories over Tottenham with a 3-1 success at the Allianz Arena, while Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus also finished their group campaigns on winning notes. Diego Simeone’s Atletico went into their game knowing defeat, coupled with a Bayer Leverkusen win against Juve, would see them dumped out.
The action at the Wanda Metropolitano began with a moment of brilliance from Lokomotiv's Anton Kochenkov, who denied Kieran Trippier's penalty just two minutes in, though Joao Felix successfully converted a penalty shortly after.
Atletico struggled to capitalize on several clear-cut chances, and the frustration grew when VAR stepped in to rule out a goal by Alvaro Morata for offside.
The tension finally broke when center-back Felipe connected with a cross from Koke during a short corner play, volleying the ball home to guarantee their spot in the next round.
Over in Germany, Juventus solidified their lead in Group D with a 2-0 win over Leverkusen, featuring a goal from Cristiano Ronaldo, his second of the season.
The deadlock was broken in the 75th minute thanks to a low cross from Paulo Dybala, which Ronaldo tapped in for his record-breaking 128th goal in the competition, followed by a late strike from Gonzalo Higuain to seal the result.
Speaking to uefa.com, Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon praised the leadership of Ronaldo and Higuain, noting that their work ethic served as an example for the rest of the team.
In a historic result, Champions League newcomers Atalanta secured a stunning 3-0 win away at Shakhtar Donetsk, allowing them to qualify alongside Manchester City despite starting the tournament with three consecutive losses.
The Italian side, who had finished third in Serie A the previous year, suffered a rough start by conceding 11 goals in their first three outings. However, they kept their hopes alive with a draw against City and a victory over Dinamo Zagreb.
The breakthrough came in the 66th minute via Timothy Castagne, and shortly after Shakhtar's Dodo received a controversial red card, Mario Pasalic added a second goal.
As Shakhtar's energy faded, Robin Gosens scored a third goal in stoppage time, triggering wild celebrations among the Atalanta supporters in the stands.
Captain Alejandro Gomez told Sky Sport Italia that the victory was a landmark moment for the club and the sport, and one that the fans in attendance would never forget.
Atalanta's success marked a milestone in the tournament: for the first time ever, all 16 teams advancing to the knockout stages hail from Europe's top five leagues (England, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France).
Dinamo Zagreb needed a win against Manchester City to move forward; however, after an early lead by Dani Olmo, they were overwhelmed by a Gabriel Jesus hat-trick and a final goal from young talent Phil Foden, resulting in a 4-1 victory for Pep Guardiola's squad.