The UEFA Champions League playoffs 1st leg came to a close on Wednesday, with teams lining up for a place in the Round-of-16.
Daizen Maeda’s late header kept Celtic’s hopes of reaching the Champions League last 16 alive, despite a 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in Glasgow.
The Japanese forward, whose suspension was overturned just before the match, gave Brendan Rodgers' side a lifeline after goals from Michael Olise and Harry Kane had put the Bundesliga leaders in control.
Olise’s stunning long-range strike on the stroke of half-time gave Bayern the lead before Kane doubled their advantage with a volley at the back post.
Celtic, who had an early goal ruled out for offside, showed resilience and pressed for a way back, with Maeda finally breaking through late in the second half.
Despite the loss, Rodgers praised his side’s response, while Bayern coach Vincent Kompany acknowledged the intensity of Celtic Park.
The second leg in Munich will determine who advances.
Feyenoord edge Milan in tight 1st leg
Feyenoord secured a 1-0 home victory over AC Milan in their Champions League knockout play-off tie, with Igor Paixao’s early strike proving decisive.
The Brazilian forward’s low drive skidded past Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, giving the Dutch side a narrow advantage heading into the second leg.
Milan struggled to create clear chances, with Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic unable to make an impact.
Pascal Bosschaart’s side, who recently changed managers, were well-organised and nearly doubled their lead when Paixao’s curling shot rattled the crossbar.
Milan, missing a single Italian player in their starting XI, will need a much-improved performance at San Siro to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
Benfica take control against 10-man Monaco
Benfica claimed a crucial away win against Monaco, securing a 1-0 victory in the first leg of their Champions League play-off.
Vangelis Pavlidis opened the scoring with a delicate chip early in the second half, punishing a lacklustre Monaco defence.
The Ligue 1 side’s task became even harder minutes later when Moatasem Al-Musrati received a second yellow card on his Champions League debut, reducing Monaco to 10 men.
Benfica dominated possession and nearly extended their lead, with Alvaro Carreras forcing a fine save from Radoslaw Majecki.
Monaco struggled to respond, and Benfica now return to Lisbon in a strong position, though they could be without Angel Di Maria, who suffered a late hamstring injury.
Late controversy sees Club Brugge edge Atalanta
Club Brugge claimed a narrow 2-1 victory over Atalanta in the first leg of their knockout play-off after a controversial late penalty.
The Belgian champions took the lead through Ferran Jutgla’s precise finish in the first half, but Atalanta hit back before the break with Mario Pasalic heading home from a Davide Zappacosta cross.
With the game poised at 1-1, Swedish forward Gustaf Nilsson won a disputed penalty in stoppage time after minimal contact from Isak Hien.
Despite Atalanta’s protests, VAR upheld the decision, and Nilsson calmly slotted past Rui Patricio to give Brugge the advantage heading into the return leg.
Atalanta, still competing for the Serie A title, will feel hard done by but will aim to overturn the deficit in Bergamo.
The second-leg fixtures will determine which teams advance to the last 16, with high stakes and slim margins ensuring drama across Europe.
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