UEFA Champions League: A Key Stat from Each Return Leg of the Knockout Stage Playoffs

The UEFA Champions League has experienced an abundance of excitement over the past two days as the inaugural knockout round playoffs reached their thrilling conclusion. Eight additional teams have now joined the elite eight that progressed from the league stage. Here’s a notable statistic from each of the return legs.

5 – Seven-time winners AC Milan found their Champions League campaign cut short as they could only manage a 1-1 draw at home against Feyenoord, failing to overturn a 1-0 defeat from the previous week. Consequently, the Rossoneri have now gone five knockout round matches without a victory, with their last win in this phase occurring in the 2022/23 season when they edged past Napoli 1-0 in the quarter-finals.

4 – Benfica and Monaco played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in Lisbon, which saw the Portuguese side progress with a 4-3 aggregate score. For the third time in five seasons, the two-time European Cup winners are through to the last 16. However, this draw marks Benfica’s fourth consecutive home game without a win in the Champions League, their last victory being a 4-0 triumph against Atletico Madrid in matchday 2.

17 – Bayern Munich clinched a late victory over Celtic, with Alphonso Davies scoring just before the final whistle for a 1-1 draw on the night and a 3-2 aggregate win. Bayern have now reached the UCL round of 16 for the 17th consecutive year. Including all UEFA club competitions, it marks their 22nd straight season advancing to the last 16, with 21 of those achievements being in this tournament.

21 – Club Brugge are back in the Champions League round of 16 for the second time in three seasons, following a 3-1 win over Atalanta, giving them a 5-2 aggregate victory. This marks their third victory on Italian soil, the last being 21 years ago during the 2003/04 group stage, when they triumphed 1-0 against AC Milan at the San Siro, aiding their overall third-place finish.

16 – Borussia Dortmund played out a goalless draw against Sporting CP at home, but it sufficed for the Bundesliga side to progress, winning 3-0 on aggregate. Interestingly, this was Dortmund’s 16th encounter with Portuguese clubs, and it marked their first ever draw against them. For Sporting, it was their sixth draw in 29 matches against Bundesliga teams.

12 – Real Madrid have truly stepped up when it matters most, securing a 3-1 home victory over Manchester City, which resulted in a 6-3 aggregate success for the holders while the Cityzens were knocked out. The 2022/23 champions are currently facing a rough patch, having lost four consecutive away matches in the Champions League. This is the first time in 12 years that Manchester City have suffered four straight away defeats in Europe, with the last occurrence back in the 2011/12 Europa League knockout phase and 2012/13 Champions League group stage.

7 – Paris Saint-Germain delivered a commanding 7-0 victory against fellow Ligue 1 side Brest, concluding the latter’s inaugural continental campaign with a 10-0 aggregate defeat. This emphatic win also propelled Les Parisiens into Friday’s round of 16 draw. Notably, it was their heaviest victory in Europe ever and marked the first instance of them scoring seven goals in a continental match.

9 – PSV Eindhoven secured their spot in the last 16 of the UCL as the final team through. They required extra time to overcome Juventus, achieving a 3-1 victory on the night (4-3 on aggregate). This result allows the Dutch champions to make back-to-back appearances in the round of 16. They remain unbeaten in their last nine Champions League home matches, with their last home loss occurring against Rangers in the playoff round last season.