It was a dramatic night of knockout football in the UEFA Champions League as Atlético de Madrid, Bodø/Glimt, Bayer Leverkusen and Newcastle United sealed their places in the last 16.
Norwegian clubs stole the spotlight, with Alexander Sørloth delivering a stunning hat-trick for Atlético, while Bodø/Glimt completed a famous aggregate victory over Inter.
Atlético power past Club Brugge
Atlético de Madrid defeated Club Brugge 4-1 on the night to advance 7-4 on aggregate.
Sørloth opened the scoring in the 23rd minute after latching onto a long ball from Jan Oblak before finishing clinically. Club Brugge responded through Joel Ordoñez, but Atlético regained control after the break.
Johnny Cardoso restored the hosts’ lead early in the second half before Sørloth struck twice more, completing his hat-trick and putting the tie beyond doubt. Diego Simeone’s side will now face either Tottenham or Liverpool in the next round.
Leverkusen cruise through
Bayer Leverkusen played out a goalless draw against Olympiacos, progressing 2-0 on aggregate at the BayArena.
Despite sustained pressure from the visitors, Leverkusen’s defence stood firm to record their fifth clean sheet in seven Champions League matches. The German side will meet either Arsenal or Bayern München in the round of 16.
Bodø/Glimt stun Inter
Norwegian champions Bodø/Glimt continued their fairytale run with a 2-1 away victory over Inter Milan, completing a dominant 5-2 aggregate win.
Jens Petter Hauge and Håkon Evjen scored to hand the visitors a commanding advantage before Alessandro Bastoni pulled one back late on for Inter. The Italian side pressed hard in the closing stages, but Bodø/Glimt held on to secure a historic place in the last 16 for the first time.
Newcastle survive thriller
Newcastle United beat Qarabağ FK 3-2, sealing a comprehensive 9-3 aggregate victory in one of the competition’s highest-scoring knockout ties.
Already leading 6-1 from the first leg, Newcastle struck twice inside six minutes through Sandro Tonali and Joelinton. Qarabağ responded bravely, but the English side maintained control to book a last-16 clash with either Chelsea or Barcelona.
Who is through?
League phase top eight: Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern München, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Sporting CP, Tottenham
Play-off winners so far: Atlético, Bodø/Glimt, Leverkusen, Newcastle (four more teams to be confirmed)
The draw for the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals takes place on Friday.
