Champions League first round ends with twists, turns and keeper scoring

MANCHESTER, England, Jan 29 : In the end, it was Benfica keeper Anatoliy Trubin scoring in the 98th minute against Real Madrid that finally decided the make up of the Champions League knockouts on a night that delivered high-drama, roller-coaster action and vindication for UEFA.

At the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City fans were glued to their phones, knowing a late Madrid goal would have shoved City out of the top eight places and into the playoff mire.

By the same token, Benfica were heading out of the competition altogether until that final goal in a 4-2 win saw them sneak into the playoffs and ended Madrid's hopes of an equaliser that would have sent them directly into the last 16.

When UEFA scrapped the traditional Champions League group stage in favour of a single 36-team league phase from the 2024-25 season, sceptics wondered whether Europe's elite competition might lose some of its identity.

Instead, as the eighth and final round of fixtures concluded on Wednesday, the new system proved compelling — built for drama that delivered exactly what it promised.

Matchday eight, staged with all 18 fixtures kicking off simultaneously, became the purest stress test yet of this redesigned competition.

It showcased the benefits of a structure that punishes drift and keeps meaningful stakes alive for far more teams than before.

Sixty-one goals, a table resembling a football stock market that never stood still, and drama at every turn, capped by a goalkeeper rising for the final telling touch of the league phase to keep his team alive.

GOALKEEPER TRUBIN'S ASTONISHING LAST-GASP HEADER

Trubin's astonishing stoppage-time header in Lisbon locked the standings in place and perfectly captured the breathtaking drama of the final night of