The 2024/25 season of the UEFA Champions League has entered its final stages, with top clubs vying for spots in the next round. On the morning of January 22nd, Beijing time, nine matches were played in the seventh round of the Champions League, resulting in the following outcomes:
Monaco 1-0 Aston Villa
Atalanta 5-0 Graz Storm
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen
Bologna 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
Club Brugge 0-0 Juventus
Red Star Belgrade 2-3 PSV Eindhoven
Liverpool 2-1 Lille
Benfica 4-5 Barcelona
Bratislava 1-3 Stuttgart
Liverpool 2-1 Lille:
Liverpool has been the most consistent team this season, topping the Premier League and leading the Champions League with a perfect record. In contrast, Lille has been a dark horse in the Champions League this season, defeating both Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid to rank eighth in the standings.
During the match, Salah opened the scoring with a lobbed shot in the first half but missed a clear chance later on. In the second half, Mandi was sent off, and David equalized with a rebound. Elliott's long-range shot took a deflection to score, while Nunez's rebound goal was ruled offside. Ultimately, Liverpool defeated Lille 2-1, securing their seventh consecutive win in the Champions League and advancing early.
Benfica 4-5 Barcelona:
Barcelona has recently experienced a slump in La Liga, winning only one of their last eight matches and dropping to third place, overtaken by Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. However, in the Champions League, Barcelona has won five straight matches, giving them a chance to advance early. Benfica ranks 15th in the Champions League, 13 places behind Barcelona.
During the match, Pavlidis scored first in the first half, followed by Balde earning a penalty which Lewandowski converted to level the score. Szczesny made an error that allowed Pavlidis to score into an empty net, then committed a foul in the box, gifting another penalty which Pavlidis converted. In the second half, Trubin's kick hit Rafinha and deflected into the goal, Aouar scored an own goal, Yarmal earned a penalty which Lewandowski converted, Eric Garcia headed in a goal, and Rafinha scored a stoppage-time winner, sealing a 5-4 victory for Barcelona over Benfica.
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen:
Atletico Madrid's recent streak of 15 consecutive wins came to an end, and they lost their top spot in La Liga to Real Madrid. After two consecutive losses in the Champions League, they secured three straight wins. Bayer Leverkusen has also been in excellent form, winning 11 consecutive matches in all competitions, ranking second in the Bundesliga, and achieving two consecutive victories in the Champions League.
During the match, Barrios was sent off with a straight red card for a high boot on Mukiele in the first half, who then assisted Incapie to head in the opening goal. In the second half, Alvarez had a chance on a breakaway but his shot was saved, and Incapie received a second yellow card and was sent off. Correa assisted Alvarez to score the winning goal, and ten-man Atletico Madrid turned the game around to defeat ten-man Bayer Leverkusen 2-1.
Bologna 2-1 Borussia Dortmund:
Bologna is a newcomer in the Champions League, having only accumulated two points in the first six rounds and being eliminated two rounds early. Borussia Dortmund has been struggling in the Bundesliga this season but still has a chance to secure a direct qualification spot in the Champions League. They were runners-up in the previous season.
During the match, Anton earned a penalty in the first half, and Giroud converted it with a Panenka-style penalty to take the lead. In the second half, Dalin and Iling scored two quick goals to reverse the scoreline. Bologna ultimately won 2-1 at home against Dortmund.
Club Brugge 0-0 Juventus:
Juventus won their last Serie A match at home against Milan and have remained undefeated this season. In the Champions League, Juventus defeated Manchester City at home in the previous round, keeping their hopes of advancement alive.
During the match, both sides had few opportunities in the first half. In the second half, Jutgla and Gonzalez missed chances. Both teams managed only one shot on target throughout the game. The match ended in a 0-0 draw between Juventus and Club Brugge.
After this round, two teams have advanced early in the Champions League: Liverpool and Barcelona have qualified for the Round of 16, while six teams have been eliminated: RB Leipzig, Bologna, Young Boys, Bratislava, Graz, and Red Star Belgrade.