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ATALANTA STUNS CHELSEA 2-1: SCAMACCA AND DE KETELAERE SPARK UCL COMEBACK

A powerful second-half performance saw Atalanta overturn Chelsea's early lead to win 2-1, propelling the Italian side toward the UCL round of 16.

Atalanta Stuns Chelsea 2-1: Scamacca and De Ketelaere Spark UCL Comeback
Atalanta Secures Crucial UCL Win vs Chelsea

Atalanta snagged a key Champions League win at home, bouncing back from a 1-0 deficit to beat Chelsea 2-1. Gianluca Scamacca and Charles De Ketelaere scored the goals.

With 13 points, Atalanta is now close to the top of their Champions League group, making them likely to advance to the round of 16. Chelsea is sitting on 10 points in the knockout phase play-off section.

Joao Pedro scored for Chelsea in the 25th minute after a quick corner caught Atalanta off guard.

Reece James sent in a low cross, and Pedro scored. VAR checked the play quickly and agreed that he was onside.

Chelsea stayed in control until halftime. After the break, Atalanta came back with more drive and thought they had tied the game when Ademola Lookman scored, but the goal was disallowed because he was offside.

The game had clearly shifted in Atalanta’s favor. In the 55th minute, De Ketelaere fought his way down the side of the box and sent a smart ball into the middle, where Scamacca headed it in to tie the score.

Atalanta was now in charge, with Chelsea struggling to keep up with their fast play.

With seven minutes left, De Ketelaere entered the box and shot a low ball that Chelsea's keeper, Robert Sanchez, deflected into the net, sealing Atalanta’s victory.

Chelsea tried hard for a tie in the final minutes and created a few late chances, but they couldn’t convert, as the attempts were either saved or missed.

LEAGUE UPDATE: MAN UNITED’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HOPES BOOSTED BY COEFFICIENT POINTS SURGE

Manchester United move into fourth place as England's dominant UEFA coefficient makes a fifth Champions League spot almost certain.

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Confirmed: Fifth place in PL likely to earn UCL qualification this season

Manchester United just got a real shot in the arm for their Champions League hopes this season. After knocking off Manchester City and Arsenal in back-to-back games, they’ve climbed into fourth place in the Premier League. It’s been a struggle for United to make the Champions League in recent years—their last run was in the 2023/24 season.

These days, finishing in the top four isn’t always enough for Premier League teams. UEFA now hands out extra spots, and it all depends on how clubs from each country perform across the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.

So, how does it work? UEFA takes each league’s overall coefficient score—basically, a measure of how well their teams do in Europe—and divides it by the number of clubs they have in these competitions.

This season, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Newcastle all joined the European fight. Out of those six, only Newcastle had to go through the play-offs; the rest sailed straight into the knockouts.

Now that the Champions League group stage is done, you can really see which countries are in line for those bonus spots next year. Right now, England is out in front with 180,625 points. Germany follows with 107,000. Portugal sits in third with 14,700, and Spain is just behind on 14,375.

Here’s the key thing: the two countries whose teams rack up the best results across all three competitions this season each get a European Performance Spot—an extra Champions League place.

With England leading the pack, even a fifth-place finish in the Premier League could send United back into the Champions League instead of the Europa League. Newcastle took advantage of this last season.

If United hold onto fourth, they’re in. But there’s still a lot of football left. Interim boss Michael Carrick isn’t letting anyone get ahead of themselves—he’s already told his players to stay sharp.

Next up, United face Fulham at Old Trafford. They'll be chasing a third straight win and looking to keep Carrick’s perfect record going since he stepped in for Darren Fletcher.

JUST IN: PEP GUARDIOLA THANKS JOSE MOURINHO AFTER WILD NIGHT OF EUROPEAN DRAMA

Pep Guardiola thanks Jose Mourinho as Benfica’s last-gasp winner against Real Madrid sends City straight into the Last-16.

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Pep Guardiola’s oldest rival just saved City’s season

Pep Guardiola had a smile on his face and a message for Jose Mourinho after his old rival did him a huge favour, helping Manchester City sneak into the Champions League knockout rounds.

City took care of their own business, beating Galatasaray 2-0 at the Etihad. Haaland and Cherki got the goals, but the real drama was happening elsewhere. City’s spot in the last eight still hung in the balance because Real Madrid needed to equalise against Benfica. If they had, Guardiola’s squad would have been bumped into the play-offs instead.

That’s when Benfica’s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, pulled off something wild. He left his box, charged forward for a late free kick, and scored a brilliant goal. Benfica won 4-2. That goal kept Benfica alive in the competition—and, as it turned out, saved City too.

Guardiola admitted he and his players were glued to the screen in the dressing room, completely confused when they saw Trubin running up for that last free kick. “We were all in there, watching, and none of us realised Benfica still needed a goal to qualify,” Guardiola said. “So when their keeper went up, we’re all thinking, ‘What are you doing?’ But Jose knew. It was a smart move. Finishing in the top eight, with how tough the Champions League has become, feels really good for us. Now we can focus on being at our best by March.”

Bernardo Silva didn’t hide how relieved he felt. Skipping those extra play-off games really matters, especially when you’re chasing a quadruple. “A bit of drama, but we did it. We’re very happy because we avoid two more matches,” he said. “With all the injuries we’ve got and the crazy schedule, having those two weeks free to rest, get players back, and focus on the other competitions is huge for us.”

As for Mourinho, he looked proud after Benfica’s wild finish. He’s won this tournament twice before, and he believed his side deserved to stay in. “That was a fantastic goal, a historic moment—almost blew the roof off the stadium,” Mourinho said. “Honestly, for Benfica to beat Real Madrid, that’s massive.”

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