Four Champions League matches in one night: Serie A leader eliminated by a lower-tier team with two defeats; Atletico Madrid advances with a big win; six Premier League teams gather in the round of 16.

The second legs of the Champions League round of 16 play-offs wrapped up four matches early on February 25 Beijing time, producing surprising outcomes. Serie A’s pride was damaged as their table leader Inter Milan was twice defeated by a club outside the top five leagues and knocked out; Atletico Madrid cruised to qualification with Norwegian striker Sorloth netting a hat-trick; Newcastle also won both legs against a weaker opponent to advance; six Premier League teams now feature in the Champions League round of 16, demonstrating the league’s genuine strength; Leverkusen held Olympiacos to a 0-0 draw but progressed 2-0 on aggregate.

The results of the four Champions League round of 16 second-leg matches are as follows:

• Atletico Madrid 4-1 Club BruggeAfter a 3-3 draw in the first leg, Atletico Madrid advanced with a 7-4 aggregate score, showing the strength expected from a top-five league club.
• Leverkusen 0-0 OlympiacosHaving won 2-0 away in the first leg, Leverkusen progressed in a routine fashion.
• Inter Milan 1-2 Bodø/GlimtSerie A’s leader suffered a humiliating defeat. Losing away on artificial turf was understandable, but back at the San Siro, Inter lost again to Bodø/Glimt, resulting in a 2-5 aggregate elimination. The Nerazzurri exited in the most embarrassing way, severely damaging their reputation. With Inter out, Serie A teams face a possible wipeout, as the other two Italian clubs lost their first legs: Atalanta fell 0-2 away to Dortmund, and Juventus suffered a heavy 2-5 loss away to Galatasaray. Both have slim chances of overturning the deficit. With no Serie A teams likely in the Champions League quarterfinals, the last 16 may feature none from Italy.
• Newcastle 3-2 Karabakh, 9-3 on aggregateNewcastle advanced to the Champions League last 16, joining five other Premier League teams in the knockout stage. Despite rotating their squad heavily, Newcastle still won comfortably. The presence of six Premier League clubs in the Champions League knockout rounds starkly contrasts with the poor situation faced by Serie A teams.