Barcelona has been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League at the group stage for the first time since the 2000-2001 season, following a 0-3 defeat against Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the final match of Group E. Benfica from Portugal, along with Bayern Munich, advanced to the Round of 16 after Benfica defeated Dynamo Kyiv from Ukraine 2-0.
In Group G, French side Lille and Austrian team Salzburg qualified for the knockout stage, finishing in first and second place respectively. Lille achieved an important victory against German side Wolfsburg, winning 3-1, while Salzburg caused an upset by defeating more experienced Spanish side Sevilla 1-0. Lille topped the group with 11 points, while Salzburg reached this stage for the first time in its history with 10 points.
In Group F, heavy snowfall in the Bergamo area of northern Italy prevented the scheduled match between Atalanta and Spanish side Villarreal from taking place. Atalanta issued a statement saying, "The match between Atalanta and Villarreal has been postponed due to heavy snowfall. The match will take place tomorrow (Thursday) at a time to be determined by UEFA."
The continental federation also released a statement stating, "Due to the adverse weather conditions, the match referee, after consulting with UEFA representatives and team officials, decided to postpone the match between Atalanta and Villarreal scheduled in Bergamo. We will announce the date and time of the match in due course." Manchester United of England secured the top spot in Group F in the previous round, while Atalanta is in third place and must win against Villarreal to accompany the English team to the Round of 16.
