The league phase concluded in thrilling style with 18 simultaneous kick-offs, as Barcelona and Sporting CP secured top-eight positions alongside Bayern and five English teams. Sporting secured a top-eight finish following Alisson Santos’ dramatic winner in Bilbao. Arsenal beat Kairat Almaty 3-2 to record their eighth victory to become the first team to finish the league phase with a 100% record. Liverpool secured a comfortable 6-0 win over Qarabag at Anfield to confirm their place in the round of 16. Meanwhile, first-half masterclass from Jeremy Doku secured Man City a comfortable win to finish the league phase and earn a top-eight spot.