*This content was translated by AI.
With Korean leaguers Lee Kang-in (25, Paris Saint-Germain) and Kim Min-jae (30, Bayern Munich) absent side by side, their teams' joys and sorrows were mixed. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) failed to advance to the round of 16 by drawing on their home turf, and Munich won the tournament.
PSG drew 1-1 with Newcastle United (England) in the eighth round of the 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League (UCL) phase at Parc des Princes in Paris, France on the 29th (Korea time).
It is a surprise. With four wins, two draws, two losses and 14 points, PSG slid from sixth place to 11th place. According to UCL regulations this season, PSG, which missed the direct ticket to the round of 16 given to the first to eighth place, is in a position to seek to advance to the tournament through the playoffs (PO) played by the teams ranked 9th to 24th.
Lee Kang-in was excluded from the list of participants. This is the aftermath of the left thigh injury suffered in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final against Flamengo (Brazil) on the 18th of last month. He recently joined the team's training and raised expectations for his return, but he also missed the final league phase.
PSG missed a golden opportunity early in the first half. In the fourth minute of the first half, Usman Dembele missed Bradley Barcola's penalty kick. Fortunately, in the 8th minute of the first half, Vitinya took the lead by scoring the first goal after receiving a pass from Khvitsa Kvaratshelia.
However, bad news overlapped. In the 22nd minute of the first half, Kvaratshelia, a key offensive resource, was injured by Antony Elanga's tackle and replaced. Even PSG allowed Joe Willock to equalize in the first-half extra time in a chaotic atmosphere. In the second half, he launched a wave offensive but failed to open Newcastle's goal.
On the other hand, Munich, where Kim Min-jae was excluded due to disciplinary action, won 2-1 in the PSV Eindhoven (the Netherlands).
Kim Min-jae was sent off due to accumulated warnings in Game 7 against Winion Saint-Jillouaz (Belgium). Munich, which has already confirmed its direct advance to the round of 16, has started its rotation by sitting some of its main players, including Harry Kane, on the bench.
Munich took the lead in the 13th minute of the second half with Jamal Musiala's first goal. He gave up the equalizer in the 33rd minute of the second half, but Kane, who was replaced in the 39th minute of the second half, scored the winning goal and collected three points.
Munich finished the league phase in second place after Arsenal (24 points, England) with 7 wins, 1 loss and 21 points, and succeeded in going straight to the round of 16.
Meanwhile, the winner of the direct ticket to the round of 16 from Arsenal in first place to Manchester City in eighth place was determined as a result of the final round of the league phase. Real Madrid (Spain), which fell to ninth place, and SL Benfica (Portugal), which dramatically ranked 24th, will compete for survival in the playoffs in February.
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*This content was translated by AI.
