Real Madrid and PSG fall into UCL knockout stage after tumultuous concluding day.

Real Madrid were unexpectedly relegated to the qualifying playoffs of the Champions League by their former manager Jose Mourinho on Wednesday, and they will be joined in this phase by Paris Saint-Germain.

Madrid commenced the match in third place within the 36-team standings, but despite two goals from Kylian Mbappé, they suffered a 4-2 defeat against Benfica, dropping to ninth place—one position shy of direct advancement to the round of 16.

Remarkably, Benfica progressed to the knockout stage in 24th place on goal difference, thanks to goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin’s dramatic header in the eighth minute of stoppage time, occurring while Madrid was reduced to nine players following two red cards.

Madrid lost their spot in the top eight when Sporting CP netted a stoppage-time goal to secure a 3-2 victory over Athletic Club.

Sporting joined Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, and Manchester City in achieving top-eight finishes. Arsenal, leading the table, and second-placed Bayern Munich had already secured their advancement.

PSG and Newcastle, both of whom began in the top eight, played to a 1-1 draw in Paris, resulting in their fall to 11th and 12th places, respectively.

Madrid, PSG, Newcastle, and last year’s runner-up Inter Milan will all be included in the qualifying playoffs draw on Friday for teams that finished in ninth through 24th positions.