UCL Roundup: Lookman scores again, Liverpool seal Round of 16 spot

Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman delivered another electrifying performance as Atalanta dismantled Sturm Graz 5-0 in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

Despite starting on the bench, Lookman made a game-changing impact after coming on at halftime with his side leading by just 1-0.

The Nigerian international scored Atalanta’s fourth goal in the 90th minute, expertly finishing off a pinpoint cross from Charles De Ketelaere.

Lookman further showcased his brilliance in stoppage time, weaving past defenders to assist Marco Brescianini, who calmly beat Sturm Graz goalkeeper Lavalee to secure Atalanta’s fifth goal in the 94th minute.

The victory highlighted Lookman’s resurgence and his pivotal role in Atalanta’s Champions League campaign, where he has now contributed four goals and two assists in six matches.

With this dominant win, Atalanta remains on course for a quarterfinal berth, bolstered by goals from Mateo Retegui, Mario Pašalić, and Charles De Ketelaere.

Egypt and Liverpook striker, Mohammed Salah. 

Liverpool progress

Meanwhile, Liverpool became the first team to secure a spot in the Round of 16 under the new Champions League format after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Lille at Anfield. Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the 34th minute with his 22nd goal of the season, capitalising on a swift counterattack. Lille equalised through Canadian striker Jonathan David in the 62nd minute, shortly after Aïssa Mandi’s red card had reduced the French side to ten men.

However, Liverpool responded just five minutes later with Harvey Elliott’s deflected effort, sealing their seventh consecutive group stage win.

Nine-goal thriller

Elsewhere, Barcelona staged a dramatic comeback in Lisbon, defeating Benfica 5-4 in a thriller. Trailing 4-2 with less than 15 minutes remaining, Barcelona fought back to snatch victory, with Raphinha scoring the decisive goal in stoppage time.

Benfica’s Vangelis Pavlidis had earlier made history with the third-fastest hat trick in Champions League history, exploiting two mistakes by Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

Robert Lewandowski kept Barcelona in the game with two penalties, taking his tally to nine goals this season, one more than Raphinha, who also scored twice.

The victory keeps Barcelona unbeaten in six matches across all competitions in 2025 and firmly in second place in their group.

Victor Boniface 

Nigeria’s Victor Boniface was missing in action as Atletico Madrid also staged a late comeback, defeating Bayer Leverkusen 2-1.

The Spanish side squeezed out victory despite playing most of the match with ten men following Pablo Barrios’s 23rd-minute red card.

Julian Alvarez was the hero, scoring twice, including a 90th-minute winner.

The result lifts Atletico to third in their group, boosting their chances of progressing further.

In other matches, Aston Villa’s automatic qualification hopes suffered a blow as they fell 1-0 to Monaco in a tightly contested match.

Wilfried Singo’s early goal from a corner proved decisive, dropping Villa to eighth in the standings after a promising start to their campaign.

Borussia Dortmund’s struggles continued with a 2-1 loss to Bologna, marking their fourth consecutive defeat.

Despite Serhou Guirassy giving Dortmund the lead with a well-taken penalty, two quick goals from Bologna turned the match around, leaving Dortmund’s hopes of advancing in jeopardy.

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Also on Tuesday, PSV Eindhoven secured a 3-2 victory over Red Star Belgrade despite playing with ten men for most of the second half, while Stuttgart comfortably defeated Slovan Bratislava 3-1. Club Brugge and Juventus played out a goalless draw in the night’s only barren match.

Tuesday’s Champions League action featured 33 goals across nine games, providing a thrilling night of football.