Champions League Play-Offs: Real Madrid, PSG, Galatasaray, and Dortmund Advance

The first legs of the Champions League knockout phase play-offs took place on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, with Galatasaray, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Borussia Dortmund all securing victories. Yet, Real Madrid’s win was overshadowed by allegations of racial abuse directed at Vinicius Junior.

Real Madrid Claims Victory Amidst Racism Allegations

Real Madrid defeated Benfica 1-0 in Lisbon, with Vinicius Junior scoring the decisive goal. However, the match was halted for nearly 10 minutes as Vinicius Junior reported being racially abused by an opponent AP News. The incident sparked anger and led to confrontations with Benfica’s head coach, José Mourinho AP News.

PSG Avoids Scare with Late Goal

Paris Saint-Germain narrowly avoided an upset against Monaco, with Desire Doue scoring a late goal to secure a 1-0 victory AP News. The match was a tense affair, with PSG needing a late intervention to take the lead in the first leg of the play-off tie.

Galatasaray Secures Home Win

Galatasaray defeated Juventus with a score of 3-2 in Istanbul, Turkey UEFA.com. Davinson Sanchez scored one of Galatasaray’s goals in the win UEFA.com.

Dortmund Too Claims First-Leg Advantage

Borussia Dortmund also won their first-leg match, completing a successful night for the top teams in the play-off round UEFA.com.

Champions League Play-Off Format

The Champions League currently features a play-off round following a league phase. Twelve teams were eliminated in January, and the 16 teams ranked ninth to 24th are competing in two-legged ties to join the top eight teams in the round of 16 The Novel York Times.