Bayern Munich book Champions League playoff spot, Dortmund face difficult road

By SABC Sport
29th January 2026

Bayern Munich's clinical edge secured their automatic progression while Borussia Dortmund's late stumble left them facing a difficult Champions League playoff path.

PSV 1-2 Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich secured second place in the table with a hard-fought victory in Eindhoven. Jamal Musiala opened the scoring early in the second half after a clinical counter-attack, but PSV's Ismael Saibari equalized on his birthday to briefly revive the hosts' hopes.

However, substitute Harry Kane proved decisive, netting his 35th goal of the season in the 84th minute. The loss, compounded by Mauro Junior's late red card, saw PSV eliminated.

Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 Villarreal

Malik Tillman was the star at the BayArena, scoring a clinical first-half brace to power Leverkusen into the playoff rounds. His first came from a goalkeeper error, while his second was a smart finish following a Patrik Schick assist.

Alejandro Grimaldo added a third in the 57th minute to put the game beyond doubt. While Leverkusen secured home advantage for the playoffs, a struggling Villarreal finished 35th, ending their European campaign.

Borussia Dortmund 0-2 Inter Milan

In a tense encounter at Signal Iduna Park, Inter Milan struck late to snatch all three points. After a mostly stalemate affair, Federico Dimarco broke the deadlock in the 81st minute with a spectacular curling free-kick.

Deep into stoppage time, Andy Diouf sealed the result with a second goal. Despite the win, Inter finished 10th, meaning both teams must now navigate the two-legged playoff round to reach the last 16.

Eintracht Frankfurt 0-2 Tottenham

Tottenham brushed aside their domestic struggles to secure an automatic spot in the Round of 16. Randal Kolo Muani haunted his former club by opening the scoring just after halftime, and Dominic Solanke doubled the lead late on after a defensive lapse.

Under-pressure manager Thomas Frank saw his side finish comfortably in the top eight. Conversely, Frankfurt's disappointing campaign ended with them near the bottom of the league phase standings.