Making it into the knockout stages of the Champions League, it seems, hasn't exactly served some clubs well. Out of the eight teams that progressed directly to the Round of 16, a fair number have faced early exits. Liverpool, proudly finishing top of their group, found themselves on the wrong end of a penalty shootout against PSG, who were merely 15th and had to battle through a playoff against Brest before encountering the Reds. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid, wrapping up in fifth place, fell to their fierce rivals Real Madrid, also by penalties. As for Bayer Leverkusen and Lille, who came in sixth and seventh respectively, they met their match against Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Of the leading eight, only Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter, and Aston Villa have managed to sail through to the quarter-finals. As it stands, one might wonder how much direct access to the Round of 16 actually benefits teams if they can't make a proper go of it thereafter.
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