Tillman Scores Twice – Champions & Europa League Roundup

Thursday, January 29 – Europa League Final Matchday

The Thursday, January 29, update focuses on the final matchday of the league phase of the Europa League. Auston Trusty’s Celtic beat FC Utrecht 4-2 at home, going ahead from a Benjamin Nygren goal in the 6th. An own-goal doubled the Celtic lead in the 10th and Arne Engels converted a penalty in the 19th. FC Utrecht scored in the 44th and 62nd. Trusty finished off the Celtic scoring in the 66th minute. Celtic finished 24th in the league phase, advancing to the playoff round as an unseeded team.

Tanner Tessmann subbed on at halftime for Lyon’s 4-2 home win over PAOK Salonika. Down a goal from the 20th, Remi Himbert equalized for Lyon in the 3rd. PAOK saw red in the 40th and Khalis Merah put Lyon up in the 55th. PAOK equalized in the 66th. Lyon retook the lead from an Adam Karabec goal in the 88th and Alejandro Rodriguez scored three minutes into stoppage time. Lyon finished at the top of the league phase table, advancing to the round of 16 as a seeded team.

Erik Palmer-Brown’s Panathinaikos drew 1-1 at home with AS Roma. Playing a man up from the 15th, Vicente Taborda scored for Panathinaikos in the 58th. AS Roma equalized in the 80th minute. Panathinaikos finished 19th in the league phase, advancing to the playoff round as an unseeded team.

Did Not Play 1/29

• Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic 4 – FC Utrecht 2)

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Wednesday, January 28 – Champions League Final Matchday

The league phase of the 2025-26 Champions League concluded on Wednesday with several USMNT players in action. Our roundup starts with a meeting of two Americans on the final matchday, with Folarin Balogun’s AS Monaco drawing 0-0 at home with Weston McKennie’s Juventus. Monaco finished 21st in the league phase and advances to the playoffs as an unseeded team. Juventus finished 13th, a seeded team for the playoff round. Johnny Cardoso subbed on in the 64th for Atletico Madrid’s 2-1 home loss to Bodo/Glimt. Alexander Sorloth put Atletico up in the 15th, but Bodo/Glimt equalized in the 34th and went ahead in the 59th minute. Atletico finished 14th, advancing as a seeded playoff team.

Malik Tillman had a standout performance for Bayer Leverkusen, shutting out Villarreal 3-0 at home. Tillman opened the scoring in the 12th and doubled the lead in the 35th. Alejandro Grimaldo finished off the Bayer Leverkusen scoring in the 57th minute. Bayer Leverkusen finished 16th, taking the final seeded playoff spot. Tim Weah’s Marseille lost 3-0 at Club Brugge to goals in the 4th, 11th, and 79th minutes. Marseille finished 25th, exiting the Champions League.

Yunus Musah subbed out in the 52nd for Atalanta’s 1-0 loss at Union St-Gilloise to a 70th minute goal. Atalanta finished 15th in the league phase, advancing to the playoffs as a seeded team. Sergino Dest’s PSV lost 2-1 at home to Bayern Munich, falling behind in the 58th. Ismael Saibari equalized for PSV in the 78th. Bayern went ahead for good in the 84th and PSV’s Mauro Junior saw red three minutes into stoppage time. PSV exited the Champions League in 28th-place.

Matko Miljevic’s Racing Club lost 2-1 at home to Rosario in Argentina. Down 2-0 from goals in the 24th and 35th, Adrian Martinez scored for Racing a minute into first-half stoppage time. Miljevic saw yellow in the 81st minute.

Did Not Play

• Timmy Chandler (Eintracht 0 – Spurs 2, Eintracht exits the Champions League in 33rd-place)
• Ricardo Pepi (PSV 1 – Bayern Munich 2)

Photo by Marius Becker – dpa via ZUMA Press – ISIPhotos.com