da bwin: Premier League and Tottenham's aspirations for the fifth Champions League qualification spot were dashed following Borussia Dortmund's win over PSG.
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BVB beat PSG 1-0 in UCLConfirmed their spot for next season's UCLBlow for PL & TottenhamWHAT HAPPENED?
The ramifications of Dortmund's 1-0 victory in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal against Kylian Mbappe's Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday evening at the Signal Iduna Park extend far beyond the pitch as it has reshaped the top-flight European football landscape for the next edition of the competition. With Dortmund's win, the Bundesliga secures a remarkable five spots in the Champions League for the upcoming season. This achievement comes as Germany clinched the second position in UEFA's coefficient table for the current season, cementing its status as a powerhouse in European football.
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The European Performance Spots initiative, part of the broader revamp to expand the Champions League to a 36-team format, rewards leagues based on their average performance across European competitions. Serie A had already secured the first place, leaving the battle for the second spot between England, Germany and France. However, Dortmund's victory ensures that Germany cannot be overtaken, leaving the Premier League and Ligue 1 out in the cold.
WHAT EDIN TERZIC SAID
Dortmund's manager, Edin Terzic, expressed mixed emotions following the crucial win and said: "We wanted to qualify for the Champions League through the Bundesliga and not this way. But the fact that it will be enough to qualify as fifth is also partly down to our success, our contribution. Our minimum goal was to qualify for the Champions League. Now it [added spot] does not improve our Bundesliga season, but it does offer a softer landing."
DID YOU KNOW?
Premier League's hopes of securing second place were high, but a string of unfavourable results in the quarterfinals dashed those dreams. Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, and West Ham United all stumbled in their respective European competitions, leaving only Aston Villa to fly the English flag in the Europa Conference League.
Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen eliminated their English counterparts – Arsenal and West Ham in the Champions League and Europa League respectively – to advance to the semifinals, solidifying Germany's claim to the additional Champions League berth.