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Seven titles and counting…

CI Gibson Rattlers win 7th Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic championship crown

By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@tribunemedia.net

THE Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic has been the centrepiece of high school basketball in The Bahamas since its inception in 1982.

Originating at AF Adderley High School, it was founded by teachers Alsworth “Whitey” Pickstock and Doug Collins to create structured competition among local schools and raise funds for athletics.

Named for respected educator and former principal Hugh Campbell, the week-long senior boys’ invitational grew from a seven-team New Providence event into the island nation’s premier showcase of senior boys basketball talent.

Teams from New Providence and the Family Islands battle for national bragging rights.

Grand Bahamian schools dominated the early decades, but New Providence programmes have consistently fought back for that title.

Historically, the Tabernacle Baptist Academy Falcons hold the most titles with eight championships.

Over the years, the Classic has become more than a basketball tournament, but an annual milestone filled with fierce rivalries.

Kevin “KJ” Johnson and the CI Gibson Rattlers Few figures are more central to the Classic’s modern era than Kevin “KJ” Johnson, head coach of the C.I. Gibson Senior High School Rattlers.

Johnson, who has spent more than three decades building the programme, is now the most winningest coach in the tournament’s history with seven Hugh Campbell titles under his belt. His teams are known for disciplined defence

and physical conditioning, traits that have helped them thrive in the pressure cooker of tournament play.

Johnson’s first Hugh Campbell title came in 2002. Over the next decade, he coached CI Gibson to championships in 2004, 2005 and 2006, building one of the tournament’s most dominant stretches. He added a fifth title in 2014, ending a seven-year drought and reestablishing the Rattlers among the elite programmes in the country.

In reporting on the Rattlers’ 40th Classic title in 2024, The Tribune quoted Johnson after the 75-71 win over Sunland Baptist Academy: “It feels good, we dedicated this season to our fallen friend ‘Rambo.’ They worked extremely hard this week to prepare to get the championship and by the grace of God we won it and they deserved it because they worked hard.”

He added: “Sunland is a very good team … We knew

we were a little better than them in terms of our personnel and we wanted it more.”

That victory gave Johnson his sixth Hugh Campbell title at the time. “It is about time it stayed in New Providence. Freeport has been taking it. We are happy we pushed it and we got it done,” he said.

The school honoured Johnson in March 2024 for more than 30 years of service to the programme. “I was honoured and grateful to be a part of it,” he said during that ceremony.

Reaching Seven Titles and the Latest Classic Entering the 41st Classic in 2025, Johnson was on the verge of history but a narrow 89-87 overtime loss to Tabernacle changed the outcome of that story.

In the most recent Hugh Campbell Classic that concluded on Monday, CI Gibson returned sharper and more disciplined. The Rattlers captured the

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: The CI Gibson Rattlers celebrate on Monday night after winning the 42nd Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic final 75-53 over the St George’s Jaguars, out of Grand Bahama, at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium. Mario Rolle earned the Most Valuable Player award and Kevin Johnson became the winningest coach in the history of the prestigious tournament. Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr/Tribune Staff

championship and secured Johnson’s seventh title, officially making him the most successful coach in the tournament’s history.

The victory tied the present directly to the tournament’s origin story at AF Adderley in 1982. What began as a fundraiser evolved into the country’s most prestigious high-school basketball stage. From his first championship in 2002 to his

record-setting seventh, Kevin “KJ” Johnson’s career has unfolded alongside the growth of the Classic itself.

More than four decades after its founding, the Hugh Campbell Classic remains the benchmark of Bahamian high-school basketball. And with seven titles, Kevin “KJ” Johnson stands alone at the top of coaching history.

New Providence to host first-ever NCAA Div. I baseball games

By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@tribunemedia.net

NEW Providence is set to host its first-ever NCAA Division I baseball games when the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Indiana State Sycamores meet in a three-game series February 27 through March 1 at the Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium. The landmark event comes as part of the inaugural Atlantis Collegiate Baseball Series and marks the first time regular-season Division I baseball will be played in The Bahamas.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg made the announcement at the 5,000-seat facility this week alongside coaches involved in both programmes.

“We are excited to announce this highly anticipated three-game series featuring two outstanding collegiate programmes,” Bowleg said. “This exciting series brings high-level NCAA competition to our shores, showcasing exceptional athletic talent and offering tremendous opportunities for local fans, student-athletes, and the broader sports community.”  Atlantis Paradise Island is the title sponsor of the series. “This event reflects Atlantis’ commitment to bringing premier sports

events and athletes to compete in The Bahamas and celebrate the passion and tradition of college baseball," said Audrey Oswell, the resort’s president and managing director. Penn State head coach Mike Gambino said the opportunity is a special one for his programme. “We are grateful for the opportunity to get to play in The Bahamas,” he said. “This will be a great opportunity for our players and fans to experience a tremendous venue against Indiana State, a great opponent that has been a recent NCAA regional team.”  Indiana State coach Tracy Archuleta also embraced the historic nature of the series. “We are honoured to be part of history bringing Division I baseball to The Bahamas for the first time,” Archuleta said. “It’s an incredible opportunity for our players to experience something special while growing the game internationally.”

The three games are scheduled to start Friday, February 27 at 6pm ET, continue Saturday at 3pm and conclude Sunday at 11am. The Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium opened in 2022 as part of The Bahamas’ efforts to grow the sport locally, and this series adds a new chapter to baseball’s footprint on the island.

Jr Davis Cup: Team Bahamas advances to playoffs

FOLLOWING The Bahamas Jr Davis Cup Boys opening win over El Salvador, the next two ties against Panama and Trinidad and Tobago would be crucial to determine their advancement to the playoff rounds.

In both matches, The Bahamas would split the singles matches. In the #2 Rubber, Synaj Watkins played strong despite dropping his singles 3-6, 5-7 to Panama's Erick Duffis.

And Noah Russell also played strong, falling to Trinidad's Christopher Khan 6-2, 6-1.

Patrick Mactaggart, who is undefeated in singles, was instrumental as he was able to deliver the singles win in straight sets in the #1 position against Panama's Diego Gamez 6-2, 6-2 and record an impressive three-setter victory of 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 over Trinidad's Nirav Dougdeen.

These wins set the stage for the deciding doubles matches against both nations.

Patrick and Noah had great synergy together in the doubles but they were inched out by Panama in a late night three-set thriller that went the distance 6-2, 2-6, 8-10 with Gamez and Fondevila coming out on top.

The duo of Noah Russell and Patrick Mactaggart also competed with intensity against Trinidad's Josiah Hills and Nirav Dougdeen in the deciding doubles, coming out with a similiar result 3-6, 6-1, 4-10.

Based on their performance in pool play, The Bahamas would advance to the playoffs. The team now faces the host nation Guatemala.

Team Bahamas Jr Billie Jean Cup will play in the positional rounds as they continue to play hard.

The Bahamas will face Aruba as they hope to finish strong in the competition. Yesterday, the team faced Panama.

Caitlyn Pratt, playing in the #1 position, fought hard but lost 6-4, 6-3 to Romina Archibold. Danielle Saunders also played hard but lost in two sets to Paulina Meza 6-0, 6-1.

Danielle and Victoria Sandi-Aguilar would put up a fight in doubles but lost 6-0, 6-3 to Meza and Archibold. Prior to this the team faced Honduras dropping both singles. The duo of

Victoria Sandi-Aguilar and Danielle Saunders put up a good fight in doubles with Honduras coming out on top 6-3, 6-1.

The BLTA congratulates both teams who continue to compete at a high level

amongst the best U16 players in the region.

The Junior Davis Cup advances to the playoffs and will face competition from the #1 seed Guatemala.

The girls will play for positional placement as the

new players in the Junior Billie Jean King Cup arena. We wish that they all have strong performances and much success. The teams are captained by coach Danny Rigby and coach Sharon Greene respectively.

NEW York Yankees’ Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr is shown during a baseball media day Tuesday, February 17, 2026, in Tampa, Florida.

‘Jazz’ Chisholm Jr, 28, opens up spring training with Yankees

By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter

jburrows@tribunemedia.net

JASRADO “Jazz” Chisholm Jr, 28, has opened spring training with the New York Yankees, producing on the field while setting a firm stance on his contract future.

The Yankees avoided arbitration with Chisholm this winter by agreeing to a one-year, $10.2 million contract, locking him in for 2026 as he enters a pivotal season before free agency. Through his first two Grapefruit League appearances, Chisholm has been active early. In the Yankees’ February 20 matchup against the Baltimore Orioles, he reached base twice in a 2-0 loss.

The following day, in a 20-3 win over the Detroit Tigers, he again contributed offensively as part of New York’s breakout performance.

The at-bats were limited, but his presence was noticeable in the top half of the lineup.

Chisholm stated publicly that he believes his market value sits around $35 million per year on an eight-to-10-year deal. “I’d say no because I know I can get $35 million somewhere else,” Chisholm said when asked about a lower annual offer. “That’s $10 million less a year. … I’m 28. I want 8 to 10 years.”

He has also indicated he would decline a $25 million per year proposal, viewing it as below his value. Analysts

are split on the number but acknowledge that the leverage comes from production. Some evaluators have said that if Chisholm repeats last season’s output, a contract approaching $35 million annually is within reach.

Others view the figure as aggressive but concede that power-speed players entering free agency at 28 rarely hit the market.

The confidence stems from his 2025 season where Chisholm delivered a 30-30 campaign, finishing with 31 home runs and 31 stolen bases. He hit .242 with 80 RBIs and an .813 OPS across 130 games and earned a Silver Slugger Award. He became just the third player in Yankees history to record a 30-30 season, placing his name alongside some of the franchise’s most dynamic athletes.

Chisholm has not shied away from big goals. During spring, he reiterated that he believes in setting high standards for himself and chasing elite production.

The Yankees, meanwhile, benefit from a middle infielder who blends lefthanded power, speed and defensive versatility entering his prime years. For now, the focus remains on performance. Two early spring games have provided a glimpse of his readiness. The larger story will unfold over 162 games, where Chisholm’s production will ultimately determine whether his $35 million per year expectation becomes reality.

Rick Fox donates $30,000 to Reloaded Baseball programme

THE Reloaded baseball and softball teams would like to thank Rick Fox and his foundation The Bahamas Future Movement for their donation to support the growth, exposure and opportunities for the young kids in our programme.

According to a press release, Fox has watched the programme grow over the past four years.

“And (Rick Fox) has given his continued support, where we have seen over 200 kids pass through. He has a vision and understands that the youth of our nation is where the future is.

“In the past four years, Reloaded has opened up doors of opportunity for Bahamian kids through development and exposure. We have hosted four, of what is deemed to be amongst the largest in country, tournaments of which we have offset costs of travel expenses for several Family Island teams to participate.

“We have held softball and baseball training camps where we have brought in such people as C.J.Beatty (TSM brand), Glenn Walker ( Nee York

Mets Area Scout), Kevin Whiteside (New York Mets Area Scout), Omar Johnson ( Jackson State University Head Baseball Coach ), Ali McKnight ( McKnight Softball) and Catherine Whaley ( Pitching instructor and coach for Klutch Athletics).

“We have also forged relationships with Chip (Pro Youth Foundation) and Edward Cruz ( CPD baseball academy in the Dominican Republic of which we initially introduced him to The Bahamas and have now afforded numerous kids to go there for the international exposure and opportunity) to fulfil our mandate of providing maximum exposure and opportunity for Bahamian kids.

“We have facilitated training and competition for the kids internationally in the United States and the Dominican Republic to further enhance their growth mentally and physically and assisting them in being fundamentally sound in the sport of baseball and softball.

“Our team of coaches, headed by coach Bishop and coach Delevaux in

softball and coach S.J., coach Aneko Knowles, coach Nario, coach Donno and coach Kenue in baseball have proven and shown through their training what results are yielded when be build fundamentally from the ground up physically and mentally.

“The Reloaded team has also built a fully turfed out batting cage and bullpen at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex along with the donation of dump trucks

of soil to assist with the growth of the grass on the field. In continuing with our mandate to develop kids across The Bahamas, we have donated baseball equipment to teams in Grand Bahama, Andros, Abaco and Eleuthera and also offset their travel costs to attend our Reloaded tournaments as we create more competent games in country.

“We would like to thank Rick Fox again for following our progress over the past four years and for knowing first hand what opportunity, exposure along with hard work and development can bring. We would also like to thank the corporate partners who have sponsored us over the past four years and understand and see the goals and the vision that we have for the kids. Our ultimate goal in Reloaded is to map the way for Bahamian kids to receive scholarships and/or professional opportunities where their skill sets allow them to go. Reloaded’s motto has always been and will continue to be “Good is never enough as we are developing tomorrow’s leaders.”

(AP

Double double: Ayton scores 21 points for slumping Lakers in 110-109 loss to Magic

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wendell Carter Jr made a go-ahead putback with 6.7 seconds to play, Paolo Banchero scored 36 points and the Orlando Magic finished a strong West Coast trip with a 110-109 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.

LeBron James missed a fallaway 3-point attempt on the final shot by the Lakers, who went 4-4 on a disappointing homestand spanning the All-Star break. Los Angeles has lost four of six and fallen into sixth place in the West, repeatedly failing to beat playoff-calibre teams. Doncic had 22 points and 15 assists, while James and Deandre Ayton scored 21 apiece for the LakersAyton contributed another double double with 13 rebounds. Austin Reaves scored all 18 of his points in the second half. Desmond Bane scored 22 points and Carter had 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Magic, who have won six of eight overall after taking three of four on the

road out of the break. That surge — capped by their fourth consecutive win over the Lakers — has moved the Magic within a halfgame of sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

Orlando rallied from an early double-digit deficit to take a five-point lead with 5 1/2 minutes left, but Rui Hachimura hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 2:14 to

play for the Lakers. Bane drilled a go-ahead 3 with 34.6 seconds left.

But Doncic found James under the basket for a dunk to reclaim the lead. After Carter scored on the Magic's second offensive rebound of their final possession, Luka Doncic belatedly got the ball to James, whose desperation shot didn't go.

The Lakers' turnovers and the Magic's poor 3-point shooting kept the game close through three quarters.

Orlando starting guard Jalen Suggs missed his third straight game with a back strain.

Lakers backup centre Jaxson Hayes remained out of action with an ankle injury.

Mitchell and Harden spark second-half surge as Cavaliers beat Knicks 109-94

By The Associated Press

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points, James Harden added 20 and the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away in the second half for a 109-94 victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night. Jarrett Allen had 19 points and 10 rebounds as the Cavaliers won for the eighth time in nine games. Jalen Brunson had 20 points and Mikal Bridges scored 18 for the Knicks. Mitchell Robinson pulled down 15 rebounds, one off a season high.

MAVERICKS 123, NETS 114 NEW YORK (AP) — Marvin Bagley III scored 22 points, Naji Marshall had 21 and Dallas beat Brooklyn

after both teams arrived in New York earlier in the day.

THUNDER 116, RAPTORS 107

TORONTO (AP) — Cason Wallace matched his career high with 27 points, Isaiah Joe had 22, and short-handed Oklahoma City beat Toronto for its fifth win in six games. Alex Caruso scored 16 points, Luguentz Dort had 15 and Isaiah Hartenstein 11 as the NBA-leading Thunder won their third straight in Toronto. Oklahoma City is an NBA-best 21-7 on the road.

HAWKS 119

WIZARDS 98

ATLANTA (AP) — Jonathan Kuminga scored a season-high 27 points in his debut for the Hawks, who blew hapless Washington

in Trae Young’s return to Atlanta.

HORNETS 131, BULLS 99

CHICAGO (AP) — Brandon Miller scored 23 points, Kon Knueppel added 21, and hot-shooting Charlotte won a team record eighth straight road game, routing Chicago.

The Hornets shot 51.6% from the field and were on-target from beyond the arc, sinking 25 of 57 3-points attempts, one shy of the team record.

PELICANS 113, WARRIORS 109

NEW ORLEANS (AP)

— Zion Williamson scored 26 points, Dejounte Murray added 13 in his first game in nearly 13 months, and New Orleans beat injury-depleted Golden State.

Local Sports Calendar

ATLANTIS will be branching out its athletic programme by introducing its Collegiate Baseball Series at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium from February 27 to March 1. The series will be played between Indiana State Sycamores and the Penn State Nittany Lions, two National Collegiate Athletic Association Division One programmes. Tickets are currently on sale and will be 50% off for local residents using the code 242baseball at AtlantsBaseball.com. Kids 12-and-under will be admitted free. TRACK RED-LINE FIELD AND RELAY CARNIVAL THE Red-Line Athletics Track Club, coming off its successful hosting of the Sonja Knowles Track Classic, will now prepare for their third annual Field Events and Relay Carnival at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. The Carnival is scheduled for February 28 from 10am to 6pm with the long jump,

triple jump, pole vault, discus, javelin and shot put. And, on March 1 from 1-6pm with the 4 x 100, 4 x 200, 4 x 400, 4 x 800 metres and both the sprint and distance medley relays. The event is open to competitors from the under-7 to the open divisions.

BBSF FAMILY FUN

RUN/WALK THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation will hold its Family Fun Run/Walk Race on Saturday, February 28, beginning at 6am at the Bahamas Baptist College, Jean Street. The walk will

Saddiq Bey scored 18 points, including a reverse layup he spun off the glass while being fouled to give New Orleans a 107-101 lead with 1:47 left. Former Warriors guard Jordan Poole added 12 points for New Orleans, which won its second straight and posted its fourth victory in six games.

BUCKS 128, HEAT 117

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Kevin Porter Jr. matched his season high with 32 points and Bobby Portis and Ryan Rollins scored 21 apiece as Milwaukee beat Miami for its fourth win in five games.

Kyle Kuzma added 19 points and Ousmane Dieng 11 for the Bucks.Norman Powell scored 26 points,

leave Jean Street and head north to Bernard Road, turn onto Bernard Road and head west to Soldier Road, turn onto Soldier Road and head south to Prince Charles Drive, turn left onto Prince Charles Drive and head east to Jean Street, turn onto Jean Street and back to the Bahamas Baptist College.

The run will leave Jean Street and head south to Prince Charles Drive, turn left onto Prince Charles Drive and head east to Fox Hill Road, turn left onto Fox Hill Road and head south to Berard Road, turn onto Bernard Road and head west on Bernard Road and to Jean Street, turn left onto Jean Street and back to the Bahamas Baptist College.

The categories in both events are the under15, under-20, under-40, under-60, 60-and-over and 70-and-over for men and ladies. There will also be a category for Pastors/Ministers combined. The cost is $10 per person.

Trophies will be presented to the overall winners and medals distributed to the first three

Bam Adebayo finished with 18 points and nine rebounds and Andrew Wiggins had 16 points for the Heat, who had their three-game winning streak halted.

TIMBERWOLVES 124, TRAIL BLAZERS 121

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 34 points and made five 3-pointers to help Minnesota hold off Portland, its fourth win in its last five games. Jaden McDaniels added 27 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and five blocks for the Timberwolves. Donte DiVincenzo had 19 points and made five 3-pointers, and Julius Randle had 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Rudy Gobert scored just 10

finishers in each category. There will also be a trophy for the church or organisation that brings the most participants. A free health screening will take place as well as there will be a special appearance by fitness guru Natasha ‘Downtown’ Brown and souse will also be on sale at a cost of $10 each.

GOLF SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP

THE Bahamas Golf Federation will hold its School Golf Championships March 2-6 at the Nine-Hole Driving Range at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. The registration starts at 8am and the fee is $15 per golfer. Interested persons can log onto www.bahamasgolffederation.com for more information.

BAHAMAS TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP THE Bahamas Triathlon Association, which postponed its National Championships on February 1 due to the inclement weather, will host its new date on Sunday, March 15 at Jaws Beach, starting at 7am.

points but had 19 rebounds and changed the game defensively. Jrue Holiday led the Blazers with 22 points. Jerami Grant had 18 points, and Donovan Clingan scored 11 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.

CELTICS 97, SUNS 81

PHOENIX (AP) — Derrick White scored 22 points, Neemias Queta had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Boston used a big third quarter to beat Phoenix. Sam Hauser shot 6 for 14, including 4 for 10 from 3-point range, to add 16 points and the Celtics — playing without All-Star Jaylen Brown (right knee contusion) — won their fourth in a row and for the ninth time in their last 10 games.

The competition will have the Olympic competition including a 1.5 kilometre swim, 40K bike ride and 10k run, a sprint (750m swim, 20K bike and 5K run) and relay for teams of 2-3 people for all ages.  SPECIAL OLYMPICS AWARENESS

WALK SAVE the date of Saturday, March 28, for the Special Olympics Bahamas Awareness Walk. It’s scheduled to start at 9am from the Western Esplanade and end at the Legends Walk of Fame outside of the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. All groups/organisations are urged to contact Special Olympics Bahamas at 356-2433 to register to participate. MARIO FORD BASEBALL CAMP THE Mario Ford Baseball Camp at Windsor Park, designed for boys and girls between the ages of 4-16 years, will be staged every Saturday from 9:30-11:30am until Saturday,

Champions League: Vinicius Junior helps Real

Madrid advance, PSG and Atalanta also through

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer

WITH the winning goal and another corner-flag dance, Vinícius Júnior fittingly had the final say in an emotionally charged rematch with Benfica to guide Real Madrid into the round of 16 of the Champions League yesterday.

Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain also advanced out of the playoffs — but only after narrowly getting past Monaco — while Atalanta pulled off a remarkable comeback against Borussia Dortmund with a dramatic last-second goal to maintain Italian involvement in the competition.

Juventus fell short of completing its own stunning second-leg recovery, though, eliminated by Galatasaray after extra time.

Vinícius jeered by Benfica fans

Playing a week after being the target of alleged racial abuse in the first leg against Benfica, Vinícius wrapped up Madrid’s 2-1 win over the Portuguese team — and a 3-1 victory on aggregate — with his team’s second goal in the 80th minute at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

The Brazil star slotted a low finish into the corner and celebrated his goal like

he did last week, by dancing beside the corner flag.

Vinícius was loudly booed by Benfica fans nearly every time he touched the ball, a hangover from the first leg when he accused Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni of calling him a “monkey”.

Prestianni has denied racially insulting Vinícius while confronting him with his jersey over his mouth, but did not play Wednesday’s game after being provisionally banned for one match by UEFA. Benfica coach Jose Mourinho, who previously led Madrid, was also suspended for the game so didn't take his place in the dugout.

Benfica opened the scoring in the 14th minute through Rafa Silva to briefly bring the score level at 1-1 on aggregate, only for Aurelien Tchouameni to equalise two minutes later for Madrid.

Madrid maintained its record of playing in the round of 16 every year this century and will play either Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon next.

PSG keeps title defence alive

PSG also survived an early scare in the second leg to advance out of the playoffs for a second straight season. Protecting a 3-2 lead from last week, the titleholder went behind

REAL Madrid’s Vinicius Junior celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the second leg of the Champions League playoff soccer match against Benfica in Madrid, Spain, yesterday. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

to Maghnes Akliouche's 45th-minute goal but was then boosted by a red card to Monaco's Mamadou Coulibaly in the 58th.

Goals by Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put PSG in front in the game. Jordan Teze’s stoppage-time equaliser came too late for Monaco. PSG's reward is a meeting with either Barcelona or Chelsea. PSG right back Achraf Hakimi played a day after being ordered to stand trial in a rape case.

Juve comeback stamped out by Galatasaray

Juventus almost pulled off one of the great Champions League recoveries.

Trailing 5-2 from the first leg, Juve went ahead against Galatasaray when Manuel Locatelli converted a penalty before halftime and overcame a red card to its defender Lloyd Kelly by scoring more goals through Federico Gatti and Weston McKennie to take the game to extra time. It could have been worse for Galatasaray, with Kenan Yıldız also hitting the post for Juventus in regulation. Galatasaray fought back in the added 30 minutes with an extra man.

They scored through Victor Osimhen and Barış Yılmaz as Juve won 3-2 on

the night but lost 7-5 on aggregate.

Atalanta the only Italian team standing after wild finish

With Juventus out, Italy’s record of having at least one team in the round of 16 since that stage was reintroduced to the Champions League in 2003-04 was only maintained thanks to Atalanta’s remarkable fightback against Dortmund.

Atalanta substitute Lazar Samardzic converted a penalty with the last kick of the game in the eighth minute of stoppage time following a video review to seal a 4-1

win on the night and a 4-3 victory on aggregate.

Extra time was looming when a mistake by Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel allowed Atalanta to launch one last attack, after the allotted three minutes of stoppage time had been played. A cross into the area was about to reach Nikola Krstovic when Dortmund defender Remy Bensabaini flicked out his boot and caught the Atalanta substitute on the head, drawing blood. A corner was initially given but after a VAR check, a penalty was awarded, Bensabaini was shown a second yellow card, and Samardzic sent his penalty into the top corner, sparking joyous scenes inside the stadium in Bergamo.

Serie A champion Napoli didn’t even make the playoffs after finishing in 30th place in the 36-team league phase and Inter Milan was eliminated by tiny Norwegian team Bodø/Glimt in the playoffs on Tuesday. Atalanta will play either Arsenal or Bayern Munich next.

All set for the round of 16 Bodø/Glimt, Atletico Madrid, Newcastle and Bayer Leverkusen all advanced from the playoffs on Tuesday. The draw for the round of 16 is on Friday.