Monchengladbach players erupt in celebration despite losing to Real Madrid

Borussia Monchengladbach's players may have lost 2-0 to Real Madrid on Wednesday night, but that did not stop them celebrating in some style at the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium after making their way into the Champions League knockout stages.

Having succumbed to defeat to Zinedine Zidane's men on matchday six thanks to Karim Benzema's double, the Bundesliga outfit fell to second place in Group B and needed Shakhtar Donetsk to draw with Inter Milan to seal progression to the last 16.

With the match in Italy still going on after the final whistle in Madrid, the team huddled around a tablet set up in their dugout to watch the closing stages of the other game in their group.

Gladbach knew at the time that a goal for either Inter or Shakhtar would have earned the side that scored a place in the last 16 of the competition at their expense, with Madrid topping the group despite losing home and away to the Ukrainian outfit.

But moments later, after a final Inter attack failed to produce a goal, the final whistle also blew at San Siro and the German side could not contain themselves and their excitement as they made their way back onto the pitch at Valdebebas and jumped around in joy.

Players began jumping on top of each other in huddles after it was confirmed that Marco Rose's men had reached the knockout stages of the primary European competition for the first time since 1977.

That year, they made it to the final before suffering defeat at the hands of Liverpool in Rome.

Gladbach midfielder Christoph Kramer said: 'We're over the moon. These are incredible emotions that can't be described.

'I watched the Inter game after I got subbed off, but watching it as a whole team was a wonderful moment. Moments like that live long in the memory.'

Gladbach's progression also means all four Bundesliga sides have made it through to the knockout stages, with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund topping Group A and Group F respectively, while last year's semi-finalists RB Leipzig finished runners-up in Group H.

Meanwhile in Group B, Inter finished in last place, and Shakhtar came third and will therefore now head into the Europa League round of 32.