Europe's 'Big Five' take over Champions League to leave the rest trailing

Atalanta's achievement in reaching the Champions League last 16 despite a dreadful start is remarkable, especially for a club of their stature, but it has also had another, ominous knock-on effect.

The modest Italians, appearing in the competition for the first time, defeated Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0 on Wednesday to progress at the expense of the Ukrainians, despite taking just one point from their opening four games.

Their joy contrasted with the agony for Ajax 24 hours earlier, as last season's semi-finalists were eliminated following a 1-0 defeat by Valencia.

The Dutch champions will have to console themselves with a crack at the Europa League in the spring, and their exit may accelerate the definitive breaking up of an exciting young team.

"You don't always get what you deserve in football," said Ajax coach Erik ten Hag, bitterly, after that game.

However, football is almost all about money these days, and so we are left with something never seen before -- this is the first time since the current Champions League format was introduced in 2003 that every club through to the last 16 has come from Europe's biggest five domestic leagues.

Holders Liverpool's victory in Salzburg, and Chelsea's win over Lille, confirmed that every English representative will be in the first knockout round for the third year running.

The Premier League quartet are joined by four Spanish clubs, three Germans, three Italians and two French teams.

Last year saw Porto reach the quarter-finals while Ajax were seconds away from the final. Two years ago, Basel, Porto, Shakhtar and Besiktas made for an eclectic last-16 line-up.

- A sign of things to come? -
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- The rich get richer -
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