Tuesday’s Champions League

 

GROUP E

A.E.K Athens v Ajax

0-2 

Ajax’s 2-0 victory was marred by violence in the Greek Capital as police clashed with the visiting Dutch fans. A petrol bomb was used, whilst home fans reportedly threw flares toward the away end once inside the stadium. Images also show police officers hitting Ajax fans, leaving some with blood pouring down their faces. Things got so bad that Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt ran over to the visiting fans to plead for calm.

At the start of the second half there were further crowd disturbances as several firecrackers were set off, leaving players from both sides rubbing their eyes as the smoke drifted across the Athens Olympic Stadium.

The Dutch visitors secured the victory through Tadic‘s goals to progress to the knockout stages for the first time since 2005. His first goal came from the penalty spot after he was brought down by Marko Livaja, who was shown his second yellow for the tackle resulting in his dismissal. The forward secured the win by adding his second just four minutes later.

AEK are bottom of Group E with zero points.

Up Next:

Champions League

Benfica v AEK – Wednesday, December 12th (3pm)

Ajax v Bayern – Wednesday, December 12th (3pm)

Superleague Greece

AEK v Xanthi – Sunday, December 2nd (12:30pm)

Eredivisie

Ajax v Den Haag – Sunday, December 2nd (6:15am)

 

Bayern Munich v Benfica

5-1 

Robert Lewandowski passed the 50 Champions League goals milestone as Bayern Munich cruised past Benfica to book their place in the Final 16.

Arjen Robben handed the Bundesliga champions a two-goal advantage before the Polish strike took center stage. Lewandowski headed in his 50th and 51st goals, becoming just the seventh player to achieve such a feat.

Veteran Franck Ribery added the fifth to make sure they sealed their place in the next round, alongside Ajax.

The visitors’ only goal game in the 46th minute from midfielder Carvalho Fernandes with a right footed shot.

 

Up Next:

Champions League

Ajax v Bayern – Wednesday, December 12th (3pm)

Benfica v AEK – Wednesday, December 12th (3pm)

Bundesliga 

Werder v Bayern – Saturday, December 1st (9:30am)

Primeira Liga

Benfica v Feirense – Saturday, December 1st (1pm)

 

GROUP F

Lyon v Manchester City

2-2 

City manager Pep Guardiola says Lyon were “one of the toughest teams” they’ve ever faced after their 2-2 draw in France.

The French side took the lead twice in the second half but City fought back both times to equalize. The result means City qualify for the last 16 with a game to spare, just like their Manchester rivals.

Maxwell Cornet opened the scoring after 55 minutes. Man City defender Aymeric Laporte quickly leveled things with a header but Cornet fire home again to put Lyon top of Group F. However, Sergio Aguero reacted the quickest to flick in a header two minutes later to ensure City remain in pole position to win the group in two weeks time.

Up Next:

Champions League

Shakhtar Donetsk v Lyon – Wednesday, December 12th (3pm)

City v Hoffenheim – Wednesday, December 12th (3pm)

Ligue 1

LOSC v Lyon – Saturday, December 1st (11am)

Premier League

City v Bournemouth – Saturday, December 1st (10am)

 

Hoffenheim v Shakhtar Donetsk 

2-3 

Hoffenheim came back from 2-0 down to level proceedings, before Taison secured all three points for the Ukrainian visitors in injury time. The Germans finished the game with 10 men after Adam Szalai saw red after his second yellow in the 59th minute.

Taison‘s late winner sees Group F go down to the wire with just two points separating second placed Lyon (7) and Shakhtar (5). The loss, however, does mean that Hoffenheim will finish bottom of the group with no chance of making it through to the next round.

 

Up Next:

Champions League

City v Hoffenheim – Wednesday, December 12th (3pm)

Shakhtar Donetsk v Lyon – Wednesday, December 12th (3pm)

Bundesliga

Hoffenheim v Schalke – Saturday, December 2nd (12:30pm)

Ukrainian Premier League

Shakhtar Donetsk v Olimpik Donetsk – Sunday, December 2nd (10am)

 

GROUP G

CSKA Moscow v Viktoria Plzen

1-2 

CSKA took the lead after just 10 minutes when Lukas Hedja gave away a penalty for tripping Georgi Shchennikov, which was taken and converted by Nikola Vlasic.

The fouled became the fouler just before halftime, however, Russia’s World Cup goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev dived the right way to save Roman Prochazka‘s poor effort.

The Slovak made up for his penalty miss by beating Akinfeev with a miscued finish into the top right corner 10 minutes after the break. Hedja then got his redemption by heading home a cross from Patrik Hrosovsky to complete Plzen’s comeback.

Moscow’s chances of qualification to the knockouts were ended with the loss. Both sides are now level on four points at the bottom of the group, intensifying the battle for third place and a Europa League spot.

 

Up Next:

Champions League 

Madrid v CSKA – Wednesday, December 12th (12:55pm)

Plzen v Roma – Wednesday, December 12th (12:55pm)

Russian Premier League 

FC Rostov v CSKA – Sunday, December 2nd (8:30am)

Czech First League

Plzen v Sigma – Sunday, December 2nd (11am)

 

AS Roma v Real Madrid

0-2 

Gareth Bale‘s goal paved the way to victory for the defending champions, cementing their position at the top of Group G. The Welshman capitalized on a defensive error by Roma’s Federico Fazio to put the La Liga giants in front against the run of play after the break.

Spain winger Lucas Vazquez ensured they claimed all three points on the night, when he tapped in from close range after Karim Benzema‘s cushioned pass from a Luka Modric cross.

Despite the 2-0 loss, Roma progressed through to the Final 16 with Real Madrid after CSKA Moscow lost 2-1 to Viktoria Plzen. Both teams qualified with a game to spare, marking the 15th consecutive season in which Madrid have reached the last 16 since the current format was introduced in the 2003/04 season.

Up Next:

Champions League 

Plzen v Roma – Wednesday, December 12th (12:55pm)

Madrid v CSKA – Wednesday, December 12th (12:55pm)

Serie A

Roma v Inter Milan – Sunday, December 2nd (2:30pm)

La Liga

Madrid v Valencia – Saturday, December 1st (2:45pm)

 

GROUP H

Juventus v Valencia

1-0 

Mario Mandzukic scored his third goal in as many games for the Italian hosts as they beat Valencia to qualify for the last 16 with a game left. The Croatian scored his first Champions League goal since last season’s quarter-final after Cristiano Ronaldo‘s low ball across the box.

The Serie A champions struggled to create much in the first half with Paulo Dybala, Mandzukic and Ronaldo unable to break the La Liga side. They improved after the break and the result, coupled with Man United’s injury-time victory over Young Boys, sees Valencia eliminated.

The visitors had their best chance of the game just before halftime when Mouctar Diakhaby saw his header saved at point-blank range by Wojciech Szczęsny. The miss proved costly when Juve scored the 59th minute winner.

Valencia thought they’d equalized a minute later but Diakhaby‘s header was judged to have come off his hand.

Juventus, who are beaten finalists in two of the past four seasons, have now kept a clean sheet in six of their seven Champions League group-stage games.

Up Next:

Champions League

Young Boys v Juve – Wednesday, December 12th (3pm)

Valencia v Man Utd – Wednesday, December 12th (3pm)

Serie A

Fiorentina v Juve – Saturday, December 1st (12pm)

La Liga

Madrid v Valencia – Saturday, December 1st (2:45pm)

 

Manchester United v Young Boys

1-0 

A 91st minute goal from Marouane Fellaini sealed a spot in the knockout stages for his team with one game to spare. All they needed to do to qualify was win and hope that Valencia either drew or lost, which they did.

It was looking nervy for the home side who put in an all-too-familiar unconvincing home performance. As the board went up to signal three minutes of injury time, United were still looking for their first Champions League goal at Old Trafford this season.

The goal arrived moment later, when Fellaini collected Romelu Lukaku‘s flick in the box from a Luke Shaw pass, the Belgian then held off Loris Benito, with the ball looking to have touched his hand in the process, he turned and fired into the bottom corner. Later when asked about the incident Fellaini said “For me it was not handball, I controlled the ball, if it touched my hand it was not on purpose.”

Manager Jose Mourinho reveled in delirious fashion, flinging a basket of water bottles to the floor in celebration.

Previous to the goal, United had 20 efforts on goal, but they’d seen Marcus Rashford and Fellaini come close numerous times and waste many others.

The result means Man U can go to Valencia in two weeks time with their qualification secured and with a chance to top the group.

Up Next:

Champions League 

Valencia v Man Utd – Wednesday, December 12th (3pm)

Young Boys v Juve – Wednesday, December 12th (3pm)

Premier League

Southampton v Man Utd – Saturday, December 2nd (12:30pm)

Swiss Super League

FC Basel v Young Boys – Sunday, December 2nd (10am)

 

 

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