Published November 08,2023
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Title holders Manchester City and RB Leipzig certified for the Champions League final 16 with victories on Tuesday whereas Barcelona did not advance prematurely as properly owing to a 1-0 defeat towards Shakhtar Donetsk.
City beat Swiss facet Young Boys 3-0 from Erling Haaland’s brace and Phil Foden to make it 4 wins out of 4 in Group G, from which Leipzig additionally progressed by prevailing 2-1 at Red Star Belgrade.
Barca failed to keep up their good report in Group H, and didn’t even handle a draw which might have additionally seen them into the knock-outs for the primary time in three years, dropping as a substitute towards Shakhtar from Danylo Sikan’s first-half header.
That threw the group large open once more, as Porto drew stage with Barca on 9 factors courtesy of a 2-0 towards 10-man eradicated Royal Antwerp from a penalty by Evanilson and veteran captain Pepe. Shakhtar are lurking three factors again in third.
There can also be nonetheless a lot to play for in Group F the place the 4 groups are separated by three factors.
Borussia Dortmund went high with seven factors by beating Newcastle United 2-0, shifting one forward of Paris Saint-Germain who misplaced 2-1 at AC Milan who’re one other level again after their first win and targets, and one forward of Newcastle.
Atletico Madrid stormed again into first place in tight Group E by thrashing 10-man Celtic 6-0, with Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata getting a brace every towards the eradicated Scots.
Atletico are one away from Lazio who beat Feyenoord 1-0 from Ciro Immobile’s 2 hundredth purpose for the membership which despatched the Dutch down to 3rd, however solely two factors off the highest.
Matchday 4 is accomplished on Wednesday, with report winners Real Madrid and Bayern aiming to comply with City and Leipzig into the knock-outs.
City had been pissed off by Young Boys goalkeeper Anthony Racioppi early on however he was despatched the unsuitable means by Haaland’s twenty third minute penalty, and overwhelmed once more by Foden from a proper angle on the stroke of half-time.
Haaling smashed an excellent third into the far nook within the 51st, and Young Boys’ Sandro Lauper was despatched off shortly after, after additionally having conceded the first-half penalty, and having seen pink on the weekend as properly within the Swiss league.
“To qualify with two games to spare, that is what we wanted to do,” City ahead Jack Grealish instructed TNT Sport. “We love being with each other every day and playing with each other.”
Leipzig had a dream begin in Belgrade from Xavi Simons’ eighth-minute drive into the highest proper nook.
Benjamin Sesko hit the left submit for Leipzig after the break earlier than Lois Openda fired the second into the close to left nook within the 77th. But an personal purpose from Benjamin Henrichs 4 minutes later made the 2020 semi-finalists Leipzig sweat it out ultimately.
“We won in the end and have advanced. It wasn’t easy. We were a little sloppy in the second half,” Leipzig midfielder Emil Forsberg instructed streaming portal DAZN.
In Hamburg, the place Shakhtar are enjoying their house video games this season owing to the warfare in Ukraine, Shakhtar contained Robert Lewandowski and his Barcelona team-mates properly and solely allowed them a number of efforts from a distance which all went astray.
Sikan’s looping Fortieth-minute header into the best nook off Giorgi Gocholeishvili’s cross from the best made the distinction, and Shakhtar had a late a second purpose disallowed as a result of teenager Newerton was narrowly offside earlier than firing into the far nook.
“We leave this match feeling angry. Our play wasn’t good enough. None of the things we planned came off, we’re angry at ourselves. This is a clear setback,” Barca coach Xavi Hernandez mentioned.
In Group F, former Inter Milan participant Milan Skriniar headed PSG forward 9 minutes into the sport towards AC Milan from point-blank vary.
But Milan had been stage three minutes later from their first purpose of the competitors, a creative overhead kick from Rafael Leao. French striker Olivier Giroud accomplished the turnround with a Fiftieth-minute header to provide Milan a primary win and revive the knock-out hopes of the seven-time winners.
Dortmund’s Germany striker Niklas Füllkrug opened the scoring within the twenty sixth minute towards Newcastle off Marcel Sabitzer for his first purpose within the elite occasion.
Joelinton headed large within the guests’ finest likelihood early within the second half, earlier than Julian Brandt wrapped up issues within the 79th.
“That was a very important step and a great reaction after the game on Saturday,” Füllkrug instructed Prime Video, referring to Dortmund’s 4-0 Bundesliga house defeat towards Bayern Munich.
Source: www.anews.com.tr