UCL: Man City and Leipzig first teams through to round of 16; Shakhtar down Barcelona
UEFA Champions League holders Manchester City and Leipzig both booked their round of 16 places on Tuesday, but Barcelona must wait to guarantee their own progress following a surprise defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk.
UEFA.com rounds up all the action from the opening night of Matchday 4 of Europe’s premier club competition.
Group E
Lazio 1-0 Feyenoord
Ciro Immobile’s 200th Lazio goal separated the sides in Rome. There were few clear-cut chances for either team in the first half, but Immobile rounded Justin Bijlow just before the break and slotted into an empty net to put his side ahead. Lazio dominated long periods of the second half, with Feyenoord’s best opportunities falling to Santiago Giménez. It was Immobile’s night, however, and he left the field to a standing ovation.
Player of the Match: Ciro Immobile (Lazio)
Key stat: Immobile reached 200 goals on just his 310th appearance for the club.
Atlético de Madrid 6-0 Celtic
Atlético eased to a record win against Celtic with Álvaro Morata’s double leaving him as the competition’s leading scorer. Antoine Griezmann’s opener after six minutes set the tone and, after Daizen Maeda’s yellow card was upgraded to a red, Morata made it 2-0 just before the break. Griezmann’s scissor kick gave him a double of his own, Lino’s curled effort extended the lead further and, after a rising drive from Morata, Saúl Ñíguez lashed in from close range late on.
Player of the Match: Antoine Griezmann (Atlético)
Key stat: This was Atlético’s biggest win in UEFA club competition since their first-ever match, an 8-0 defeat of Drumcondra in the European Cup preliminary round first leg in September 1958
Group F
Dortmund 2-0 Newcastle
The German side followed up their 1-0 win in north-east England with a comfortable home triumph. Goals in each half from Niclas Füllkrug and Julian Brandt did the damage, and the visitors had Nick Pope to thank for ensuring that is all it was. Only in a brief spell after the break did the visitors threaten to get back into it, with Joelinton heading a golden chance wide.
Player of the Match: Julian Brandt (Dortmund)
Key stat: Dortmund have kept clean sheets in each of their last four Champions League home games.
Milan 2-1 Paris
Milan completed an impressive comeback to secure their first Group F win. The Rossoneri fell behind when former Inter defender Milan Škriniar converted a stooping header. The hosts hit back in style via Rafael Leão’s close-range overhead kick, after former Milan keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma had denied Olivier Giroud. The France striker pounced shortly after the interval, though, nodding Theo Hernández’s centre out of Donnarumma’s reach. Substitute Kang-in Lee struck a post late on.
Player of the Match: Rafael Leão (Milan)
Key stat: Aged 37 years and 38 days, Giroud has become the oldest French scorer in Champions League history, overtaking Laurent Blanc (36 years and 338 days).
Group G
Crvena zvezda 1-2 Leipzig
Goals from Xavi Simons and Loïs Openda were enough to give Leipzig a victory which takes them into the last 16. Simons opened the scoring when he cut inside from the left and curled a shot past Omer Glazer. Leipzig spurned multiple chances before the break, but were then forced to withstand a period of pressure from the hosts. Openda appeared to have put the match out of reach with Leipzig’s second, but Benjamin Henrichs’ own goal gave Crvena zvezda hope. It was too little, too late.
Player of the Match: Loïs Openda (Leipzig)
Key stat: Leipzig have now won seven of their last eight group stage matches.
Man City 3-0 Young Boys
Erling Haaland scored twice as City eased through to the knockout stage with two matches to spare. The prolific striker opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Phil Foden threaded in a fine second from a tight angle. Haaland then blasted in from outside the penalty area to keep up City’s 100% record and secure progress from Group G. Sandro Lauper was sent off for the visitors for a second booking.
Player of the Match: Erling Haaland (Man City)
Key stat: City are now 17 matches unbeaten in the competition
Group H
Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 Barcelona
Barça failed to turn their early possession into clear-cut chances and were made to pay five minutes from half-time. Georgiy Sudakov’s raking pass found Giorgi Gocholeishvili, who had space enough on the right to deliver a cross which Danylo Sikan did superbly well to head past Marc-André ter Stegen. Barça at one point made four simultaneous second-half substitutions in their hunt for an equaliser, but it was not to be for Xavi’s side.
Player of the Match: Georgiy Sudakov (Shakhtar)
Key stat: This was Shakhtar’s third victory in 11 games against Barcelona.
Porto 2-0 Antwerp
Evanilson and Pepe – the oldest scorer in UEFA Champions League history – were on target as Porto eliminated Antwerp and strengthened their own position in the group. Evanilson broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute, and the visitors were reduced to ten men after the restart when Jurgen Ekkelenkamp was shown a red card. Porto put the result beyond doubt in added time when 40-year-old Pepe headed in Francisco Conceição’s cross.
Player of the Match: João Mário (Porto)
Key stat: Pepe is the competition’s oldest scorer at 40 years and 254 days; that honour previously belonged to Francesco Totti, who last found the net in November 2014, aged 38 years and 59 days
