Manchester United Starting Line-up
De Gea
Darmian
Bailly
Smalling
Blind
Matic
McTominay
Mata
Lingard
Martial
Lukaku
Benfica Starting Line-up
Svilar
Douglas
Ruben Dias
Jardel
Grimaldo
Fejsa
Filipe Augusto
Pizzi
Salvio
Diogo Goncalves
Raul
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Manchester United Starting Line-up
De Gea
Darmian
Bailly
Smalling
Blind
Matic
McTominay
Mata
Lingard
Martial
Lukaku
Benfica Starting Line-up
Svilar
Douglas
Ruben Dias
Jardel
Grimaldo
Fejsa
Filipe Augusto
Pizzi
Salvio
Diogo Goncalves
Raul
Benfica GK nam godak unlucky
Martial penalty 1ka miss unath hodata play kala & Lukaku madi 1st half adath
Martial penalty 1ka miss unath hodata play kala & Lukaku madi 1st half adath
Full Time
Manchester United 2 Vs 0 Benfica
Manchester United Goal(s)
M Svilar 45'(OG)
D.Blind 78'(PEN)
Manchester United Goal(s)
M Svilar 45'(OG)
D.Blind 78'(PEN)
Basel 1 CSKA Moscow 2: Substitute Dzagoev inspires comeback win
Alan Dzagoev came off the bench to help keep CSKA Moscow's Champions League qualification hopes alive by inspiring the Russian side to a 2-1 comeback win at Basel on Tuesday.
The Swiss champions knew they would be guaranteed a place in the knockout stages with two games to spare if they beat CSKA at St Jakob-Park and Manchester United avoided defeat at home to Benfica.
Basel they looked on track to make it three Champions League wins in a row when Luca Zuffi opened the scoring following a tight 32 minutes by neatly lobbing a prone Igor Akinfeev, after the Russia goalkeeper had denied Mohamed Elyounoussi.
CSKA were heading out but half-time substitute Dzagoev, not deemed fit enough to start the match, equalised after 64 minutes, beating goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik with a sumptuous finish to level the scores.
And the visitors went on to complete a stunning turnaround and win the game, Pontus Wernbloom lashing in a fine drive shortly after he wasted a glorious chance by heading Dzagoev's cross wide.
CSKA and Basel are now level on six points with two games to play in Group A, but the Swiss side remain in second spot on ahead of their home game against United on matchday five - a 2-0 win in Russia giving them a superior head-to-head record.
Dimitri Oberlin went into the match with three goals in as many Champions League appearances for Basel and the 20-year-old had the first opening after nine minutes, firing off-target at the end of a powerful 40-yard run.Basel continued to patiently probe and Renato Steffen cut inside off the right flank, only to fire straight at Akinfeev with attacking colleagues in better positions.
A clever corner routine saw Taulant Xhaka thump a volley into the chest of defender Viktor Vasin after 29 minutes but CSKA conceded from the hosts' next attack.
The best move of the game at that stage saw Oberlin tee up Elyounoussi and, when Akinfeev saved from close range, the ball looped up kindly for Zuffi to lift a 20-yard finish into the empty net.
Basel's goal woke up CSKA and Vitinho immediately rifled wide, but the striker then should have done better when he shot straight at Vaclik from Georgy Schennikov's left-wing cross.
Viktor Goncharenko sent on Dzagoev for Vitinho at the interval and he was instrumental in a move that led to Konstantin Kuchaev slamming over from 10 yards two minutes after the restart.
Akinfeev plunged to his right to push away Zuffi's low free-kick and the goalkeeper had to parry away a firm Elyounoussi drive as Basel tried to wrap the match up.
Those saves proved key as the impressive Dzagoev then made a decisive impact.When the ball broke to Dzagoev in the area via a kind deflection he sold Vaclik a superb dummy and cutely chipped the helpless Vaclik to equalise with 65 minutes played.Dzagoev was now running the game and Wernbloom headed his terrific cross just wide but the Sweden international made amends with 12 minutes to go by netting the winner.
A deflection was again crucial as Wernbloom's pass rebounded straight back to him, the midfielder thumping a superb first-time finish into the bottom corner.
Basel felt they should have had a penalty when Schennikov appeared to drag Steffen down in the box, but referee Milorad Mazic was unmoved and the hosts could not force an equaliser, leaving Group A finely poised with two games left.
Alan Dzagoev came off the bench to help keep CSKA Moscow's Champions League qualification hopes alive by inspiring the Russian side to a 2-1 comeback win at Basel on Tuesday.
The Swiss champions knew they would be guaranteed a place in the knockout stages with two games to spare if they beat CSKA at St Jakob-Park and Manchester United avoided defeat at home to Benfica.
Basel they looked on track to make it three Champions League wins in a row when Luca Zuffi opened the scoring following a tight 32 minutes by neatly lobbing a prone Igor Akinfeev, after the Russia goalkeeper had denied Mohamed Elyounoussi.
CSKA were heading out but half-time substitute Dzagoev, not deemed fit enough to start the match, equalised after 64 minutes, beating goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik with a sumptuous finish to level the scores.
And the visitors went on to complete a stunning turnaround and win the game, Pontus Wernbloom lashing in a fine drive shortly after he wasted a glorious chance by heading Dzagoev's cross wide.
CSKA and Basel are now level on six points with two games to play in Group A, but the Swiss side remain in second spot on ahead of their home game against United on matchday five - a 2-0 win in Russia giving them a superior head-to-head record.
Dimitri Oberlin went into the match with three goals in as many Champions League appearances for Basel and the 20-year-old had the first opening after nine minutes, firing off-target at the end of a powerful 40-yard run.Basel continued to patiently probe and Renato Steffen cut inside off the right flank, only to fire straight at Akinfeev with attacking colleagues in better positions.
A clever corner routine saw Taulant Xhaka thump a volley into the chest of defender Viktor Vasin after 29 minutes but CSKA conceded from the hosts' next attack.
The best move of the game at that stage saw Oberlin tee up Elyounoussi and, when Akinfeev saved from close range, the ball looped up kindly for Zuffi to lift a 20-yard finish into the empty net.
Basel's goal woke up CSKA and Vitinho immediately rifled wide, but the striker then should have done better when he shot straight at Vaclik from Georgy Schennikov's left-wing cross.
Viktor Goncharenko sent on Dzagoev for Vitinho at the interval and he was instrumental in a move that led to Konstantin Kuchaev slamming over from 10 yards two minutes after the restart.
Akinfeev plunged to his right to push away Zuffi's low free-kick and the goalkeeper had to parry away a firm Elyounoussi drive as Basel tried to wrap the match up.
Those saves proved key as the impressive Dzagoev then made a decisive impact.When the ball broke to Dzagoev in the area via a kind deflection he sold Vaclik a superb dummy and cutely chipped the helpless Vaclik to equalise with 65 minutes played.Dzagoev was now running the game and Wernbloom headed his terrific cross just wide but the Sweden international made amends with 12 minutes to go by netting the winner.
A deflection was again crucial as Wernbloom's pass rebounded straight back to him, the midfielder thumping a superb first-time finish into the bottom corner.
Basel felt they should have had a penalty when Schennikov appeared to drag Steffen down in the box, but referee Milorad Mazic was unmoved and the hosts could not force an equaliser, leaving Group A finely poised with two games left.
Sporting CP 1 Juventus 1: Higuain strikes late to rescue Allegri's men
Juventus squandered a chance to reach the last 16 of the Champions League but Gonzalo Higuain struck late to salvage a valuable 1-1 draw against Sporting CP.
Bruno Cesar's first-half goal gave the Portuguese side control of Tuesday's game and they proceeded to dominate play on a night when victory for Juventus would have seen them clinch qualification for the knockout stage.
Higuain left it until the 79th minute to level the match and put the Italian champions back on course for second place in Group D, but they will need another victory from their last two games to make sure of qualification, as Sporting remain three points behind.
While the result will have disappointed Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri, he may have been more troubled by his side's performance, which lacked the fluency and confidence of their 2-0 win over AC Milan in Serie A three days earlier.
Sporting should have extended their lead in the second half, missing a number of clear chances as Juve's defence struggled to contain the dynamic Gelson Martins and industrious Marcos Acuna.The seriousness of the situation only seemed to dawn on Juventus late on and Higuain converted one of very few chances to have come his way.
Cesar lashed a shot over the crossbar from 20 yards early on, failing to trouble Gianluigi Buffon but showing the home side's intent to attack and fight for a positive result.And 20 minutes in it was Cesar, drafted into the team because of an injury to William Carvalho, who gave Sporting the lead.
Martins jinked his way through Juventus' defence and into the box before Buffon parried his angled shot into Cesar's path, with the Brazilian side-footing the rebound into the bottom-left corner from the edge of the box.
Sami Khedira was presented with a golden opportunity to equalise two minutes later when Mattia De Sciglio's cross found him unmarked on the penalty spot but the Germany international put his header wide of Rui Patricio's goal.
That was the last of Juventus' attempts in a poor first half marked by wayward passing and panicky defending that would have seemed unimaginable from the cool-headed Bianconeri side that reached last season's Champions League final.
Martins burst into the Juventus half in the first minute of the second half and only an apparent clip on the shin from Alex Sandro slowed him in his tracks and allowed Andrea Barzagli to recover possession for the visitors.
At the other end, Juan Cuadrado's skilful step-overs then took him into the Sporting box where he squared the ball for Miralem Pjanic to hook a shot narrowly over, but despite that opening the home side remained on top.
Martins broke clear again on the hour mark and combined with Bas Dost to create a chance for Cesar, whose shot was not far over the crossbar, while Juve replied with a low shot from De Sciglio that Patricio got down well to save.
It should have been a two-goal lead for Sporting when Bruno Fernandes sent a low cross into the box and Dost was agonisingly close to poking it home, only for the ball to flash past his outstretched leg and roll out of play.Higuain's first chance of the evening arrived courtesy of a neat flick-on from Paulo Dybala but the powerful striker's header was too close to Patricio, who made a comfortable save.
The scent of goal seemed to rouse Higuain and, just as Sporting had begun to dream of victory, the Argentina international latched onto Cuadrado's slide-rule pass before lifting his finish deftly over the diving Patricio and in.
That came as a hammer blow to Sporting and despite forcing a number of late chances, the hosts had to settle for a point that only just keeps their Champions League hopes alive.
Juventus squandered a chance to reach the last 16 of the Champions League but Gonzalo Higuain struck late to salvage a valuable 1-1 draw against Sporting CP.
Bruno Cesar's first-half goal gave the Portuguese side control of Tuesday's game and they proceeded to dominate play on a night when victory for Juventus would have seen them clinch qualification for the knockout stage.
Higuain left it until the 79th minute to level the match and put the Italian champions back on course for second place in Group D, but they will need another victory from their last two games to make sure of qualification, as Sporting remain three points behind.
While the result will have disappointed Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri, he may have been more troubled by his side's performance, which lacked the fluency and confidence of their 2-0 win over AC Milan in Serie A three days earlier.
Sporting should have extended their lead in the second half, missing a number of clear chances as Juve's defence struggled to contain the dynamic Gelson Martins and industrious Marcos Acuna.The seriousness of the situation only seemed to dawn on Juventus late on and Higuain converted one of very few chances to have come his way.
Cesar lashed a shot over the crossbar from 20 yards early on, failing to trouble Gianluigi Buffon but showing the home side's intent to attack and fight for a positive result.And 20 minutes in it was Cesar, drafted into the team because of an injury to William Carvalho, who gave Sporting the lead.
Martins jinked his way through Juventus' defence and into the box before Buffon parried his angled shot into Cesar's path, with the Brazilian side-footing the rebound into the bottom-left corner from the edge of the box.
Sami Khedira was presented with a golden opportunity to equalise two minutes later when Mattia De Sciglio's cross found him unmarked on the penalty spot but the Germany international put his header wide of Rui Patricio's goal.
That was the last of Juventus' attempts in a poor first half marked by wayward passing and panicky defending that would have seemed unimaginable from the cool-headed Bianconeri side that reached last season's Champions League final.
Martins burst into the Juventus half in the first minute of the second half and only an apparent clip on the shin from Alex Sandro slowed him in his tracks and allowed Andrea Barzagli to recover possession for the visitors.
At the other end, Juan Cuadrado's skilful step-overs then took him into the Sporting box where he squared the ball for Miralem Pjanic to hook a shot narrowly over, but despite that opening the home side remained on top.
Martins broke clear again on the hour mark and combined with Bas Dost to create a chance for Cesar, whose shot was not far over the crossbar, while Juve replied with a low shot from De Sciglio that Patricio got down well to save.
It should have been a two-goal lead for Sporting when Bruno Fernandes sent a low cross into the box and Dost was agonisingly close to poking it home, only for the ball to flash past his outstretched leg and roll out of play.Higuain's first chance of the evening arrived courtesy of a neat flick-on from Paulo Dybala but the powerful striker's header was too close to Patricio, who made a comfortable save.
The scent of goal seemed to rouse Higuain and, just as Sporting had begun to dream of victory, the Argentina international latched onto Cuadrado's slide-rule pass before lifting his finish deftly over the diving Patricio and in.
That came as a hammer blow to Sporting and despite forcing a number of late chances, the hosts had to settle for a point that only just keeps their Champions League hopes alive.
Manchester United 2 Benfica 0: Mourinho's men on brink of last-16 place
Manchester United all but secured their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a 2-0 win over Benfica on Tuesday.An unfortunate own goal from young goalkeeper Mile Svilar at the end of the first half and a Daley Blind penalty after the break gave Jose Mourinho's side their fourth win from four games in Group A and put them on the brink of the knockout phase.
Svilar gifted United a win in Lisbon two weeks ago when he carried Marcus Rashford's free-kick over the line but he seemed ready to make amends at Old Trafford when he saved Anthony Martial's 15th-minute penalty.
The home side, who gave Scott McTominay a first start in the competition as the likes of Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young, Phil Jones and Rashford were rested from the start, were not wholly convincing in their display against a team without a point from four matches.
But they found a breakthrough when Nemanja Matic's shot hit the post and went in off Svilar before having to survive some Benfica pressure in the second half, in which Raul Jimenez hit the post following an Eric Bailly mistake.
Svilar made good saves to deny Romelu Lukaku and keep his side in the contest but it proved to be in vain, as Blind fired home from the spot with 13 minutes left to put United six points clear of Basel and CSKA Moscow at the top of the group with two games left.
Svilar was under the spotlight from the outset but he enjoyed a moment to savour after 15 minutes, when he dived low to his right to keep out Martial's tame penalty.Benfica had actually started the brighter of the teams and David de Gea was forced into a fine save to keep a stinging strike from Diogo Goncalves out of the top-left corner.
Juan Mata had shouts for a second penalty waved away as United began to offer more of a sustained threat, with Svilar reacting well to keep Lukaku's shot from squeezing in at the near post before the Belgium striker headed over a promising Martial cross.
On the brink of first-half stoppage time, United's growing pressure told, albeit thanks to yet more bad luck for Benfica's 18-year-old goalkeeper. Matic's low strike from 25 yards out came off the base of the right-hand post, rebounded off Svilar's back and into the net, thereby making him the youngest player to score an own goal in the competition.United seemed to relax early in the second half after having found the breakthrough, and De Gea made another good save to deny Goncalves as Benfica were given licence to enjoy possession in the home side's half.
The crowd was becoming frustrated by United's lethargy, which should have been punished in the 65th minute, when Jimenez intercepted Bailly's poor pass on the edge of the area and placed his shot onto the outside of the left-hand post.Svilar saved well at the feet of Lukaku and McTominay was denied by a good block, but Rashford produced the telling impact off the bench when his outstanding run into the box was halted by Andreas Samaris' crude block.
Lukaku looked poised to take the penalty before responsibilities were strangely handed over to Blind, who blasted down the middle of the goal to seal the victory.
Roma 3 Chelsea 0: El Shaarawy at the double as Conte's men crumble
Stephan El Shaarawy's first-half brace set Roma on the way to a resounding 3-0 win over Chelsea that displaced their visitors at the top of Champions League Group C.
Antonio Conte's reigning Premier League champions would have secured a last-16 spot with a win but that appeared a tall order from the moment El Shaarawy opened the scoring after 39 seconds.The former AC Milan forward scored spectacularly to sink Bologna 1-0 in Serie A last time out and his rasping opener was another goal to remember.
For his second, El Shaarawy owed much to the charity of Antonio Rudiger, the Chelsea defender who endured a forgettable return to his former club, before Diego Perotti brought the house down with another stunning long ranger after the hour.
Roma were the side to come back from a hefty deficit when the sides drew 3-3 at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago but Chelsea were not such willing dance partners and must now dust themselves down for a crunch clash with Manchester United this weekend.Eusebio Di Francesco's hosts coughed up a chance from kick-off but found themselves a goal to the good inside a pulsating first minute.
Chelsea forward Pedro latched on to Tiemoue Bakayoko's pass to shoot tamely at Alisson before Aleksandar Kolarov carried the ball forward in response and launched a searching pass from the left towards Edin Dzeko.
The striker misjudged the flight of the ball but it struck the back of his head and fell invitingly for El Shaarawy to lash home an unstoppable shot from 25 yards, with Thibaut Courtois rooted to the spot.
Chelsea responded well to the setback, with Eden Hazard to the fore.The Belgium playmaker, so impressive in their win at Atletico Madrid last month, was forced a fraction wide before calling Alisson into action and the Brazil goalkeeper thwarted him once more in the 20th minute after some sparkling footwork left Alessandro Florenzi and Federico Fazio perplexed.
An ill-judged backpass across goal by Kolarov presented Alvaro Morata with a chance to level – the Spain striker blazing over – before Roma sprung forward to double their advantage nine minutes before the break.Radja Nainggolan's chipped pass forward was horribly misjudged by Rudiger, who let the ball run past him and El Shaarawy stole in to finish tidily.
Marcos Alonso cut in from the left and forced Alisson to push a rasping shot behind, while Bakayoko compounded Chelsea's woes by powering a header wastefully wide from the resulting corner.Roma resumed with a determination to put the result beyond doubt, as Kolarov burst into the area to have a shot deflected behind.
Dzeko, Chelsea's chief tormentor at Stamford Bridge, was unable to turn home Perotti's subsequent set-piece and the former Manchester City striker collected El Shaarawy's pass to let fly only to narrowly beat the crossbar in the 53rd minute.At the other end, Morata was a forward grasping more unconvincingly for form as he dragged tamely wide en route to concluding a sixth scoreless outing.
Di Francesco's side sealed the points with another majestic strike, albeit one assisted by Cesc Fabregas carelessly coughing up 63rd-minute possession to Kolarov.
The experienced left-back fed Perotti, who cut inside an apologetic challenge from Pedro and arrowed a superb low drive past Courtois at his near post.Perotti passed up a more straightforward opportunity, blazing over from 12 yards after Dzeko led Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta and David Luiz a merry dance, and Courtois' point-blank save from substitute Kostas Manolas spared further damage.
Atletico's surprise 1-1 draw at home to Qarabag means Chelsea's qualification hopes are not too badly compromised but, given Conte's recent agitation regarding questions over his future in west London, this was an ill-timed and punishing reverse.
Stephan El Shaarawy's first-half brace set Roma on the way to a resounding 3-0 win over Chelsea that displaced their visitors at the top of Champions League Group C.
Antonio Conte's reigning Premier League champions would have secured a last-16 spot with a win but that appeared a tall order from the moment El Shaarawy opened the scoring after 39 seconds.The former AC Milan forward scored spectacularly to sink Bologna 1-0 in Serie A last time out and his rasping opener was another goal to remember.
For his second, El Shaarawy owed much to the charity of Antonio Rudiger, the Chelsea defender who endured a forgettable return to his former club, before Diego Perotti brought the house down with another stunning long ranger after the hour.
Roma were the side to come back from a hefty deficit when the sides drew 3-3 at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago but Chelsea were not such willing dance partners and must now dust themselves down for a crunch clash with Manchester United this weekend.Eusebio Di Francesco's hosts coughed up a chance from kick-off but found themselves a goal to the good inside a pulsating first minute.
Chelsea forward Pedro latched on to Tiemoue Bakayoko's pass to shoot tamely at Alisson before Aleksandar Kolarov carried the ball forward in response and launched a searching pass from the left towards Edin Dzeko.
The striker misjudged the flight of the ball but it struck the back of his head and fell invitingly for El Shaarawy to lash home an unstoppable shot from 25 yards, with Thibaut Courtois rooted to the spot.
Chelsea responded well to the setback, with Eden Hazard to the fore.The Belgium playmaker, so impressive in their win at Atletico Madrid last month, was forced a fraction wide before calling Alisson into action and the Brazil goalkeeper thwarted him once more in the 20th minute after some sparkling footwork left Alessandro Florenzi and Federico Fazio perplexed.
An ill-judged backpass across goal by Kolarov presented Alvaro Morata with a chance to level – the Spain striker blazing over – before Roma sprung forward to double their advantage nine minutes before the break.Radja Nainggolan's chipped pass forward was horribly misjudged by Rudiger, who let the ball run past him and El Shaarawy stole in to finish tidily.
Marcos Alonso cut in from the left and forced Alisson to push a rasping shot behind, while Bakayoko compounded Chelsea's woes by powering a header wastefully wide from the resulting corner.Roma resumed with a determination to put the result beyond doubt, as Kolarov burst into the area to have a shot deflected behind.
Dzeko, Chelsea's chief tormentor at Stamford Bridge, was unable to turn home Perotti's subsequent set-piece and the former Manchester City striker collected El Shaarawy's pass to let fly only to narrowly beat the crossbar in the 53rd minute.At the other end, Morata was a forward grasping more unconvincingly for form as he dragged tamely wide en route to concluding a sixth scoreless outing.
Di Francesco's side sealed the points with another majestic strike, albeit one assisted by Cesc Fabregas carelessly coughing up 63rd-minute possession to Kolarov.
The experienced left-back fed Perotti, who cut inside an apologetic challenge from Pedro and arrowed a superb low drive past Courtois at his near post.Perotti passed up a more straightforward opportunity, blazing over from 12 yards after Dzeko led Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta and David Luiz a merry dance, and Courtois' point-blank save from substitute Kostas Manolas spared further damage.
Atletico's surprise 1-1 draw at home to Qarabag means Chelsea's qualification hopes are not too badly compromised but, given Conte's recent agitation regarding questions over his future in west London, this was an ill-timed and punishing reverse.
Paris Saint-Germain 5 Anderlecht 0: Kurzawa hat-trick helps Emery's side book last-16 spot
Layvin Kurzawa hit a second-half hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a dominant 5-0 win over Anderlecht at the Parc des Princes.Unai Emery's side have been in imperious form in Group B and have won all four of their games, scoring 17 goals and conceding none.
They now have an unassailable nine point lead over third-placed Celtic after their 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich, but will want maximum points from their final two games against those sides to confirm top spot.Neymar missed a glorious opportunity to open the scoring in the first minute before Marco Verratti's first goal of the season after 30 minutes broke the deadlock.
The world's most expensive player then scored his 11th goal since his move from Barcelona with a fine long-range finish on the stroke of half-time. Kurzawa then stole the show in the second-half, scoring his first career hat-trick to add a deserved gloss to the scoreline.
The only negative for PSG will be Edinson Cavani's failure to get onto the scoresheet, which brings his run of scoring in seven consecutive Champions League matches to an end.
PSG started at a blistering pace and should have been ahead inside just 30 seconds. Kylian Mbappe released Neymar behind the visitors' defence, but the Brazilian's effort was too close to Frank Boeckx, who was able to block.
The Anderlecht goalkeeper then twice got down well in quick succession to deny Julian Draxler and Mbappe, who both drilled in low shots from almost identical positions on the edge of the penalty area.It took until the half-hour mark for the hosts to score the goal their superiority deserved and it came from an unlikely source.
The impressive Mbappe found Verratti inside the area with an exquisite disguised pass, the Italian checking back inside his marker before whipping a composed finish into Boeckx's far corner for just his seventh goal in five years since joining from Pescara.
Dani Alves struck an arching half-volley agonisingly past the upright moments before Neymar doubled PSG's advantage deep into first-half injury time.Draxler played a short corner to the 25-year-old, who moved towards a more central position to whip a fierce effort past the flaccid resistance of Boeckx's outstretched palm.
Neymar started the second half in equally vibrant fashion, crashing a 25-yard free-kick against the post which rebounded kindly to Kurzawa, who hooked home a third into an empty net.Anderlecht nearly pulled back an unlikely goal just after the hour as Ivan Obradovic unleashed a long-range effort, which fizzed narrowly over Alphonse Areola's crossbar.
Kurzawa scored his second in the 72nd minute, heading home at the back post from Alves' cross, and completed a memorable hat-trick six minutes later with a drilled finish to ensure the Parisian's finished with a scoreline reflective of their dominance.
Layvin Kurzawa hit a second-half hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a dominant 5-0 win over Anderlecht at the Parc des Princes.Unai Emery's side have been in imperious form in Group B and have won all four of their games, scoring 17 goals and conceding none.
They now have an unassailable nine point lead over third-placed Celtic after their 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich, but will want maximum points from their final two games against those sides to confirm top spot.Neymar missed a glorious opportunity to open the scoring in the first minute before Marco Verratti's first goal of the season after 30 minutes broke the deadlock.
The world's most expensive player then scored his 11th goal since his move from Barcelona with a fine long-range finish on the stroke of half-time. Kurzawa then stole the show in the second-half, scoring his first career hat-trick to add a deserved gloss to the scoreline.
The only negative for PSG will be Edinson Cavani's failure to get onto the scoresheet, which brings his run of scoring in seven consecutive Champions League matches to an end.
PSG started at a blistering pace and should have been ahead inside just 30 seconds. Kylian Mbappe released Neymar behind the visitors' defence, but the Brazilian's effort was too close to Frank Boeckx, who was able to block.
The Anderlecht goalkeeper then twice got down well in quick succession to deny Julian Draxler and Mbappe, who both drilled in low shots from almost identical positions on the edge of the penalty area.It took until the half-hour mark for the hosts to score the goal their superiority deserved and it came from an unlikely source.
The impressive Mbappe found Verratti inside the area with an exquisite disguised pass, the Italian checking back inside his marker before whipping a composed finish into Boeckx's far corner for just his seventh goal in five years since joining from Pescara.
Dani Alves struck an arching half-volley agonisingly past the upright moments before Neymar doubled PSG's advantage deep into first-half injury time.Draxler played a short corner to the 25-year-old, who moved towards a more central position to whip a fierce effort past the flaccid resistance of Boeckx's outstretched palm.
Neymar started the second half in equally vibrant fashion, crashing a 25-yard free-kick against the post which rebounded kindly to Kurzawa, who hooked home a third into an empty net.Anderlecht nearly pulled back an unlikely goal just after the hour as Ivan Obradovic unleashed a long-range effort, which fizzed narrowly over Alphonse Areola's crossbar.
Kurzawa scored his second in the 72nd minute, heading home at the back post from Alves' cross, and completed a memorable hat-trick six minutes later with a drilled finish to ensure the Parisian's finished with a scoreline reflective of their dominance.
Olympiacos 0 Barcelona 0: Valverde frustrated on return to Greece
Former Olympiacos manager Ernesto Valverde endured a frustrating return to Greece as Barcelona's 100 per cent record in this season's Champions League came to an end with a 0-0 draw on Tuesday.
Having won the Greek Superleague three times, completing the domestic double twice, across two spells in charge of the home team, Valverde was warmly welcomed back to the Karaiskakis Stadium.
However, after beating another of his ex-clubs in Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, the Barca boss was denied a second successive win over old employers as the LaLiga leaders surprisingly drew a blank in Greece.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez both failed to take excellent chances as the Catalan club - who lost Sergi Roberto to a right hamstring strain - failed to score for the first time since a 2-0 defeat against Real Madrid in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup on August 16.
Still, the result extends their unbeaten run in all competitions to 15 games, while they remain firm favourites to win Group H after Juventus and Sporting CP battled out a 1-1 draw in Lisbon.
Handed an award by the hosts to mark his achievements prior to kick-off, Valverde nearly witnessed his side gift Olympiacos an opening goal when Samuel Umtiti and Marc-Andre ter Stegen were involved in a mix-up inside their own penalty area during the first 45 minutes.
Umtiti had made no mistake earlier with a sliding tackle to deny Omar Elabdellaoui a shooting opportunity, the defender timing a risky, make-or-break challenge from behind to perfection.However, the majority of the opening half saw Barcelona pressing for a breakthrough.
A combination of wasteful finishing and goalkeeper Silvio Proto's reflexes stopped the LaLiga side from scoring before the break. On the one occasion they did put the ball in the net, Denis Suarez's effort was correctly ruled out for offside.
Proto denied Messi on three occasions but was not even called into action when Luis Suarez squandered an excellent one-on-one opportunity in the 22nd minute, the Uruguayan toe-poking wide after Denis Suarez's pass had sent him clear.
Sergi Roberto was forced off in first-half injury time - Gerard Deulofeu replacing his injured team-mate - but neither the enforced change, one that led to a reshuffle as Denis Suarez shifted across to the left, nor the interval disrupted their dominance.
Just as Luis Suarez had fluffed his lines earlier, the usually ruthless Messi let Olympiacos off the hook when unable to steer the Uruguayan's cut-back pass on target from close range, albeit he was off balance when making contact with the ball.Former Barcelona youth product Alberto Botia produced a crucial block to turn away a left-footed shot from Luis Suarez, who also saw a delicate lob clear the advancing Proto but only land on the top of the bar.
Ter Stegen was a spectator for almost the entirety of the second period, only required to turn away Konstantinos Fortounis' curling free-kick aimed for the back post.Proto needed to make one final save from Messi in stoppage time to preserve his clean sheet and secure Olympiacos' first point in the group stage this season.
A draw is hardly a Greek tragedy for Valverde, yet he will no doubt feel this was a win that slipped through his side's hands.
Former Olympiacos manager Ernesto Valverde endured a frustrating return to Greece as Barcelona's 100 per cent record in this season's Champions League came to an end with a 0-0 draw on Tuesday.
Having won the Greek Superleague three times, completing the domestic double twice, across two spells in charge of the home team, Valverde was warmly welcomed back to the Karaiskakis Stadium.
However, after beating another of his ex-clubs in Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, the Barca boss was denied a second successive win over old employers as the LaLiga leaders surprisingly drew a blank in Greece.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez both failed to take excellent chances as the Catalan club - who lost Sergi Roberto to a right hamstring strain - failed to score for the first time since a 2-0 defeat against Real Madrid in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup on August 16.
Still, the result extends their unbeaten run in all competitions to 15 games, while they remain firm favourites to win Group H after Juventus and Sporting CP battled out a 1-1 draw in Lisbon.
Handed an award by the hosts to mark his achievements prior to kick-off, Valverde nearly witnessed his side gift Olympiacos an opening goal when Samuel Umtiti and Marc-Andre ter Stegen were involved in a mix-up inside their own penalty area during the first 45 minutes.
Umtiti had made no mistake earlier with a sliding tackle to deny Omar Elabdellaoui a shooting opportunity, the defender timing a risky, make-or-break challenge from behind to perfection.However, the majority of the opening half saw Barcelona pressing for a breakthrough.
A combination of wasteful finishing and goalkeeper Silvio Proto's reflexes stopped the LaLiga side from scoring before the break. On the one occasion they did put the ball in the net, Denis Suarez's effort was correctly ruled out for offside.
Proto denied Messi on three occasions but was not even called into action when Luis Suarez squandered an excellent one-on-one opportunity in the 22nd minute, the Uruguayan toe-poking wide after Denis Suarez's pass had sent him clear.
Sergi Roberto was forced off in first-half injury time - Gerard Deulofeu replacing his injured team-mate - but neither the enforced change, one that led to a reshuffle as Denis Suarez shifted across to the left, nor the interval disrupted their dominance.
Just as Luis Suarez had fluffed his lines earlier, the usually ruthless Messi let Olympiacos off the hook when unable to steer the Uruguayan's cut-back pass on target from close range, albeit he was off balance when making contact with the ball.Former Barcelona youth product Alberto Botia produced a crucial block to turn away a left-footed shot from Luis Suarez, who also saw a delicate lob clear the advancing Proto but only land on the top of the bar.
Ter Stegen was a spectator for almost the entirety of the second period, only required to turn away Konstantinos Fortounis' curling free-kick aimed for the back post.Proto needed to make one final save from Messi in stoppage time to preserve his clean sheet and secure Olympiacos' first point in the group stage this season.
A draw is hardly a Greek tragedy for Valverde, yet he will no doubt feel this was a win that slipped through his side's hands.
Celtic 1 Bayern Munich 2: Martinez heads visitors into knockout stages
Javi Martinez headed Bayern Munich into the knockout stages of the Champions League after Callum McGregor looked to have denied them victory in a dramatic 2-1 win over Celtic on Tuesday.
McGregor's equaliser in the 74th minute appeared set to make Bayern wait for their place in the next round until Martinez leapt to meet a David Alaba cross just three minutes later.Kingsley Coman had given Bayern a first-half lead after a disastrous defensive lapse involving Dedryck Boyata and Craig Gordon allowed him to fire into an empty net.
Three points for Bayern, combined with Group B leaders Paris Saint-Germain's victory over Anderlecht, sees the Bundesliga champions assured of a top-two finish, while Brendan Rodgers' men are eliminated.The result was perhaps harsh on Celtic, with little to choose between the sides on the night.
A typically passionate Celtic Park crowd should have been celebrating a goal after five minutes, but Stuart Armstrong appeared surprised that a perfectly weighted cross from James Forrest on the break arrived at his feet.
The ball bounced wide off Armstrong from barely four yards out but Celtic continued to look bright and Moussa Dembele dragged past the right-hand post after boldly running at the Bayern defence.
Things were not quite clicking for Bayern early on and, while the cross that led to Coman prodding wide after 18 minutes was played a touch too far in front of him, the France winger should have done better when he got his feet in a tangle in the centre of the box moments later.
But Coman redeemed himself with the help of some questionable Celtic defending.A long ball from the boot of Sven Ulreich was allowed to bounce by Boyata, prompting goalkeeper Gordon to desperately rush off his line into no man's land.
Coman collected and kept his cool to pick a spot in the open net and, while Bayern shot stopper Ulreich will be credited with a rare assist, it was Boyata's passive defending that made the visitors' opener possible.
Bayern had Alaba to thank for preserving their lead on the half-hour mark, when the Austria international's last-ditch tackle denied Dembele a simple tap-in.Armstrong then forced Ulreich into a diving save with a powerful drive early in the second half, before McGregor sent the home fans into raptures with a well-worked goal.
A delightful throughball from Forrest carved open the Bayern defence and found McGregor, who tucked the ball under Ulreich for the leveller.But that joy was short lived, as Martinez - who sustained a nasty cut to his eye in the process - climbed above Nir Bitton to nod beyond Gordon for Bayern's crucial winner, silencing the previously boisterous Parkhead faithful.
Javi Martinez headed Bayern Munich into the knockout stages of the Champions League after Callum McGregor looked to have denied them victory in a dramatic 2-1 win over Celtic on Tuesday.
McGregor's equaliser in the 74th minute appeared set to make Bayern wait for their place in the next round until Martinez leapt to meet a David Alaba cross just three minutes later.Kingsley Coman had given Bayern a first-half lead after a disastrous defensive lapse involving Dedryck Boyata and Craig Gordon allowed him to fire into an empty net.
Three points for Bayern, combined with Group B leaders Paris Saint-Germain's victory over Anderlecht, sees the Bundesliga champions assured of a top-two finish, while Brendan Rodgers' men are eliminated.The result was perhaps harsh on Celtic, with little to choose between the sides on the night.
A typically passionate Celtic Park crowd should have been celebrating a goal after five minutes, but Stuart Armstrong appeared surprised that a perfectly weighted cross from James Forrest on the break arrived at his feet.
The ball bounced wide off Armstrong from barely four yards out but Celtic continued to look bright and Moussa Dembele dragged past the right-hand post after boldly running at the Bayern defence.
Things were not quite clicking for Bayern early on and, while the cross that led to Coman prodding wide after 18 minutes was played a touch too far in front of him, the France winger should have done better when he got his feet in a tangle in the centre of the box moments later.
But Coman redeemed himself with the help of some questionable Celtic defending.A long ball from the boot of Sven Ulreich was allowed to bounce by Boyata, prompting goalkeeper Gordon to desperately rush off his line into no man's land.
Coman collected and kept his cool to pick a spot in the open net and, while Bayern shot stopper Ulreich will be credited with a rare assist, it was Boyata's passive defending that made the visitors' opener possible.
Bayern had Alaba to thank for preserving their lead on the half-hour mark, when the Austria international's last-ditch tackle denied Dembele a simple tap-in.Armstrong then forced Ulreich into a diving save with a powerful drive early in the second half, before McGregor sent the home fans into raptures with a well-worked goal.
A delightful throughball from Forrest carved open the Bayern defence and found McGregor, who tucked the ball under Ulreich for the leveller.But that joy was short lived, as Martinez - who sustained a nasty cut to his eye in the process - climbed above Nir Bitton to nod beyond Gordon for Bayern's crucial winner, silencing the previously boisterous Parkhead faithful.
Atletico Madrid 1 Qarabag 1: Rojiblancos denied again by 10 men
Atletico Madrid are on the brink of an early exit from the Champions League after 10-man Qarabag battled to a 1-1 draw at the Wanda Metropolitano on Tuesday.
Thomas Partey's second-half equaliser and the 59th-minute dismissal of Pedro Henrique was not enough to keep the Azerbaijani outfit from holding the LaLiga heavyweights to another stalemate.
Qarabag also defied a numerical disadvantage to register their first ever point in the competition when the teams met two weeks ago, although both sides finished with 10 men here as Stefan Savic received his marching orders for a second yellow in the closing stages.
The visitors looked set to take an easier route to a new slice of history when Spanish midfielder Michel headed them into a 1-0 lead at half-time.Thomas responded with a spectacular equaliser in the 56th minute and Henrique's sending off for a high boot on Diego Godin appeared to be the help Atletico needed to close the gap on second-placed Chelsea.
Instead, they were yet again frustrated by the underdogs and will need maximum points, and favours elsewhere, to have a chance of progressing to the knockout stages.
Eager to avoid the frustration of their previous meeting, Atletico immediately got on the front foot as Ibrahim Sehic was forced to parry away Antoine Griezmann's well-struck volley from the edge of the area.The hosts produced an even better move in the 15th minute when Kevin Gameiro was freed by Angel Correa's backheel, only for a heavy touch to allow Sehic to smother.
Gameiro screwed his next shot across the face of goal and a stretching Godin headed over the bar as opportunities continued to go begging.Jan Oblak was not allowed to relax at the other end, though, with the Slovenian getting down low to his left to deny Pedro Henrique.
But there was little the goalkeeper could do to prevent Qarabag from snatching a shock lead, the Azerbaijani champions rewarded for possession and perseverance as Michel emphatically headed in Wilde-Donald Guerrier's corner.
Gameiro was guilty of wasting another good chance immediately after the restart, the France striker unable to readjust when Sehic pushed Correa's shot into his path. But just moments after Savic's goal-line clearance rescued them from going two goals behind, Atletico were level.
Griezmann flicked the ball into Thomas' path and, from the right edge of the area, the Ghana international curled a stunning effort into the top-right corner.And the visitors' hopes of more Champions League history took another blow when Pedro Henrique was shown a straight red for a high boot to Godin's face.
Saul Niguez next saw a header nodded off the line by Rasad Sadiqov, before Filipe Luis shot wide at the end of a classy team move.Diego Simeone's side repeatedly knocked on the door over the final half hour and came closest to a dramatic winner when a stunning Sehic save denied substitute Nicolas Gaitan and left them four points adrift of Chelsea in Group C.
Their hopes of climbing above either the Blues or Roma were further affected by a late dismissal of defender Savic, who was shown a second yellow for his high challenge on Qara Qarayev.
Atletico Madrid are on the brink of an early exit from the Champions League after 10-man Qarabag battled to a 1-1 draw at the Wanda Metropolitano on Tuesday.
Thomas Partey's second-half equaliser and the 59th-minute dismissal of Pedro Henrique was not enough to keep the Azerbaijani outfit from holding the LaLiga heavyweights to another stalemate.
Qarabag also defied a numerical disadvantage to register their first ever point in the competition when the teams met two weeks ago, although both sides finished with 10 men here as Stefan Savic received his marching orders for a second yellow in the closing stages.
The visitors looked set to take an easier route to a new slice of history when Spanish midfielder Michel headed them into a 1-0 lead at half-time.Thomas responded with a spectacular equaliser in the 56th minute and Henrique's sending off for a high boot on Diego Godin appeared to be the help Atletico needed to close the gap on second-placed Chelsea.
Instead, they were yet again frustrated by the underdogs and will need maximum points, and favours elsewhere, to have a chance of progressing to the knockout stages.
Eager to avoid the frustration of their previous meeting, Atletico immediately got on the front foot as Ibrahim Sehic was forced to parry away Antoine Griezmann's well-struck volley from the edge of the area.The hosts produced an even better move in the 15th minute when Kevin Gameiro was freed by Angel Correa's backheel, only for a heavy touch to allow Sehic to smother.
Gameiro screwed his next shot across the face of goal and a stretching Godin headed over the bar as opportunities continued to go begging.Jan Oblak was not allowed to relax at the other end, though, with the Slovenian getting down low to his left to deny Pedro Henrique.
But there was little the goalkeeper could do to prevent Qarabag from snatching a shock lead, the Azerbaijani champions rewarded for possession and perseverance as Michel emphatically headed in Wilde-Donald Guerrier's corner.
Gameiro was guilty of wasting another good chance immediately after the restart, the France striker unable to readjust when Sehic pushed Correa's shot into his path. But just moments after Savic's goal-line clearance rescued them from going two goals behind, Atletico were level.
Griezmann flicked the ball into Thomas' path and, from the right edge of the area, the Ghana international curled a stunning effort into the top-right corner.And the visitors' hopes of more Champions League history took another blow when Pedro Henrique was shown a straight red for a high boot to Godin's face.
Saul Niguez next saw a header nodded off the line by Rasad Sadiqov, before Filipe Luis shot wide at the end of a classy team move.Diego Simeone's side repeatedly knocked on the door over the final half hour and came closest to a dramatic winner when a stunning Sehic save denied substitute Nicolas Gaitan and left them four points adrift of Chelsea in Group C.
Their hopes of climbing above either the Blues or Roma were further affected by a late dismissal of defender Savic, who was shown a second yellow for his high challenge on Qara Qarayev.
UEFA Champions League Group Stage Fixtures 2017.11.01
UEFA Champions League Group Stage Fixtures 2017.11.01
Besiktas Vs Monaco
Liverpool Vs Maribor
Sevilla Vs Spartak Moskva
Shakhtar Vs Feyenoord
Napoli Vs Manchester City
Porto Vs Leipzig
Tottenham Vs Real Madrid
Dortmund Vs APOEL
Shakhtar Donetsk 3 Feyenoord 1: Marlos brace puts knockout stages within reach
Shakhtar Donetsk shored up second spot in Group F as a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Feyenoord edged them closer to the Champions League knockout stages.Brazilian-born Marlos scored twice either side of half-time at Metalist Stadium to help Shakhtar overturn an early deficit and claim a third victory in four matches.
Beaten 2-1 at home in the reverse fixture, Feyenoord gained a much-needed confidence boost when Nicolai Jorgensen headed them into a 12th-minute lead.But the Ukrainian champions instantly hit back in a stunning three-minute surge as Facundo Ferreyra poked in an immediate equaliser before Marlos completed the chaotic comeback in just the 17th minute.
The only remaining surprise was that it took Shakhtar until the 68th minute to finish off the Eredivisie outfit, Marlos skilfully putting the seal on an 11th consecutive Champions League defeat for the Rotterdam club, including qualifiers, a run that stretches back to 2002.
The contrast could hardly be greater for Paulo Fonseca's side, who are six points clear of third-placed Napoli, whom they face next, with only two matchdays remaining.
Feyenoord took first advantage of a chaotic opening when Jorgensen nodded in Steve Berghuis' superb curling cross from the right.Their joy lasted less than two minutes, though, as Ferreyra supplied an immediate response, the Argentine forward poking home at the second attempt after Brad Jones smothered an initial one-on-one with Taison.
And the stunning three-goal, five-minute period was capped by the finest finish of the trio, Ukraine international Marlos putting Fonseca's men with a curling effort from the edge of the area.
Shakhtar were threatening to run riot and Ferreyra should have doubled Shakhtar's advantage when, at point-blank range, he nodded Ivan Ordets' flick-on header against the crossbar.
He was almost made to pay for the miss, but Jean-Paul Boetius' wayward finish from a narrow angle and a Jones save from Bernard meant Shakhtar remained 2-1 ahead at the interval.Feyenoord found a foothold after the restart and went largely untroubled until Ferreyra guided a shot narrowly wide of the right upright.
Instead, it was Marlos who made the weight of opportunities pay as the attacking midfielder exchanged passes with Ferreyra before dinking a delightful finish over Jones at close-range.
Feyenoord managed to create more openings over the remaining 20 minutes but lacked the cutting edge required to exert real pressure on Shakhtar, who are only a point away from escaping a tough group. And they have the chance to punch their ticket to the last 16 with a result away to Napoli in two weeks' time.
Shakhtar Donetsk shored up second spot in Group F as a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Feyenoord edged them closer to the Champions League knockout stages.Brazilian-born Marlos scored twice either side of half-time at Metalist Stadium to help Shakhtar overturn an early deficit and claim a third victory in four matches.
Beaten 2-1 at home in the reverse fixture, Feyenoord gained a much-needed confidence boost when Nicolai Jorgensen headed them into a 12th-minute lead.But the Ukrainian champions instantly hit back in a stunning three-minute surge as Facundo Ferreyra poked in an immediate equaliser before Marlos completed the chaotic comeback in just the 17th minute.
The only remaining surprise was that it took Shakhtar until the 68th minute to finish off the Eredivisie outfit, Marlos skilfully putting the seal on an 11th consecutive Champions League defeat for the Rotterdam club, including qualifiers, a run that stretches back to 2002.
The contrast could hardly be greater for Paulo Fonseca's side, who are six points clear of third-placed Napoli, whom they face next, with only two matchdays remaining.
Feyenoord took first advantage of a chaotic opening when Jorgensen nodded in Steve Berghuis' superb curling cross from the right.Their joy lasted less than two minutes, though, as Ferreyra supplied an immediate response, the Argentine forward poking home at the second attempt after Brad Jones smothered an initial one-on-one with Taison.
And the stunning three-goal, five-minute period was capped by the finest finish of the trio, Ukraine international Marlos putting Fonseca's men with a curling effort from the edge of the area.
Shakhtar were threatening to run riot and Ferreyra should have doubled Shakhtar's advantage when, at point-blank range, he nodded Ivan Ordets' flick-on header against the crossbar.
He was almost made to pay for the miss, but Jean-Paul Boetius' wayward finish from a narrow angle and a Jones save from Bernard meant Shakhtar remained 2-1 ahead at the interval.Feyenoord found a foothold after the restart and went largely untroubled until Ferreyra guided a shot narrowly wide of the right upright.
Instead, it was Marlos who made the weight of opportunities pay as the attacking midfielder exchanged passes with Ferreyra before dinking a delightful finish over Jones at close-range.
Feyenoord managed to create more openings over the remaining 20 minutes but lacked the cutting edge required to exert real pressure on Shakhtar, who are only a point away from escaping a tough group. And they have the chance to punch their ticket to the last 16 with a result away to Napoli in two weeks' time.
Porto 3 RB Leipzig 1: Conceicao's men blow Group G wide open
Danilo Pereira's first Champions League goal helped secure a 3-1 win over RB Leipzig that leaves Porto well placed to qualify for the competition's knock-out stage.
The Primeira Liga runners-up of 2016-17 went into the game in third place in Group G, one point behind their opponents, and they took an early lead when Hector Herrera scored from close range after 13 minutes.
Leipzig edged the first encounter between the two teams 3-2 and they confidently battled their way back into the game before Timo Werner, on as a second-half substitute, scored his first Champions League goal to level the scores early in the second half.
But Danilo's diving header and Maxi Pereira's stoppage-time strike killed off Leipzig's resistance and Porto emerged as worthy winners, leaving the German side with the daunting prospect of needing to take points from both their remaining games – away at Monaco and at home to runaway group leaders Besiktas.Porto's task is similarly difficult, but they will go into their next game at Besiktas knowing a victory could make sure of their place in the last 16.
Home forward Moussa Marega went down clutching his hamstring following an early challenge and after 12 minutes, having sprinted to win Porto a corner, he limped out of the game.
Moments later Porto took the lead when a deep corner was headed back into the box and Danilo poked the ball out of the melee to Herrera, whose low shot found the bottom right corner of the net despite Peter Gulacsi getting a hand to it.
Vincent Aboubakar almost doubled their lead four minutes later when he chased down a loose ball and forced a desperate save from Gulacsi with a close-range shot.At the other end, Jose Sa made a fingertip save in the top corner from Bruma's audacious 25-yard free-kick, before Leipzig's Emil Forsberg had a tap-in ruled out for offside against Jean-Kevin Augustin.
Within three minutes of the second half, Marcel Sabitzer split the Porto defence with a bouncing pass that Werner latched onto and took a touch before launching the ball high over Sa and into the far corner of the net.
The goal lit a fire under Porto's attack but they struggled to penetrate a packed Leipzig defence until Danilo headed narrowly over the crossbar after an hour.One minute later Danilo was presented with another chance when Alex Telles floated a long free-kick into the penalty area, and the Guinea-Bissau-born midfielder scored with a diving header into the right corner of the net.
Sabitzer flashed a shot across the face of Sa's goal after good work by Forsberg but Porto absorbed what little pressure Leipzig applied in the closing stages and, aside from the early injury to Marega, coach Sergio Conceicao was given little to complain about.
Maxi Pereira added some late gloss to the win when he raced clear of Leipzig's defence in stoppage time after Aboubakar did well to put him through, the 33-year-old making no mistake with the finish, slotting the ball low into the corner of the net to seal an important victory.
Danilo Pereira's first Champions League goal helped secure a 3-1 win over RB Leipzig that leaves Porto well placed to qualify for the competition's knock-out stage.
The Primeira Liga runners-up of 2016-17 went into the game in third place in Group G, one point behind their opponents, and they took an early lead when Hector Herrera scored from close range after 13 minutes.
Leipzig edged the first encounter between the two teams 3-2 and they confidently battled their way back into the game before Timo Werner, on as a second-half substitute, scored his first Champions League goal to level the scores early in the second half.
But Danilo's diving header and Maxi Pereira's stoppage-time strike killed off Leipzig's resistance and Porto emerged as worthy winners, leaving the German side with the daunting prospect of needing to take points from both their remaining games – away at Monaco and at home to runaway group leaders Besiktas.Porto's task is similarly difficult, but they will go into their next game at Besiktas knowing a victory could make sure of their place in the last 16.
Home forward Moussa Marega went down clutching his hamstring following an early challenge and after 12 minutes, having sprinted to win Porto a corner, he limped out of the game.
Moments later Porto took the lead when a deep corner was headed back into the box and Danilo poked the ball out of the melee to Herrera, whose low shot found the bottom right corner of the net despite Peter Gulacsi getting a hand to it.
Vincent Aboubakar almost doubled their lead four minutes later when he chased down a loose ball and forced a desperate save from Gulacsi with a close-range shot.At the other end, Jose Sa made a fingertip save in the top corner from Bruma's audacious 25-yard free-kick, before Leipzig's Emil Forsberg had a tap-in ruled out for offside against Jean-Kevin Augustin.
Within three minutes of the second half, Marcel Sabitzer split the Porto defence with a bouncing pass that Werner latched onto and took a touch before launching the ball high over Sa and into the far corner of the net.
The goal lit a fire under Porto's attack but they struggled to penetrate a packed Leipzig defence until Danilo headed narrowly over the crossbar after an hour.One minute later Danilo was presented with another chance when Alex Telles floated a long free-kick into the penalty area, and the Guinea-Bissau-born midfielder scored with a diving header into the right corner of the net.
Sabitzer flashed a shot across the face of Sa's goal after good work by Forsberg but Porto absorbed what little pressure Leipzig applied in the closing stages and, aside from the early injury to Marega, coach Sergio Conceicao was given little to complain about.
Maxi Pereira added some late gloss to the win when he raced clear of Leipzig's defence in stoppage time after Aboubakar did well to put him through, the 33-year-old making no mistake with the finish, slotting the ball low into the corner of the net to seal an important victory.
Tottenham 3 Real Madrid 1: Alli double seals sensational Spurs' last-16 spot
Tottenham qualified for the Champions League knockout phase with a stunning 3-1 victory over Real Madrid on Wednesday.Two goals from Dele Alli and one from Christian Eriksen gave Mauricio Pochettino's side a fully deserved triumph at Wembley over the holders, who were well short of their best and looked vulnerable to every Spurs counter-attack.
These two teams played out a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu two weeks ago and there was little to separate them in a lively first half, until Alli steered in a Kieran Trippier cross.
England international Alli, who made his MK Dons debut in the FA Cup first round almost five years ago to the day, doubled his side's lead just after the break with a deflected strike to leave the visitors stunned.
It got worse for Madrid less than 10 minutes later when Eriksen finished after a pass from the returning Harry Kane, and although Cristiano Ronaldo struck a consolation goal, there was little else to smile about for the Spanish and European champions.The win guarantees a last-16 spot for Spurs and leaves Zinedine Zidane facing a mini-crisis at Madrid, who have now lost two games in a row and are eight points adrift of Barcelona in LaLiga.
There was a clear respect between the teams as neither seemed prepared to commit men to the attack early on, with Spurs coming closest through two ambitious chipped efforts from Kane and Harry Winks that Kiko Casilla caught easily.The home side's high pressing looked to have unsettled Madrid, although Pochettino was dealt a blow in the 24th minute when Toby Alderweireld had to go off with what looked to be a thigh muscle problem.
However, just three minutes later, they had Wembley on its feet. Tripper sent in a first-time cross from the right and Alli stole in front of Nacho to prod the ball into the net from six yards.
Trippier looked to be fractionally offside when found smartly by Winks and any Madrid frustrations grew when Hugo Lloris made three good saves to deny Casemiro and Ronaldo twice.
The half finished in end-to-end fashion, Sergio Ramos blocking a Kane effort, Lloris stopping a Karim Benzema half-volley and Alli seeing penalty appeals waved away after a tussle with Casemiro.But Alli had better luck 11 minutes into the second half. Having skipped past the challenge of Casemiro, his shot from 18 yards took a big deflection off Ramos and nestled into the net past the wrong-footed Casilla.
Nine minutes later, Spurs had their third. A blistering counter-attack started by Alli saw Kane send Eriksen clean through on goal and he made no mistake with a low left-foot finish past Casilla.
Madrid had not failed to score in a group game since October 2015 and they did find a consolation, with Ronaldo firing home from close range after a scramble in the Spurs box, but it did little to take the gloss off one of the London club's most famous wins in their modern history.
Tottenham qualified for the Champions League knockout phase with a stunning 3-1 victory over Real Madrid on Wednesday.Two goals from Dele Alli and one from Christian Eriksen gave Mauricio Pochettino's side a fully deserved triumph at Wembley over the holders, who were well short of their best and looked vulnerable to every Spurs counter-attack.
These two teams played out a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu two weeks ago and there was little to separate them in a lively first half, until Alli steered in a Kieran Trippier cross.
England international Alli, who made his MK Dons debut in the FA Cup first round almost five years ago to the day, doubled his side's lead just after the break with a deflected strike to leave the visitors stunned.
It got worse for Madrid less than 10 minutes later when Eriksen finished after a pass from the returning Harry Kane, and although Cristiano Ronaldo struck a consolation goal, there was little else to smile about for the Spanish and European champions.The win guarantees a last-16 spot for Spurs and leaves Zinedine Zidane facing a mini-crisis at Madrid, who have now lost two games in a row and are eight points adrift of Barcelona in LaLiga.
There was a clear respect between the teams as neither seemed prepared to commit men to the attack early on, with Spurs coming closest through two ambitious chipped efforts from Kane and Harry Winks that Kiko Casilla caught easily.The home side's high pressing looked to have unsettled Madrid, although Pochettino was dealt a blow in the 24th minute when Toby Alderweireld had to go off with what looked to be a thigh muscle problem.
However, just three minutes later, they had Wembley on its feet. Tripper sent in a first-time cross from the right and Alli stole in front of Nacho to prod the ball into the net from six yards.
Trippier looked to be fractionally offside when found smartly by Winks and any Madrid frustrations grew when Hugo Lloris made three good saves to deny Casemiro and Ronaldo twice.
The half finished in end-to-end fashion, Sergio Ramos blocking a Kane effort, Lloris stopping a Karim Benzema half-volley and Alli seeing penalty appeals waved away after a tussle with Casemiro.But Alli had better luck 11 minutes into the second half. Having skipped past the challenge of Casemiro, his shot from 18 yards took a big deflection off Ramos and nestled into the net past the wrong-footed Casilla.
Nine minutes later, Spurs had their third. A blistering counter-attack started by Alli saw Kane send Eriksen clean through on goal and he made no mistake with a low left-foot finish past Casilla.
Madrid had not failed to score in a group game since October 2015 and they did find a consolation, with Ronaldo firing home from close range after a scramble in the Spurs box, but it did little to take the gloss off one of the London club's most famous wins in their modern history.
Liverpool 3 Maribor 0: Second-half treble breaks stubborn Slovenian resistance
Liverpool took a step towards the Champions League knockout stages with a hard-fought 3-0 win at home to Maribor on Wednesday that sent them top of Group E with two games to play.
The Reds had beaten Maribor 7-0 in the reverse game a fortnight ago but Jurgen Klopp's men found the Slovenian champions much harder to open up at Anfield.
Liverpool had taken just four minutes to break the deadlock in Slovenia but they were made to wait until the second half after a frustrating first 45 minutes that saw no clear-cut chances at either end.
Mohamed Salah's delightful flick from a whipped right-wing Trent Alexander-Arnold cross eased the tension, although Jasmin Handanovic soon stopped James Milner from extending the lead by saving the midfielder's penalty after Roberto Firmino was brought down.
Milner somewhat made amends with a lovely assist for the second goal after 64 minutes, though, Emre Can bending in a fantastic first-time strike that gave Handanovic no chance.
Sevilla's victory over Spartak Moscow leaves Liverpool - who wrapped up the win through Daniel Sturridge - top with eight points ahead of their matchday five meeting against the LaLiga side, while bottom side Maribor can mathematically still qualify, but are four points adrift.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was handed a rare start in the absence of injured Philippe Coutinho and the England man had the first opening, seeing a shot blocked by Jean-Claude Billong.
Jurgen Klopp used the chance to rest Jordan Henderson but the club captain had to come on after just 15 minutes when Georginio Wijnaldum succumbed to injury.Liverpool finally forced a save from Handanovic after 29 minutes, the goalkeeper at full stretch to tip over a deflected Firmino header that was looping into the top-left corner.
Can and Salah wasted decent chances as Maribor held firm throughout the first half despite Liverpool's dominance of the ball, their share of the possession topping 80 per cent.Maribor's gritty resistance was broken a mere three minutes after the restart, however.
Joel Matip fed Alexander-Arnold and the young full-back provided a fine whipped cross that Salah turned in with a neat improvised first-time finish for his fourth Champions League goal of the season.
Firmino drew a penalty by being fouled by Aleksandar Rajcevic after beating the Maribor defender with a fine piece of skill, but Handanovic brilliantly denied the usually reliable Milner from 12 yards by diving low to his left to push the shot on to the post.Salah should have buried a header from a fine Alberto Moreno cross after 55 minutes as Liverpool threatened to run riot, before Billing headed a corner wide from a rare Maribor attack.
But the second goal duly arrived thanks to Liverpool's most incisive move, Can swapping passes with Milner and placing a terrific 20-yard shot into Handanovic's bottom-left corner.
Liverpool added to their lead in the last minute of normal time, substitute Sturridge lashing in a left-footed strike after Maribor failed to clear a Moreno centre, but a November 21 trip to Seville will remain decisive for Klopp's side.
Liverpool took a step towards the Champions League knockout stages with a hard-fought 3-0 win at home to Maribor on Wednesday that sent them top of Group E with two games to play.
The Reds had beaten Maribor 7-0 in the reverse game a fortnight ago but Jurgen Klopp's men found the Slovenian champions much harder to open up at Anfield.
Liverpool had taken just four minutes to break the deadlock in Slovenia but they were made to wait until the second half after a frustrating first 45 minutes that saw no clear-cut chances at either end.
Mohamed Salah's delightful flick from a whipped right-wing Trent Alexander-Arnold cross eased the tension, although Jasmin Handanovic soon stopped James Milner from extending the lead by saving the midfielder's penalty after Roberto Firmino was brought down.
Milner somewhat made amends with a lovely assist for the second goal after 64 minutes, though, Emre Can bending in a fantastic first-time strike that gave Handanovic no chance.
Sevilla's victory over Spartak Moscow leaves Liverpool - who wrapped up the win through Daniel Sturridge - top with eight points ahead of their matchday five meeting against the LaLiga side, while bottom side Maribor can mathematically still qualify, but are four points adrift.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was handed a rare start in the absence of injured Philippe Coutinho and the England man had the first opening, seeing a shot blocked by Jean-Claude Billong.
Jurgen Klopp used the chance to rest Jordan Henderson but the club captain had to come on after just 15 minutes when Georginio Wijnaldum succumbed to injury.Liverpool finally forced a save from Handanovic after 29 minutes, the goalkeeper at full stretch to tip over a deflected Firmino header that was looping into the top-left corner.
Can and Salah wasted decent chances as Maribor held firm throughout the first half despite Liverpool's dominance of the ball, their share of the possession topping 80 per cent.Maribor's gritty resistance was broken a mere three minutes after the restart, however.
Joel Matip fed Alexander-Arnold and the young full-back provided a fine whipped cross that Salah turned in with a neat improvised first-time finish for his fourth Champions League goal of the season.
Firmino drew a penalty by being fouled by Aleksandar Rajcevic after beating the Maribor defender with a fine piece of skill, but Handanovic brilliantly denied the usually reliable Milner from 12 yards by diving low to his left to push the shot on to the post.Salah should have buried a header from a fine Alberto Moreno cross after 55 minutes as Liverpool threatened to run riot, before Billing headed a corner wide from a rare Maribor attack.
But the second goal duly arrived thanks to Liverpool's most incisive move, Can swapping passes with Milner and placing a terrific 20-yard shot into Handanovic's bottom-left corner.
Liverpool added to their lead in the last minute of normal time, substitute Sturridge lashing in a left-footed strike after Maribor failed to clear a Moreno centre, but a November 21 trip to Seville will remain decisive for Klopp's side.
Napoli 2 Manchester City 4: Aguero breaks record as City storm into last 16
Sergio Aguero became Manchester City's all-time record goalscorer and fired Pep Guardiola's side into the knockout stages of the Champions League as they claimed a thrilling 4-2 win at Napoli.The Premier League leaders progress with two games to spare in Group F after making it four victories out of four at Stadio San Paolo.
As in their 2-1 victory in Manchester two weeks ago, Pep Guardiola's men were made to work hard for the points and Napoli drew first blood on this occasion thanks to Lorenzo Insigne's wonderfully crafted opener after 21 minutes.
Seemingly relieved by the Serie A table-toppers halting an assault that lasted for most of the first half hour, City centre-backs Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones converted set-piece routines either side of half-time to turn the game around.
Jorginho made it two apiece from the penalty spot in the 62nd minute but Leroy Sane, culpable for his foul on Raul Albiol, drove a counter-attack that allowed Aguero to score his 178th City goal and end Eric Brook's 79-year stay at the top of the club's scoring charts.Napoli flagged from that point and, after substitute Bernardo Silva wasted a pair of good openings, Raheem Sterling gleefully added a fourth.
Maurizio Sarri can feel aggrieved to have taken nothing from two pulsating encounters with City and his Napoli now face a must-win clash with Shakhtar Donetsk next time out to preserve their interest in the competition.
As in the initial meeting in Manchester, events unfolded at a brisk pace from the opening whistle but it was City – smothered by the Napoli press – who found themselves on the back foot on this occasion. The opening goal had been on the cards for some time when it arrived, with Mertens' delightful flicked return pass finding a finish to match from Insigne.
City crafted their first clear opening after the half hour when Aguero's clever lay-off to Kevin De Bruyne launched a break that ended with the Argentina striker's low effort deflecting narrowly wide.It was another, less-likely Argentinian, who brought the Premier League leaders level in the 34th minute.
De Bruyne took a quick short corner to Ilkay Gundogan and the Germany midfielder flighted an excellent left-footed cross for Otamendi to rise and nod home.
Otamendi made a nuisance of himself at the far post once more five minutes later, with the ball looping up for Stones to head against the bar. City were firmly in the ascendancy by the time half-time arrived and a minute into the second half Sterling continued a menacing display by bursting through a trio of challenges before Albiol made a desperate block.
Napoli cleared the resulting corner behind but conceded from City's second attempt as Stones powered in Sane's outswinger via the underside of the crossbar.The hosts almost spectacularly levelled in the 55th minute – Marek Hamsik denied his own moment of history when a thundering drive that would have levelled Diego Maradona's all-time Napoli scoring record cannoned back off the bar.
Referee Felix Brych pointed to the spot when City failed to clear a corner after the hour and Albiol went down under a challenge from Sane, despite contact appearing minimal.Ederson saved a spot-kick from Mertens in Manchester but Jorginho stepped up to calmly send him the wrong way.
The City goalkeeper had no greater right to save from Jose Callejon when the defensive line in front of him disintegrated in the 68th minute but he spread himself to tip behind.Again, a corner proved pivotal, but this time because City sprung forward via the electric Sane on the break.
Aguero collected the loose ball when the Germany winger was tackled, spied Sterling to his right but elected to go it alone and thump beyond Pepe Reina to bring up his landmark.
It was also a goal to finally crumble Napoli's resolve and they looked a beaten side before Sterling made sure on the end of a typically impeccable De Bruyne pass.
Sergio Aguero became Manchester City's all-time record goalscorer and fired Pep Guardiola's side into the knockout stages of the Champions League as they claimed a thrilling 4-2 win at Napoli.The Premier League leaders progress with two games to spare in Group F after making it four victories out of four at Stadio San Paolo.
As in their 2-1 victory in Manchester two weeks ago, Pep Guardiola's men were made to work hard for the points and Napoli drew first blood on this occasion thanks to Lorenzo Insigne's wonderfully crafted opener after 21 minutes.
Seemingly relieved by the Serie A table-toppers halting an assault that lasted for most of the first half hour, City centre-backs Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones converted set-piece routines either side of half-time to turn the game around.
Jorginho made it two apiece from the penalty spot in the 62nd minute but Leroy Sane, culpable for his foul on Raul Albiol, drove a counter-attack that allowed Aguero to score his 178th City goal and end Eric Brook's 79-year stay at the top of the club's scoring charts.Napoli flagged from that point and, after substitute Bernardo Silva wasted a pair of good openings, Raheem Sterling gleefully added a fourth.
Maurizio Sarri can feel aggrieved to have taken nothing from two pulsating encounters with City and his Napoli now face a must-win clash with Shakhtar Donetsk next time out to preserve their interest in the competition.
As in the initial meeting in Manchester, events unfolded at a brisk pace from the opening whistle but it was City – smothered by the Napoli press – who found themselves on the back foot on this occasion. The opening goal had been on the cards for some time when it arrived, with Mertens' delightful flicked return pass finding a finish to match from Insigne.
City crafted their first clear opening after the half hour when Aguero's clever lay-off to Kevin De Bruyne launched a break that ended with the Argentina striker's low effort deflecting narrowly wide.It was another, less-likely Argentinian, who brought the Premier League leaders level in the 34th minute.
De Bruyne took a quick short corner to Ilkay Gundogan and the Germany midfielder flighted an excellent left-footed cross for Otamendi to rise and nod home.
Otamendi made a nuisance of himself at the far post once more five minutes later, with the ball looping up for Stones to head against the bar. City were firmly in the ascendancy by the time half-time arrived and a minute into the second half Sterling continued a menacing display by bursting through a trio of challenges before Albiol made a desperate block.
Napoli cleared the resulting corner behind but conceded from City's second attempt as Stones powered in Sane's outswinger via the underside of the crossbar.The hosts almost spectacularly levelled in the 55th minute – Marek Hamsik denied his own moment of history when a thundering drive that would have levelled Diego Maradona's all-time Napoli scoring record cannoned back off the bar.
Referee Felix Brych pointed to the spot when City failed to clear a corner after the hour and Albiol went down under a challenge from Sane, despite contact appearing minimal.Ederson saved a spot-kick from Mertens in Manchester but Jorginho stepped up to calmly send him the wrong way.
The City goalkeeper had no greater right to save from Jose Callejon when the defensive line in front of him disintegrated in the 68th minute but he spread himself to tip behind.Again, a corner proved pivotal, but this time because City sprung forward via the electric Sane on the break.
Aguero collected the loose ball when the Germany winger was tackled, spied Sterling to his right but elected to go it alone and thump beyond Pepe Reina to bring up his landmark.
It was also a goal to finally crumble Napoli's resolve and they looked a beaten side before Sterling made sure on the end of a typically impeccable De Bruyne pass.
