Seven more in Champions League knockout stage
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich put aside their domestic worries to impress on the European stage and qualify for the knockout rounds of the Champions League yesterday, as both Manchester clubs, Roma, Ajax, and Juventus also advanced to the last 16 with one game to spare.
Following a 3-0 humiliating loss in the Spanish League at the weekend, three-time defending European champions Madrid recovered with a 2-0 win at Roma that secured first place in their group, and Bayern demolished Benfica 5-1 in the wake of yet another disappointing result in the Bundesliga.
Despite their home loss, Roma also advanced from Group G, with both teams knowing they were through following Viktoria Plzen’s earlier 2-1 win at CSKA Moscow.
Gareth Bale put Madrid ahead at the Stadio Olimpico early in the second half, before Lucas Vazquez doubled the visitors’ lead from close range in the 59th minute.
Manchester City again struggled against Lyon and needed an 83rd-minute equaliser from Sergio Aguero to salvage a 2-2 draw in Group F and seal their spot in the knockout stage. Lyon is the last team to beat City, which has won 12 of their 14 games since a 2-1 home loss to Lyon in September.
UNDER THREAT
After twice squandering a two-goal lead against Duesseldorf on the weekend, Bayern displayed their attacking force to give some respite to coach Niko Kovac, whose position looked under threat before the game.
Bayern lead Group E with 13 points, two more than Ajax, which cannot be overtaken by third-place Benfica. The Dutch side host their German rival to decide the group winner on Dec. 12.
Ajax moved into the last 16 for the first time in 12 years with a 2-0 win over 10-man AEK Athens, in a game marred by fan violence in and around the stadium.
Marouane Fellaini scored an injury-time winner as Manchester United beat Young Boys 1-0, a result that prompted a joyful reaction from United manager Jose Mourinho despite another unimpressive performance.
The Portuguese coach picked up a basket of water bottles and threw them forcefully to the ground in his technical area after Fellaini’s goal ensured passage to the next round.
Without Fellaini’s goal, United would have faced a tricky trip to Valencia on the final match day in a bid to seal qualification. Instead, the English club advanced along with Juventus, which stayed in first place thanks to a 1-0 win over Valencia.
Juventus lead Group H with 12 points, two ahead of United.