Benfica’s Rafa Silva scored twice as the Portuguese facet defeated Juventus 4-3 in a thriller on the Estádio da Luz to seal a spot within the knockout phases of the Champions League and finish the Italian membership’s possibilities on this 12 months’s competitors.
Benfica have 11 factors from 5 video games, the identical as the Group H leaders Paris Saint-Germain, who defeated Maccabi Haifa 7-2 in an equally beautiful recreation on the Parc des Princes. Juve’s three factors, in the meantime, leaves them to concentrate on profitable a spot within the Europa League, one thing they’ll safe on the ultimate matchday after they host PSG.
Benfica at the moment are unbeaten in 20 video games in all competitions this season and it was straightforward to see why on Tuesday evening. They have been creative with the ball and might need been out of sight at half-time earlier than a late Juve rally meant a nervous end. As it was, it’s the first time within the Italian big’s historical past they’ve conceded three first-half targets within the Champions League, and the primary time since 2013-14 they’ve did not get out of their group.
The teenager Antonio Silva scored his first Benfica aim to provide the house facet the lead after 17 minutes earlier than Juventus drew degree when Moise Kean bundled the ball dwelling 4 minutes later. Benfica have been again in entrance because of a controversial penalty that was transformed by João Mario earlier than Rafa Silva appeared to make the factors protected with two elegant finishes both facet of the break.
The guests pulled a aim again late on by way of Arkadiusz Milik after he was arrange by the younger English winger Samuel Iling, and the latter was key in creating an opportunity for Weston McKennie to attain Juve’s third. That led to a tense end on an evening when Benfica regarded as although they might humiliate their guests however needed to maintain on as Rafa Silva missed out on a hat-trick by hitting the publish.
“It’s really a pity and difficult to find the words,” the Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli stated.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé each scored twice, with Neymar additionally on course, as the French membership’s fearsome assault tore aside Maccabi Haifa in a 7-2 win to ship them into the final 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.
The irrepressible trio have been merely an excessive amount of for Maccabi to deal with though the Israeli facet confirmed loads of spirit within the Group H conflict, with Abdoulaye Seck scoring twice. PSG’s romp means with one recreation remaining towards Juventus they prime the standings on aim distinction from Benfica.
Despite their heavy defeat, Maccabi stay degree on three factors with Juve and can go into their final recreation at dwelling towards Benfica nonetheless hopeful of sealing a Europa League spot.
Christophe Galtier’s facet took some time to seek out their attacking rhythm however as soon as they clicked they have been devastating as they threatened to surpass their 7-1 rout of Celtic in 2017.
“The 4-3-3 system meant the front three could be a little higher up the pitch and they had a little more freedom in their movements thanks to the work of the midfield,” Galtier stated. “It’s a privilege to have those players and to see them play like that, for each other.”
Messi began issues off within the nineteenth minute with a luxurious opening aim scored with the surface of his left foot after being performed in by Mbappé on the left facet of the realm. Mbappé’s opener was simply as silky, the French ahead bending a right-footer within the thirty second minute previous goalkeeper Joshua Cohen who couldn’t be faulted for any of PSG’s targets.
It started to show ugly for Maccabi three minutes later when Mbappé and Messi mixed to play in Neymar and the Brazilian’s shot went in on off the publish. PSG switched off defensively to permit an unmarked Seck to go in from Omer Atzili’s free-kick however Messi then swapped passes with Neymar earlier than dropping his shoulder and belting a left-footed shot low into the nook to make it 4-1 at half-time.
It took Messi’s Champions League whole to 129, 12 behind the document of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Maccabi really managed the opening 10 minutes of the second half and when PSG made a hash of clearing a nook, Seck looped a header over Gianluigi Donnarumma and into the online. The visiting followers celebrated joyously however PSG then moved by way of the gears to run riot.
In the sixty fourth minute Mbappé was picked out by a diagonal cross from Achraf Hakimi and he took a deft contact earlier than selecting out the far nook. As Maccabi lastly misplaced coronary heart Neymar’s dribble and low cross ended with Sean Goldberg netting an personal aim.
Messi, who was denied a document ninth Champions League hat-trick by the crossbar, then arrange Carlos Soler to wrap up the scoring with a low shot.
“We caught Paris on a good day. The smallest slip in concentration against players like that and they can score or have a big chance,” Maccabi defender Dylan Batubinsika stated.”
RB Leipzig took a giant step in the direction of the Champions League knockout stage with a 3-2 dwelling win towards the holders Real Madrid.
With Real having already certified for the final 16 their supervisor, Carlo Ancelotti, rested a number of common starters and his facet have been dominated early on by a younger Leipzig workforce. The hosts took the lead on 13 minutes with Josko Gvardiol scoring on the rebound from a Thibaut Courtois save after a bullet header by André Silva.
With the European champions nonetheless recovering from that blow, Leipzig prolonged their benefit 5 minutes later when David Raum tried to cross into the field however the ball deflected off a defender into the trail of Christopher Nkunku who was fast to react and rifled the ball in off the crossbar.
Leipzig had two extra nice possibilities however Courtois saved Amadou Haidara’s strike from the sting of the field and Nkuku put a close-range shot huge after beating the onrushing Real goalkeeper to the ball however ending up with a good angle looking for the empty web.
“I think we came out very distracted in the beginning of the game and were caught sleeping against a team that is very aggressive,” Courtois stated.
Leipzig are second in Group F on 9 factors, one behind the leaders Real and three forward of Shakhtar Donetsk, who they face of their last group recreation subsequent week in want of a draw to ensure a top-two spot.
Milan revived their hopes of reaching the final 16 with a 4-0 win at Dinamo Zagreb. Back-to-back defeats by Chelsea of their two earlier matches had left the Serie A champions with loads to do to qualify for the knockout phases, however Matteo Gabbia’s first-half header set them on their technique to an important victory in Croatia.
Rafael Leão’s solo run and end early within the second half put the sport past the house facet earlier than Olivier Giroud made positive of the three factors with a penalty simply earlier than the hour mark. A late personal aim put the seal on the second win of Milan’s European marketing campaign and one which strikes them as much as second place in Group E on seven factors. If they keep away from defeat subsequent week towards Salzburg they’ll attain the final 16.
“I think it is clear that our growth continues with qualification,” the Milan head coach, Stefano Pioli, stated.
Sevilla saved alive their slim hopes of reaching the final 16 after second-half targets from Youssef En-Nesyri, Isco and Gonzalo Montiel secured a convincing 3-0 dwelling win towards 10-man FC Copenhagen in Group G.
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