Copenhagen managed to secure a 0-0 tie against Bayern Munich in Group A of the Champions League, putting an end to their rival’s 17-game winning streak in group-stage games. This result greatly increases their chances of advancing to the final 16.
In the 27th minute, Copenhagen had a potential scoring opportunity as Roony Bardghji’s shot narrowly missed the goal. Bayern’s Thomas Müller also had a chance with a close-range header, but it was saved by Kamil Grabara. Despite their strong defensive record this season, the visitors defended well and had another close chance in the 47th minute with Diogo Goncalves’s curled shot.
The Danish team has a chance to advance to the elimination round by defeating Galatasaray, who also have five points after tying 3-3 with Manchester United, the lowest-ranked team. The Danes almost secured a victory in the last minute, but Manuel Neuer saved the day with two stops to prevent Mohamed Elyounoussi from scoring. This extends the German champions’ impressive streak of 39 consecutive unbeaten matches in the group stage of the competition. Copenhagen’s unexpected tie also means that Manchester United can only advance if they defeat Bayern and the other game ends in a draw.
Inter Milan staged an impressive comeback after initially trailing 3-0, scoring three goals in the second half to secure a 3-3 draw against Benfica in a thrilling Champions League Group D match. João Mário netted a hat-trick for the home team.
Benfica broke the deadlock after five minutes when João Mário finished first time after Casper Tengstedt headed it down for the former Inter player. He then capitalised on a failed clearance from the Inter defence to double the lead, before completing his hat-trick in the 34th minute when he bundled the ball home from close range from a cross.
Marko Arnautovic reduced the deficit for Inter just six minutes into the second half, followed by a well-executed volley by Davide Frattesi. Alexis Sánchez sealed the comeback with a penalty kick in the 72nd minute, after Nicolás Otamendi fouled Marcus Thuram.
Inter and Real Sociedad both have 11 points and are tied for first place in their group, with Inter already securing a spot in the final 16. Real Sociedad had a 0-0 draw with Salzburg.
PSV Eindhoven fought back from two goals down to secure a 3-2 win in a high-octane encounter against Sevilla that secured the Dutch side’s progress to the knockout stage alongside Arsenal.
In the 24th minute, Sergio Ramos scored a goal for Sevilla, giving them the lead. Later, Youssef En-Nesyri also scored by chipping the ball over the goalkeeper, increasing their advantage. However, the game took a turn when Lucas Ocampos was given a red card in the 66th minute for receiving two yellow cards within three minutes.
Ismael Saibari scored a great volley for PSV in the 68th minute, bringing them back into the game. The Dutch team then tied the match with a goal from Nemanja Gudelj, who unfortunately scored an own goal in the 81st minute. A last-minute header from Ricardo Pepi sealed a comeback win for the visiting team, while Fernando became the second player from Sevilla to receive a red card.
The team that has won the Europa League seven times must defeat Lens in their final group game in order to secure a higher position in the rankings and earn a spot in the beloved tournament.
Sevilla’s Ramos told Movistar Plus that we had a positive outcome despite controlling the first half. However, being reduced to ten players was detrimental and they capitalized on it.
Sporting Braga, playing with one less player, managed to equalize after conceding a goal and secure a 1-1 draw against Union Berlin in Group C. This result keeps their chances of advancing to the last 16 alive.
Robin Gosens scored a goal for Union just before the half-time mark, sending a powerful shot past Matheus. However, the hosts managed to equalize in the second half thanks to Álvaro Djaló’s impressive shot that went into the top of the net. The Portuguese team was reduced to 10 players after Sikou Niakaté fouled Union’s Kevin Behrens, initially receiving a yellow card that was later upgraded to a red after a VAR review.
Braga currently holds third place in the standings with a total of four points. They still have the opportunity to secure a spot in the top two if they defeat second-ranked Napoli by more than one goal in their upcoming match next month. In their previous game, the Italian champions were victorious with a score of 2-1 in Portugal. The leaders of the group, Real Madrid, have already secured a spot in the last-16 and currently hold first place with a total of 15 points after their 4-2 win against Napoli.
Source: theguardian.com
