Copenhagen ground out a 0-0 draw at Bayern Munich in Champions League Group A to end their opponents’ 17-game winning run in group-stage matches and give themselves a great chance of reaching the last 16.
In the 27th minute, Copenhagen had an opportunity with a shot from Roony Bardghji that 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 defense this season, the visitors were unable to score. They came close in the second half with Diogo Goncalves’s curved shot, but it did not result in a goal.
Denmark’s team, the Danes, have a chance to advance to the next round by defeating Galatasaray. Both teams currently have five points, with Galatasaray drawing 3-3 against the lowest-ranking club, Manchester United. In a close game, the Danes almost secured a last-minute victory, but Manuel Neuer made an impressive double save to deny Mohamed Elyounoussi. This also extended the unbeaten streak of the German champions to 39 consecutive matches in the group stage of the competition. In a surprising turn of events, Copenhagen’s unexpected draw means that Manchester United can only advance if they defeat Bayern and the other game ends in a tie.
Inter Milan came back from being down 3-0 to tie the game with three goals in the second half in an exciting 3-3 draw against Benfica in a Group D match of the Champions League. This was after João Mário scored a hat-trick for the home team.
After just five minutes, Benfica scored the first goal with a quick finish from João Mário, after Casper Tengstedt’s header set him up. Mário took advantage of a mistake by the Inter defence to score a second goal, and then completed a hat-trick in the 34th minute with a close-range shot from a cross.
Marko Arnautovic scored a goal for Inter six minutes into the second half, followed by Davide Frattesi’s well-executed volley. Alexis Sánchez sealed the comeback with a penalty kick in the 72nd minute after Nicolás Otamendi fouled Marcus Thuram.
Inter, who had secured a spot in the round of 16, are tied at 11 points with Real Sociedad, who had a scoreless draw with Salzburg.
PSV Eindhoven staged a comeback from a 2-0 deficit to claim a 3-2 victory in an intense match against Sevilla, ensuring their advancement to the next round along with Arsenal.
In the 24th minute, Sergio Ramos scored for Sevilla, giving them the lead. Youssef En-Nesyri then scored by chipping the ball over the goalkeeper, further increasing their advantage. However, the game took a turn when Lucas Ocampos received two yellow cards within three minutes and was sent off in the 66th minute.
Ismael Saibari scored a great volley in the 68th minute, bringing PSV back into the game. The Dutch team then tied the score with an own goal from defender Nemanja Gudelj in the 81st minute. In stoppage time, Ricardo Pepi’s header sealed the victory 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 a total of 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 tournament that they are passionate about.
Sevilla’s Ramos stated to Movistar Plus that despite a strong first half, the result took a turn for the worse when we lost a player and our opponents capitalized on it.
Sporting Braga, playing with a reduced team, managed to equalize after conceding a goal and hold Union Berlin to a 1-1 draw in Group C. This result keeps their chances alive for advancing to the round of 16.
Union took the lead just before half-time thanks to a goal from Robin Gosens. Álvaro Djaló then equalized for the hosts after the break with a powerful shot into the top of the net. However, the Portuguese club were reduced to 10 men when Sikou Niakaté was shown a yellow card for fouling Union’s Kevin Behrens, which was later changed to a red after a VAR review.
Braga, third in the standings with four points, can still finish in the top two if they beat second-placed Napoli by more than one goal in the final game next month. The Italian champions won 2-1 in Portugal. The leaders Real Madrid, who had already clinched a last-16 spot, top the group with 15 points following a 4-2 win against Napoli.
Source: theguardian.com
