Champions League review - All English teams in good positions
Champions League review - All English teams in good positions
By Tom Masters
All four English sides were in action in the Champions League this week, with three of them winning and one draw.
Chelsea made the visit to Swedish champions Malmo in the early kick-off on Tuesday evening, before Manchester United went to Atalanta later that night.
On Wednesday, Liverpool hosted Atletico Madrid and Manchester City hosted Belgian side Club Brugge.
Malmo 0-1 Chelsea
It was not pretty for Chelsea on Tuesday evening, but they got the job done with a narrow 1-0 win in Sweden.
Hakim Ziyech scored the decisive goal for the holders of the competition, courtesy of a wonderful ball in from Callum Hudson-Odoi on the right-hand side.
With Juventus defeating Zenit St Petersburg 4-2, Chelsea lie in second place in Group H, with that decisive match on 23 November at Stamford Bridge likely to decide who will qualify top of the group.
Zenit have just three points from their first four matches, whilst Malmo have none, so Chelsea require just one point from their remaining two matches to qualify for the next round.
Atalanta 2-2 Manchester United
Manchester United were once again rather bailed out by their talisman Cristiano Ronaldo, with his stoppage-time goal earning last year’s Europa League runners-up a valuable point.
Atalanta twice took the lead through Josip Ilicic and Duvan Zapata, only for Ronaldo to bag vital goals one minute into stoppage time in each half.
It’s a result that keeps Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team at the top of Group F, although they are level on points with the side that beat them in the Europa League last season, Villarreal, and only two points ahead of Atalanta themselves, whilst Young Boys are also not out of it.
United and Villarreal have seven points, with Atalanta on five points, and Young Boys on three so it is all to play for.
United have a tricky tie in Spain against Villarreal next, before hosting Young Boys at Old Trafford in December and it is likely that victory over the Spaniards would see them qualify.
Liverpool 2-0 Atletico Madrid
Liverpool became the first Premier League side to qualify for the last 16, defeating Atletico Madrid for the second time and leaving Jurgen Klopp’s side on a perfect 12 points from 12.
Goals from Diogo Jota and Sadio Mané, and a red card to Atletico centre-half Felipe, meant that Liverpool are not only through to the knockouts, but are guaranteed to top the group, as neither Porto nor Atletico can catch them.
The result will allow Klopp to rotate in the remaining Champions League fixtures, against both FC Porto and Milan, and rest his stars for the knockouts to focus on the key Premier League fixtures.
Liverpool will now face a comfortable wait to see who they will face in the last 16.
Manchester City 4-1 Club Brugge
Manchester City overtook Paris Saint Germain at the top of Group A, as they eased past Club Brugge at the Etihad Stadium.
Goals from Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus were too much for Brugge, who netted through a John Stones own goal.
Joao Cancelo assisted three times to take the man of the match award, as City overtook PSG due to their 2-2 draw with bottom of the group RB Leipzig.
City still have to face Leipzig in Germany, and host PSG, with the clash against the French giants likely to decide who tops Group A, with both sides in pole position to qualify.