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Rediff.com  » Sports » Champions League PHOTOS: Real, City march into last 16; record for Rooney

Champions League PHOTOS: Real, City march into last 16; record for Rooney

Last updated on: November 04, 2015 10:27 IST
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Photos from the Champions League matches played across Europe on Tuesday

Real Madrid's Nacho Fernandez celebrates with teammates on scoreing their first goal against Paris Saint-Germain during the UEFA Champions League Group A match at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid on Tuesday

IMAGE: Real Madrid's Nacho Fernandez celebrates with teammates on scoreing their first goal against Paris Saint-Germain during the UEFA Champions League Group A match at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid on Tuesday. Photograph: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

Real Madrid booked a place in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday after substitute Nacho Fernandez scored late in the first half to clinch a 1-0 win in a tight game with Paris Saint Germain at the Bernabeu.

The 25-year-old defender had been on the pitch for less than three minutes when he slotted home from a tight angle against the run of play after Toni Kroos's shot was blocked in the 35th.

PSG will rue their poor finishing as they missed several chances, especially in the first period when Adrien Rabiot's volley hit the post after 37 minutes.

Former-Real player Angel Di Maria also struck the woodwork late on with a free-kick for the visitors.

"It was not a comfortable game for us at all," Real defender Sergio Ramos told reporters.

"It was a difficult game and it has given us a lot to think about. We played a lot better away in Paris where we could only draw. We were up against a strong side with good players who had a lot of possession and created chances."

Real have 10 points from four games in Group A while PSG, who suffered their first defeat in all competitions this season, are second with seven. Shakhtar Donetsk beat visiting Malmo 4-0 in the other group match with both teams now on three points.

Paris Saint-Germain's Edinson Cavani reacts after failing to score 

IMAGE: Paris Saint-Germain's Edinson Cavani (left) reacts after failing to score. Photograph: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

There was a disruptive start to the game with players receiving treatment for knocks and PSG lost Marco Verratti after 17 minutes with what appeared to be a twisted ankle and he was replaced by the 20-year-old Rabiot.

It was the visitors who found their feet first with a shot from Blaise Matuidi straight at goalkeeper Keylor Navas and then Zlatan Ibrahimovic, inside the area, stroked the ball a whisker the wrong side of the right post.

Real fullback Marcelo then limped off after 33 minutes to add to the home side's injury problems this season, with Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema among those unfit to face the French.

Replacement Nacho made an instant impact by knocking the ball home after a Kroos shot deflected to him off Thiago Silva.

Real responded when Rabiot hit the post with a long-range volley and Edinson Cavani miscued with only Navas to beat in first half stoppage time.

After the restart Di Maria was also denied by Navas in front of goal but as the game went on Real took most of the steam out of the contest. Di Maria was inches away in the 89th minute, however, with a long-range free-kick that clipped the bar.

Rooney equals Law goal record as United go top

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney celebrates scoring their first goal

IMAGE: Manchester United's Wayne Rooney celebrates scoring their first goal against CSKA Moscow during their UEFA Champions League Group B match at Old Trafford, Manchester on Tuesday. Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters

A thumping header from Wayne Rooney ended Manchester United's scoring drought and secured a 1-0 Champions League victory over CSKA Moscow as they went top of Group B on Tuesday.

United seemed to be heading for a fourth successive goalless draw before Rooney met a Jesse Lingard cross and sent a bullet of a header soaring past CSKA keeper Igor Akinfeev and into the roof of the net in the 79th minute.

It was the England striker's 237th goal for the Old Trafford outfit and drew him level with Denis Law as the club's second highest scorer, 12 behind Bobby Charlton.

Despite dominating possession throughout the encounter, United had struggled to break down the resilient Russians whose own attacking ambitions were limited to infrequent counter attacks.

United mustered little more than half chances until Rooney's winner.

The result left the group perfectly poised with United on seven points, one clear of VfL Wolfsburg and PSV Eindhoven, who won 2-0 at home to the Germans on Tuesday. CSKA are bottom with four.

"It is unbelievable because we created at least 12 chances tonight and had to wait a long time," United manager Louis van Gaal told BT Sport.

"Before that they could have scored and then it is a different match. I am happy. We played well."

Manchester United's Anthony Martial battles for the ball with CSKA Moscow's Sergey Ignashevich (4) and Alan Dzagoev 

Manchester United's Anthony Martial battles for the ball with CSKA Moscow's Sergey Ignashevich (4) and Alan Dzagoev. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

United began brightly, fizzing the ball around the slick surface with intent.

Their possession, however, counted for little in the opening 45 minutes with a succession of half chances coming to nothing as the home crowd grew increasingly restless.

Rooney, whose form had been questioned after scoring only two Premier League goals this season, flashed an effort fractionally wide after three minutes and then almost latched on to an under-hit back pass before Akinfeev cleared the danger.

CSKA, who won 2-1 at United's neighbours Manchester City 12 months ago, were happy to keep men behind the ball and barely threatened Van Gaal's well-drilled rearguard.

It looked like it would not be Rooney's night when he got the ball stuck under his feet from five metres with 20 minutes remaining, just before United keeper David De Gea pulled off a superb save to deny Seydou Doumbia when he was through on goal.

"Denis Law is a legend at this club and to equal his record is a huge honour for me," said England's record international goal-scorer Rooney.

Having faced criticism from many quarters this season, United need only win one of their final two matches at home to PSV and away to Wolfsburg to reach the last 16.

Triumphant City crush Sevilla

Manchester City's Raheem Sterling celebrates as he scores their first goal against Sevilla FC during the UEFA Champions League Group D match at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in Seville on Tuesday 

IMAGE: Manchester City's Raheem Sterling celebrates as he scores their first goal against Sevilla FC during the UEFA Champions League Group D match at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in Seville on Tuesday. Photograph: Ian Walton/Getty Images

Manchester City threw off their shackles, went for goals and reached the Champions League last 16 with two games to spare by demolishing Sevilla 3-1 with a brilliant first-half attacking display in Group D on Tuesday.

First-half goals from Raheem Sterling, Fernandinho and Wilfried Bony sent City into the dressing rooms 3-1 up at halftime with the contest already effectively over.

City top the section with nine points, a point ahead of Juventus who drew 1-1 at Borussia Moenchengladbach. Sevilla have three points above the Germans who now have two.

In what captain Vincent Kompany described as probably their finest ever performance in the competition, City were far too strong for a Sevilla side that had won their last 10 home matches in European competition.

The Spaniards were as good as buried by the 11th minute in front of their own fans at the Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.

Man-of-the match Sterling, with his best performance since his 49 million pounds ($75.54 million) move from Liverpool, ignited City with an eighth minute goal.

The England winger then had a key role in setting up Fernandinho who headed the second three minutes later.

Benoit Tremoulinas headed Sevilla's back into the contest after 25 minutes before Bony wrapped up the victory with City's third in the 36th.

Manchester City's Aleksandar Kolarov (right) and Sevilla's Adil Rami vie for possession

IMAGE: Manchester City's Aleksandar Kolarov (right) and Sevilla's Adil Rami vie for possession. Photograph: Ian Walton/Getty Images

Like Sterling, it was Bony's first Champions League goal.

"For us to be qualified with two games to spare is an incredible achievement," Belgium international Kompany told BT Sport.

"It's probably the best performance we have had in the Champions League so far.

"The biggest thing to take from this game is that we were not naive. We played in a very British way today, we had a big man up front and a lot of runs from midfield and we hurt them like this. We brought the best of English football today to beat a very strong team."

City broke the deadlock when Sterling, who was outstanding match, found the net with a sweet angled left-foot shot to become, at 20 years and 330 days, City's youngest Champions League scorer and, almost from that moment on, City dominated.

City keeper Joe Hart was forced to make an important save when the score was 2-1 by blocking a Timothee Kolodziejczak header with Vicente Iborra smacking the ball into the side netting on the follow-up.

City played a different, containing game in the second half, but, after their early breakthrough, there was only going to be one winner.

Sevilla coach Unai Emery said: "The team gave their best, we had chances. I have nothing to say against the players. The match went against them and they (City) took advantage.

"We are looking to improve against rivals of the calibre of City and Juventus. We continue to have chances to qualify for second place."

Atletico held to a goalless stalemate by battling Astana

Atletico Madrid's Diego Godin reacts after a missed chance during the Champions League group C match against Astana in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Tuesday

IMAGE: Atletico Madrid's Diego Godin reacts after a missed chance during the Champions League group C match against Astana in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Tuesday. Photograph: Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters

Atletico Madrid were held to a goalless draw away to a battling Astana in the Champions League on Tuesday, denting the Spaniards' hopes of finishing top of Group C.

Atletico remain top of the standings with seven points from four games, a point clear of Benfica who host Galatasaray later on Tuesday.

The visitors, who travelled more than 5,500 kilometres from Madrid to the Kazakh capital, started well and were lively in the early stages, creating some decent chances.

Astana defender Evgeni Postnikov produced an excellent block in the 11th minute to keep out Tiago's goalbound effort.

Fernando Torres, who was looking for his 100th goal for Atletico, almost reached the landmark after the half hour mark, but poked his shot wide after capitalising on a defensive mistake from the Kazakh side.

Roared on by a passionate capacity crowd, Astana grew in stature as the first half wore on and finished the stronger of the two teams, yet they were unable to seriously test Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

The second half got off to a slow start, as Astana proved to be much tougher opponents than they were two weeks ago when they lost 4-0 in Madrid.

Dmitri Shomko had a good chance to break the deadlock for the hosts, but his effort was saved by Oblak.

Diego Godin and Jackson Martinez, who replaced the out of sorts Torres just after 60 minutes, had chances for the visitors, while Yannick Carrasco hit the crossbar.

Astana held on for a deserved point, but remain bottom of the group with two points.

Ten-man Juve draw at Gladbach, eye last 16

Juventus' Gianluigi Buffon reacts after their Champions League group D match against Gladbach in Moenchengladbach, Germany, on Tuesday

IMAGE: Juventus' Gianluigi Buffon reacts after their Champions League group D match against Gladbach in Moenchengladbach, Germany, on Tuesday. Photograph: Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters

Ten-man Juventus rescued a 1-1 draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach in their Champions League Group D game on Tuesday as they edged closer to the last 16 and ended the Germans' hopes of reaching the knockout stage in their maiden season.

The Italians, last season's beaten finalists, are on eight points, one behind leaders Manchester City and five ahead of third placed Sevilla after coming from a goal down to level on the stroke of halftime through Stephan Lichtsteiner.

Gladbach, who took the lead through Fabian Johnson, twice hit the woodwork and had two thirds of the possession but are trailing in fourth with two points.

City's 3-1 win at Sevilla meant they leapfrogged Juve into first place and qualified for the last 16.

Gladbach, who have won six straight league matches under coach Andre Schubert, took an 18th-minute lead through Johnson after early pressure but Juve levelled and were in control until Brazilian Hernanes was sent off in the 53rd minute for a wild challenge on Alvaro Dominguez.

They managed to hold on thanks to veteran keeper Gianluigi Buffon, who made crucial saves in the second half. Gladbach also hit the crossbar in the 89th minute.

Juventus, who are unbeaten in their last six away games in the Champions League, tried to surprise Gladbach with an early goal but Patrice Evra's shot from 10 metres out sailed high.

The hosts were unimpressed and quickly deployed the high pressing game that has helped them turn their Bundesliga season around under Schubert.

It paid off when Johnson beat Buffon with a diagonal shot from a Raffael assist after some sloppy defending by Giorgio Chiellini.

The Italy defender then rose high to connect with a corner but the ball bounced just wide as Juve tried to turn the tables on the Germans.

They managed that a minute from halftime when Paul Pogba chipped the ball over the entire Gladbach defence and the 31-year-old Lichtsteiner, returning from a month out due to heart surgery, volleyed in.

Frenchman Pogba went close right after the restart with a sublime long-range effort but when Hernanes was dismissed for a reckless studs-up sliding tackle on Dominguez, it forced Juve into a change of plan.

The Italians dropped back and soaked up Gladbach's attacks to draw for the second time against the Germans after their goalless stalemate in Turin last month.

Shakhtar destroy Malmo with four-goal blitz

Shakhtar Donetsk ended their goal famine in spectacular fashion by thrashing Malmo 4-0 in a clash between the third and fourth-placed teams in Champions League Group A on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid sealed a place in the knockout stages by beating Paris St Germain 1-0 in the Spanish capital.

Real have 10 points from four games followed by PSG on seven. Shakhtar and Malmo have three points and both the Ukrainians and the Swedes seem unlikely to progress.

Oleksandr Gladkyy netted in the first half before captain Darijo Srna (penalty), substitute Eduardo and Alex Teixeira killed off Malmo after the break in a one-sided encounter at the Lviv Arena.

Gladkyy opened the scoring in the 29th minute when he knocked the rebound into the roof of the net after his first attempt was parried by keeper Johan Wiland.

Defender Kari Arnason then brought down Brazilian Teixeira three minutes after halftime and Srna converted the spot kick.

Eduardo, who replaced Gladkyy at the start of the second period, redirected a long-range shot from Bernard into the net to make it 3-0.

Teixeira completed the rout with a header in the 73rd minute after good work from Srna and Taison.

The only negatives for Shakhtar were the yellow cards received by defenders Srna and Oleksandr Kucher that mean they will be suspended for the next game against Real.

Malmo had Arnason sent off one minute from time.

PSV beat Wolfsburg to blow Group B wide open

PSV Eindhoven's players celebrate after defeating Wolfsburg in their Champions League group B match in Eindhoven, Netherlands on Tuesday

IMAGE: PSV Eindhoven's players celebrate after defeating Wolfsburg in their Champions League group B match in Eindhoven, Netherlands on Tuesday. Photograph: Michael Kooren/Reuters

Juergen Locadia and Luuk de Jong scored second-half goals as PSV Eindhoven secured a 2-0 Champions League victory at home against VfL Wolfsburg on Tuesday to blow Group B wide open.

The win moves PSV into second place, level with Wolfsburg on six points from four matches, but ahead of the Germans on goals scored with their head-to-head record identical.

They are one point behind leaders Manchester United, 1-0 winners at home to CSKA Moscow, who are bottom on four points.

The first half was short on goalmouth action but was played at pace, as the home side took the game to Wolfsburg after successive losses on previous matchdays, including a 2-0 defeat in Germany a fortnight ago.

Locadia forced a fine low save from visiting keeper Diego Benaglio late in the half after Wolfsburg's Dutch forward Bas Dost had seen his shot saved at point-blank range at the other end.

Yet Locadia, who missed a penalty when the teams last met, broke the deadlock 10 minutes into the second period after being set free by a brilliant pass from De Jong.

With plenty of time to pick his spot, the 21-year-old thrashed the ball into the back of the net to ignite furious celebrations.

Adam Maher had a chance to extend PSV's lead but watched in agony as his header shaved the frame of the goal with Benaglio beaten.

It was 2-0 on 86 minutes though as PSV's top scorer De Jong capped a fine night with a chipped finish for his 14th goal in all competitions this season and first in the Champions League.

Benfica top Group C after edging Galatasaray

Benfica secured a 2-1 win over visitors Galatasaray with second-half goals from Jonas and captain Luisao but finished with 10 men in their Champions League Group C clash on Tuesday.

Benfica are top with nine points from four matches above Atletico Madrid on seven, after they drew 0-0 at Astana, who have two. Galatasaray are third on four points.

Gaitan was dismissed in the 85th minute for a second yellow card after a foul and will miss the next match against Astana.

Jonas opened the scoring for the Portuguese with his first goal in the competition this season after the ball came to him near the penalty spot after 52 minutes.

Six minutes later, the Istanbul side equalised when Lukas Podolski fired past Julio Cesar from inside the box.

Benfica went back in front when long-serving captain Luisao fired into the top corner from inside the area in the 67th.

Galatasaray tried hard to level the scores again and created several chances but failed to find the net.

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