IMAGES from UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday
Yoane Wissa scored his first Champions League goal as Newcastle United eased to a 3-0 home win over PSV Eindhoven at St James’ Park on Wednesday to seal their place in the knockout stages of the competition for the first time.
Newcastle move up to seventh in the table with 13 points from their seven games and on course for automatic qualification for the last 16. PSV are in 22nd place with eight points and work to do to advance to the knockout stages.
The top eight teams in the table automatically advance to the last-16, while the sides positioned 9th to 24th enter a playoff round to determine the other eight qualifiers.
PSV’s hesitancy at the back handed Newcastle two goals before halftime, the first converted by Wissa on eight minutes before Anthony Gordon was the beneficiary from another error by the visitors to make it 2-0 on the half-hour mark.
Newcastle suffered a blow when captain Bruno Guimaraes limped off just before the break with an ankle injury, but they added a third goal on 65 minutes via Harvey Barnes in a dominant display against the Dutch champions.
While clinical in front of goal, another clean sheet for Newcastle means only table-topping Arsenal (2) have conceded fewer than their six goals in the competition, a campaign built on defence as much as forward prowess.
PSV SECOND BEST
PSV had come into the game having lost only one of their previous 21 games in all competitions, but were a distant second best on the night.
Newcastle’s early pressure paid dividends as PSV goalkeeper Matej Kovar’s clearance was poor and collected by Guimaraes, who played in Joelinton. The latter squared the ball for Wissa to provide the finish from 12 yards.
Newcastle doubled their advantage from another PSV error. Centre-back Yarek Gasiorowski’s weak back-pass to Kovar was short and allowed Wissa to steal in and steer the ball to an unmarked Gordon, who had the simplest of tap-ins.
The home side continued to dominate possession in the second half and scored a third when Barnes burst into the box and steamed past Gasiorowski before finishing low into the far corner of the net.
PSV face Bayern Munich in their final league phase match on Tuesday and will likely need at least a point to reach the knockout rounds. Newcastle go to Paris Saint-Germain.
Juventus clinch playoff place with 2-0 win over Benfica
Juventus guaranteed themselves at least a Champions League playoff place with a 2-0 home win over Benfica on Wednesday, their third successive victory coming thanks to second half goals from Khephren Thuram and Weston McKennie.
The win moved Juventus to 15th in the standings on 12 points while Benfica are 29th on six points. The top eight advance to the last 16, with the next 16 going into the playoffs.
After an even opening half, the hosts hit the front 10 minutes after the break with Thuram weaving his way into the area and making space to drive a shot into the bottom corner.
Juventus doubled their lead nine minutes later when McKennie played a neat one-two with Jonathan David before steering the ball past keeper Anatoliy Trubin.
Benfica were handed a lifeline with a penalty nine minutes from time but Vangelis Pavlidis slipped while about to strike and sent his effort well wide.
Juventus are away to AS Monaco on the final matchday of the league phase next Wednesday, with Jose Mourinho's Benfica needing a win to have any chance of staying in the competition when they host Real Madrid.
Lopez double fires Barcelona to 4-2 comeback win at Slavia Prague
Barcelona came from behind to defeat Slavia Prague 4-2 on a freezing night in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Fermin Lopez scoring twice and Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski adding second-half goals to secure the victory.
The win lifts Barcelona to ninth place in the standings with one game remaining on 13 points, level with seven other teams vying for a top-eight finish and direct qualification for the round of 16. Slavia languish third from bottom with just three points.
On a bitterly cold evening in Prague, with temperatures dropping to minus eight Celsius, Slavia stunned the visitors with an early lead.
A cleverly worked corner in the 10th minute saw Tomas Holes flick a delivery from the near to the far post, where Vasil Kusej bundled the ball across the line under pressure from Frenkie de Jong.
Barcelona levelled in the 34th minute through Lopez, who unleashed a sharp, angled strike from inside the box, squeezing the ball past keeper Jindrich Stanek at the near post after a faint deflection off the Slovakian's shoulder.
Lopez doubled his tally and gave Barcelona the lead in the 42nd minute with a fine effort from the edge of the box. The attacking midfielder found the bottom right corner with precision, leaving Stanek no chance.
Barca's advantage lasted just two minutes as an unfortunate defensive mishap saw Slavia equalise. Under pressure defending a corner, Lewandowski inadvertently deflected the ball off his shoulder and into his own net to send the teams into halftime level at 2-2.
After regrouping at the break, Barcelona took control of the game in the second half, relentlessly attacking Slavia's defence.
Raphinha, Pedri and Lopez all squandered good opportunities before substitute Olmo produced a moment of magic. In the 64th minute, he hammered an unstoppable strike from the edge of the box into the top corner, restoring Barcelona's lead in emphatic style.
Lewandowski atoned for his earlier own goal by sealing the victory in the 70th minute.
Marcus Rashford — another second-half substitute — went on a blistering run down the left flank and delivered a cross into the box. Although Lewandowski initially struggled to control the pass, he reacted quickly to poke the ball past Stanek and give Barcelona a two-goal cushion.
Clinical Liverpool edge closer to last 16 with Marseille win
Liverpool swept aside Olympique de Marseille with a 3-0 away victory on Wednesday to extend their unbeaten run to 13 matches in all competitions and move a step closer to direct qualification for the Champions League last 16.
Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo either side of a Geronimo Rulli own goal lifted Arne Slot’s team to 15 points, leaving them well placed in the top eight ahead of the final round of matches. Marseille remain in the hunt for a playoff spot on nine points despite the defeat.
The Ligue 1 side are 19th in the table and travel to Club Brugge in their final group match needing a positive result to keep their European campaign alive, while Liverpool, in fourth, will host Qarabag knowing another win would secure their place in the last 16.
Liverpool looked sharp as they continued their recovery after a difficult period earlier in the season, while Marseille once again showed their limitations on the biggest stage.
In the bottom half of the 36-team league, OM were left contemplating the gap between them and their opponents.
“It’s tough, they played a good game, we were not well in the first half. We tried our best but it’s very tough, they’re used to playing like this,” Marseille defender Leonardo Balerdi said.
"You can’t see it from outside the pitch but it’s very tough.”
Mohamed Salah made his first start since November as Liverpool lined up with Joe Gomez stepping in at centre back in the absence of Ibrahima Konate, who missed the game due to a personal matter.
Marseille came into the match having gone 30 Champions League games without a draw while Liverpool were also without a stalemate in their previous 27 matches, the two longest such runs in the competition’s history.
Chelsea's Caicedo scores to break stubborn Pafos defence
Chelsea boosted their chances of a Champions League top-eight finish on Wednesday when Moises Caicedo headed home from a corner in the 78th minute to break down a stubborn Pafos defence.The London side squeezed into eighth in the table on goal difference with one match to go - a tough away game at 25th-placed Napoli, managed by former boss Antonio Conte.
Chelsea, led by new coach Liam Rosenior in his first Champions League game, enjoyed more than 70% possession against the highly organised Pafos team.
They were backed up by Dutch goalkeeper Jay Gorter who pulled off a series of fine saves, including three earlier bullet attempts from Ecuadorean midfielder Caicedo.
Caicedo's goal from a Pedro Neto corner finally broke the deadlock, earning Chelsea the chance to go straight through to the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
Rosenior told reporters Caicedo was simply an outstanding player.
"He's a world-class midfield player and always a threat from set plays."
Caicedo described the game as tough, meaning his goal was particularly important. "We got three points and now we're going to enjoy and we're going to keep going because we have one more game to go," he said.
It was a largely frustrating night for Chelsea, who had to win to stand a chance of making the top eight and would have hoped for more goals against the Cypriot champions.
The Londoners, winners of the competition in 2012 and 2021, are one of eight teams on 13 points in the table so goal difference is crucial.
"Conte is a great coach," Rosenior said of next Wednesday's game at Napoli. "But I'm not daunted by the prospect. They have to win which changes the dynamic." Pafos, who hit the post in the first half after a shot from Jaja bounced off Chelsea captain Reece James, drop to 30th in the table on six points.
Athletic Bilbao fight back to beat Atalanta 3-2 and keep alive Champions League hopes
Athletic Bilbao mounted a superb second-half comeback to defeat Atalanta 3-2 in the Champions League on Wednesday, giving the Spanish side renewed hope of progressing to the playoff qualification round.
Atalanta commanded the first half and opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Gianluca Scamacca connected with a curling cross from Nicola Zalewski, heading firmly past goalkeeper Unai Simon.
Bilbao grew into the game after the break, showing greater composure in possession. They equalised in the 58th minute with Gorka Guruzeta striking cleanly from the centre of the box.
Ernesto Valverde's side turned the match on its head in the 70th minute when substitute Nico Serrano, who had come on for Unai Gomez two minutes earlier, made an instant contribution with a well-taken goal after being set up by Robert Navarro.
The momentum was all with the visitors, who added a third just four minutes later when Navarro slotted the ball past Marco Carnesecchi. However, Atalanta clawed one back in the dying minutes when Nikola Krstovic scored a close-range goal from a fine cross by Charles De Ketelaere.
The loss leaves Atalanta needing a win against Union Saint-Gilloise next Wednesday in their final group-stage match to secure automatic qualification. Athletic Bilbao will play Sporting at home, requiring another victory to keep alive their Champions League run.
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