Liverpool - Napoli 2-0
Late goals from Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez ended Napoli’s unbeaten start to the campaign, as Liverpool snatched a 2-0 victory in Jurgen Klopp’s 100th match as a manager in the UEFA Champions League and his 400th as Reds’ boss.
Whilst this was technically a final-day decider of who would finish top of Group A, a combination of Napoli’s invincible start to the season, Liverpool’s inconsistency, and requirement for the hosts to win by four or more goals meant any change to the standings was unlikely.
Still, the Reds pressed for the opener in front of an Anfield crowd that was left wanting more during Saturday’s uninspiring defeat to Leeds United. Thiago Alcantara’s curler from the edge of the box was kept out by Alex Meret and Curtis Jones headed onto the roof of the net from Roberto Firmino’s skillful tee up.
These attempts were a wake up call for Gli Azzurri, who were in danger of conceding first for only the fourth time this season. Their ferocity to maintain their perfect record was shown as James Milner sustained a cut to the head in an aerial duel with Andre Zambo Anguissa, but with no victory in their last 11 away trips to English opposition, it was going to take a historical effort to topple Liverpool.
Leo Ostigard thought he had done just that shortly after the break, heading in from Kvicha Kvaratskhelia’s free-kick, but after a lengthy VAR intervention the goal was ruled out.
This left an exciting climax to the match, as if not a place in the Round of 16, then pride was the prize of the night.
Kvaratskhelia almost snatched it with a snapshot volley, but was denied by a Trent Alexander-Arnold block, which would prove costly for the Italians as Salah popped up even later to give Liverpool the lead.
Nunez leaped highest to head Kostas Tsimikas’ corner goalwards, with the Egyptian bundling the ball over the line after Meret’s initial save.
Seven minutes of added time allowed Nunez to tap in a second with the last kick of the game from another corner, copying his strike partner by bundling Virgil van Dijk’s header past Meret, with another extensive VAR consultation confirming the result.
Whilst it may prove inconsequential to how Group A shapes up - Napoli top, Liverpool second - Luciano Spalletti’s men taste defeat for the first time this campaign, and Klopp’s side get revenge for a d defeat in the reverse fixture.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
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Rangers - Ajax 1-3
Ajax ended a disappointing UEFA Champions League campaign with a 3-1 win against Rangers to guarantee themselves a UEFA Europa League knockout place, while ensuring the Gers are added to the list of teams who have lost all six group stage matches.
After returning to the group stages of European football’s most prestigious competition for the first time in over 10 years, Rangers were full of optimism for this campaign.
However, that positivity has disappeared with every passing defeat to be replaced with fear and trepidation, and that familiar feeling returned after just four minutes when a ball into the area was laid off to Steven Berghuis by Mohammed Kudus, and the Dutchman rolled it past the wrong-footed Alan McGregor to give Ajax an early lead.
Shortly after, Rangers’ disappointing campaign was summed up when their former defender Calvin Bassey cleared Fashion Jr’s header off the line.
Both teams we aware that the next goal was going to be vital in deciding the result, and just before the half-hour mark it fell the way of the visitors when Owen Wijndal did well to keep the ball in on the byline and hooked it back to Kudus, and the Ghanaian forward’s shot took a deflection off Leon King to divert it past McGregor and ensure de Godenzonen had a two-goal half-time lead.
It could have got even worse for Rangers early in the second half when Kudus thought he had scored from close range, but the linesman’s flag went up for offside.
The Gers were keen to find a morale-boosting goal to end their campaign, and they were given the chance to do just that when they were awarded a penalty which James Tavernier converted to make it 2-1.
However, the Dutch side had the last laugh when Francisco Conceicao scored to restore the two-goal cushion and wrap up all three points.
Ajax can now look forward to European knockout football, although at a lower level, in the spring, while for Rangers it’s back to the Scottish Premiership title race with arch rivals Celtic.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Mohammed Kudus (Ajax)
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Bayern Munich - Inter Milan 2-0
Goals in either half for Benjamin Pavard and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting gave Bayern Munich their sixth win from six in this season’s UEFA Champions League, this time against Inter Milan, making them the first team ever to finish three different group stages with a 100% record.
In a repeat of the 2010 Champions League final, it was the then-runners-up Bayern Munich who struck first, taking the lead midway through the first half.
Pavard, who was very much a fringe player prior to his selection tonight, found himself unmarked inside the Inter penalty area, before heading home Joshua Kimmich’s whipped corner with considerable ease to repay Roten manager Julian Nagelsmann’s faith in him.
While lackadaisical defending may have been to blame for Bayern’s opener, the visitors did have reason to feel aggrieved at the break. Appearing to swat Nicolo Barella’s strike away with his hands, a seemingly blatant handball from Sadio Mane was waved away by Ivan Kružliak, with the Slovak referee sticking by his original decision following a VAR check.
Although Inter could finish nowhere but second, their frustrations would be amplified in the second period, when they struggled to match their hosts for stamina and fell further behind in the 72nd minute.
This time it was Choupo-Moting who did the honours, advancing on a retreating Inter backline before whistling a crisp shot beyond his compatriot Andre Onana.
Despite being on the wrong end of an inconsequential result, this was still a disappointing night for Inter, who missed the chance to extend their unbeaten run to eight matches across all competitions. A positive result at the Allianz Arena would’ve also marked the first time they’d gone five matches without defeat in the UCL since lifting the trophy in 2010.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Bayern Munich)
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Viktoria Plzen - Barcelona 2-4
Barcelona ended their UEFA Champions League campaign on a high by defeating Viktoria Plzen 4-2 at the Doosan Arena. The Czech champions equalled the record for the most goals conceded in the group phase of the competition (24).
With both sides already eliminated, there was nothing but pride on the line in the Czech Republic, and Xavi used this opportunity to experiment with his squad.
His much-changed outfit were ahead inside six minutes, when Marcos Alonso was first to respond to Ansu Fati’s shot being parried onto the line, slamming home his first ever Barcelona goal.
Michal Bilek’s men absorbed plenty of pressure from the visitors’ hugely impressive start, and soon grew into the game and created some of their own chances.
Stand-in Barca goalkeeper Inaki Pena was forced to deny Lukas Kalvach, after Tomas Chory had headed against the bar.
Plzen’s failure to take those chances would be punished on the stroke of half time, as Raphinha’s incisive lofted ball allowed Jordi Alba to nod across goal, where Ferran Torres was waiting to slam home from close range.
The hosts had threatened to get on the scoresheet before the break, and made a breakthrough in the early stages of the second half from the penalty spot.
After being brought down by debutant Pablo Torre inside the area, Chory picked himself up and dispatched from 12 yards to reduce the arrears.
Hope of an unlikely comeback lasted less than two minutes as Barcelona turned on the style to score again.
Torres and Raphinha linked up gloriously on the inside right before the Spaniard fired into the back of the net.
Plzen refused to lie down though, wanting to avoid the unenviable record of losing all six group stage games.
They were taking advantage of the Blaugrana’s inability to defend high balls into the area, with the six-foot-six striker Chorý only too happy to capitalise and nod home his second of the night.
The visitors were able to reassert their authority on the contest and put it to bed with an emphatic fourth goal.
Torres atoned for conceding the penalty with an emphatic finish to net his first goal for the club, ensuring Barcelona avoided losing four consecutive UCL away games for the first time this century.
