Paris in slow motion, City and Real slowed down but in 8th: the results of this day of the Champions League


Qualification will wait … If PSG hoped to conclude the deal in the fourth of six days, the eye-catching opposition of Benfica and the turmoil behind the scenes around Mbappé, scorer on penalty, encourage them to settle for this draw. Paris remains joint leader of the group (8 points) with Benfica, ahead of Juventus Turin (3 points), which sank 2-0 against Maccabi Haifa (3 points) and sees its chances of qualifying dwindling.

At the Parc des Princes, without Lionel Messi (hit in a calf), all eyes were on Mbappé, hero of a bad psychodrama like PSG has the secret. Several media, in Spain and France, spoke on Tuesday afternoon of the striker’s desires elsewhere. To the point that the leaders were forced to firmly deny this hypothesis.

In fact, before and during the match, Mbappé’s supposed dissatisfaction never showed. And it was he who opened the scoring on a penalty obtained by Juan Bernat (40th), becoming the top scorer in the history of the Parisian club in the Champions League (31 goals). But Benfica came back, again on a penalty signed Joao Mario (61st) and the two teams separated on a new draw which brings them closer to the objective, the round of 16, four days before the classic Ligue 1 between the PSG and OM.

City braked but in 8th

Even without Erling Haaland as a substitute, Manchester City secured the essentials with a 0-0 draw in Copenhagen that qualified Pep Guardiola’s side for the round of 16, thanks to a 1-1 draw from Dortmund and Sevilla in the another game, with a goal from Frenchman Tanguy Nianzou.

The Citizens should have made things easier in Copenhagen but Riyad Mahrez missed a penalty (24th) and defender Sergio Gomez was sent off (30th).

At least Manchester City (10 points) qualified with two games remaining. And Pep Guardiola will have a rested Haaland for Sunday’s Premier League clash against Liverpool.

Real qualified in the snatch

A last-minute, self-sacrificing goal from Antonio Rüdiger earned Real Madrid a 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk and a place in the knockout stages.

A draw was enough for the defending champion to secure his ticket, but Carlo Ancelotti’s team waited for the last seconds and Rüdiger’s header, his face bleeding after a shock on this action, to obtain the points shared with the Ukrainians in Warsaw.

Real, well ahead of the group (10 points), are ahead of RB Leipzig (6 points), 2-0 scorers from Celtic in Glasgow, and Shakhtar (5 points). A good thing done for the people of Madrid before the La Liga clasico on Sunday against FC Barcelona.

Chelsea sink Milan and take the lead

And here’s Chelsea again! Starting badly after an inaugural defeat in Zagreb, the Blues completely reversed the situation by taking first place in their pool on Tuesday with a 2-0 success at AC Milan, confirming their victory last week against the Rossoneri (3-0).

The Blues were well helped in Milan by the early exclusion of defender Fikayo Tomori (18th), who offered a penalty to Chelsea, transformed by Jorginho (21st).

Then Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang doubled the bet (34th) and knocked out AC Milan (4 points), who will have to whip to overtake Salzburg (6 points), held back in Zagreb (1-1).



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