Manchester City’s disaster continued with a 2-0 defeat away to Juventus within the Champions League on Wednesday, whereas Pep Guardiola’s outdated membership Barcelona beat Borussia Dortmund to clinch a spot within the knockout stage of Europe’s elite membership competitors. Arsenal, AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, Lille, Feyenoord and Stuttgart had been additionally victorious, however City’s newest loss in a depressing run will dominate the headlines. The 2023 European champions succumbed in Turin as Dusan Vlahovic put Juventus forward early within the second half when goalkeeper Ederson was unable to maintain out his header.
Ilkay Gundogan was denied an equaliser by a nice Michele Di Gregorio save, earlier than Weston McKennie made it 2-0 with a nice acrobatic end within the seventy fifth minute.
The outcome leaves Juventus on 11 factors with two video games left, a tally that’s anticipated to be sufficient to ensure them no less than a spot within the knockout part play-offs.
City, in the meantime, have now received simply as soon as in 10 in all competitions, with seven defeats in that point.
With simply eight factors, they presently sit twenty second within the standings, during which the highest 24 advance to the knockouts. Their subsequent recreation will likely be essential, as they journey to a Paris Saint-Germain facet who sit a degree beneath Guardiola’s males.
“We must get factors, we’ll go to Paris to attempt to do this and the identical goes for the ultimate match at residence (to Club Brugge),” Guardiola informed Amazon Prime in Italy.
Barcelona are second within the standings with 15 factors, behind solely Liverpool, after beating Dortmund 3-2 in a thriller in Germany, with Ferran Torres their hero.
Raphinha fired Barca forward along with his seventeenth purpose of the season, early in a outstanding second half.
Serhou Guirassy equalised with a penalty on the hour mark, however substitute Torres put Barca again in entrance on 75 minutes, changing the free ball after Fermin Lopez’s shot was saved.
Guirassy scored once more for a fast equaliser, just for Torres to strike as soon as extra and win the sport for Barca with 5 minutes left.
Barcelona’s tally leaves them, like Liverpool, ideally positioned to complete within the high eight, which suggests direct progress to the final 16 with out having to undergo the play-offs.
Arsenal are third within the standings on 13 factors after easing to a 3-0 win over Monaco in London.
Bukayo Saka scored twice, placing the Gunners forward within the first half and making it 2-0 on 78 minutes because the hosts pounced on disastrous Monaco defending.
Saka then turned supplier for the late third, with substitute Kai Havertz credited with the ultimate contact.
Mikel Arteta’s workforce are considered one of six sides on 13 factors, with Lille additionally on that tally after edging Sturm Graz 3-2 in France because of a nice late winner from Hakon Haraldsson.
Lille had been 2-0 up by means of Osame Sahraoui and Mitchel Bakker, just for objectives by Otar Kiteishvili and Mika Biereth to carry the Austrian champions again stage.
However, Icelandic midfielder Haraldsson secured Lille’s fourth win of the marketing campaign.
Atletico eased to a 3-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava, with Antoine Griezmann scoring twice after Julian Alvarez had opened the scoring with a superb strike.
David Strelec pulled one again for the Slovaks, who’re considered one of three groups already eradicated having misplaced six video games out of six. The others are RB Leipzig and Young Boys.
Milan defeated Red Star Belgrade 2-1 at San Siro with Tammy Abraham grabbing the winner three minutes from time.
Rafael Leao had put Milan forward just for Nemanja Radonjic to equalise for the Serbian facet, who’ve misplaced 5 of their six video games and are certainly heading out.
Benfica edged nearer to a play-off spot with a 0-0 draw at residence to Bologna of Italy, who’ve scored only one purpose in six video games and can go no additional.
Feyenoord stayed on the right track to undergo after beating Sparta Prague 4-2 in Rotterdam, with Gernot Trauner, Igor Paixao, Anis Hadj Moussa and Santiago Gimenez netting their objectives.
Stuttgart stored alive their hopes of progress by coming from behind to beat Young Boys 5-1.
Lukasz Lakomy put Young Boys forward however Angelo Stiller levelled earlier than Enzo Millot, Chris Fuehrich, Josha Vagnoman and Yannik Keitel all scored within the second half.
The subsequent spherical of Champions League video games is scheduled for January 21 and 22, with the league part concluding the next week.
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