Robert Lewandowski scored a brilliant free kick to give Bayern Munich a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid in their last Champions League Group D outing on Tuesday, ending the 100 percent record of their opponents.
The Poland international curled the ball over the wall and into the corner of the net in the 28th minute but the goal had no impact on the final standings with Atletico guaranteed top spot and Bayern in second place.
Last season's beaten finalists Atletico wasted the chance to become the seventh team since the competition's change of format in 1992 to win all six group games.
Visiting coach Diego Simeone made five changes to the team that drew 0-0 with Espanyol on Saturday but still picked a strong side.
His players also seemed determined early on with Yannick Carrasco twice thwarted by Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer.
Douglas Costa was the first to test Atletico keeper Jan Oblak at the other end before Lewandowski struck for the hosts.
Bayern dominated after halftime without finding a second goal, Thiago Alcantara coming closest when he blazed over from close range.
Atletico ended with 15 points and Bayern (12) also went through to the knockout stages.
Russians Rostov secured a Europa League berth by clinching third spot with a 0-0 draw at bottom club PSV Eindhoven.
Turan upstages Messi as Barca crush Gladbach
Arda Turan grabbed a hat-trick to lead Barcelona to a 4-0 rout of Borussia Moenchengladbach, while Lionel Messi fell short of equalling Cristiano Ronaldo's Champions League group stage goal record.
With Barca already through as Group C winners and the other positions also determined, the main attraction at the Nou Camp was the possibility of Messi matching Ronaldo's haul of 11 goals in the 2013-14 competition.
Things looked promising for the Argentina maestro when he played a one-two with Turan and fired the ball into the corner of the net in the 16th minute.
Messi spurned two chances to make it 2-0 before the break and, in the end, had to be content with 10 goals in Group C.
The second half belonged to Turan who was playing instead of the suspended Neymar.
The Turkish striker doubled Barca's lead in the 50th minute, arriving at the far post to nod in Denis Suarez's deflected cross, and netted again in the 53rd as he produced a crisp finish after a cut-back from the lively Aleix Vidal.
Turan completed his first treble for Barca by turning in Paco Alcacer's cross from close range, squeezing the ball past goalkeeper Yann Sommer's near post in the 67th minute.
Barca ended up with 15 points from six matches while Manchester City also went through to the knockout stages on nine.
Moenchengladbach qualified for the last 32 of the Europa League by finishing third and Celtic were bottom.
Lucas hat-trick in Basel seals top spot for Arsenal
Arsenal's Spanish striker Lucas Perez seized his chance to shine with a Champions League treble as they outclassed Basel 4-1 away to steal the Group A top spot from Paris St Germain.
The Gunners enter the last 16 as group winners for the first time since 2011 and at least know they cannot face favourites Barcelona, who won their group, in the first knockout round.
Lucas, making only his fifth start since joining from Deportivo La Coruna for about 17 million pounds ($21.55 million)in August, struck twice from close range inside 16 minutes.
He netted again two minutes after the break to become only the sixth Arsenal player to score a hat-tick in the competition.
Alex Iwobi made it 4-0 after 53 minutes and it could have been even better for Arsenal as Alexis Sanchez rattled the crossbar with a fizzing free kick.
The St Jakob-Park crowd finally had something to warm them on a cold night when substitute Doumbia flicked in a consolation goal after a skilful turn in the area.
Arsenal topped the group with 14 points because PSG, on 12, were surprisingly held 2-2 at home by Bulgarians Ludogorets who qualify for the Europa League last 32 at the expense of Basel.
PSG would have guaranteed top spot had they won but instead had to snatch a last-gasp equaliser from Angel Di Maria.
Second-string Manchester City held 1-1 by Celtic
Manchester City ended their Champions League group campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to Celtic, having recovered from an early blow inflicted by one of their own on-loan players.
Patrick Roberts, signed by City last year, gave Celtic a fourth-minute lead, but his excellent individual effort was swiftly cancelled out by Kelechi Iheanacho with the remainder of the encounter struggling to live up to its explosive start.
With City already confirmed in second place in Group C and safely into the knockout stages, the match was an opportunity for manager Pep Guardiola to ring the changes from the side that lost 3-1 at home to Chelsea in the PremierLeague on Saturday.
There was equally nothing riding on the outcome at the Etihad Stadium for bottom side Celtic, who produced a spirited display and were the better team for most of the first half.
Celtic took full advantage of a chaotic start by the home side when Roberts cut into the area from the right, skipped past two tackles and fired powerfully into the net.
Iheanacho, out to impress with Sergio Aguero about to start a four-game domestic ban, ensured it was a short-lived lead, though, with the Nigeria striker running onto Nolito's through ball and lashing it high into the net after eight minutes.
Both sides wasted further first-half chances, while the nearest either came to stealing a winner after the break was when Nolito's effort was ruled out for offside.
PSG miss top spot with Ludogorets draw
French champions Paris St Germain face the prospect of a tough last 16 Champions League match despite snatching a last-minute equaliser through Angel Di Maria to draw 2-2 at home to Ludogorets in their final group game on Tuesday.
PSG had to at least match Arsenal's result at FC Basel to top Group A but, after losing to Montpellier in Ligue 1 at the weekend, the Parisians again defended carelessly enabling the London side to overtake them with a 4-1 win in Switzerland.
Arsenal finished with 14 points from their six games ahead of PSG on 12, Ludogorets - who qualify for the Europa League last 32 - with three points and Basel on two.
Napoli beat Benfica, both go through
Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens sent Napoli into the last 16 of the Champions League with a 2-1 win at Benfica, while the Portuguese champions scraped through after rivals Besiktas were thumped by Dynamo Kiev.
Callejon broke clear and dinked the ball over Benfica goalkeeper Ederson in the 60th minute and substitute Mertens sealed a convincing win for the Serie A side in the Group B match with a superb individual effort.
Raul Jimenez pulled back a late goal for a disappointing Benfica who were rescued by previously winless Dynamo Kiev as the Ukrainians thrashed Besiktas 6-0 in the other group game.
Napoli, who reached the last 16 for the second time, topped the group with 11 points followed by Benfica on eight and Besiktas on seven. Dynamo, already eliminated, finished with five points.
Benfica, unbeaten at home in all competitions since they lost to Porto last February, started the game needing a win while Napoli needed a draw to qualify without depending on the Besiktas result.
However, a Besiktas defeat meant both sides would go through whatever happened in Lisbon and the match lost its edge as the Turkish championswent 3-0 down after little more than half an hour.
© 2024 Rediff.com -