 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Schmeichel saves Celtic in dull draw with Dinamo
Dinamo Zagreb and Celtic played out a lifeless 0-0 draw in the Champions League on Tuesday, with Celtic keeper Kasper Schmeichel producing the match's memorable moment with a late save.
The Crotian hosts had their best chance late on when Marko Pjaca sent a powerful header towards goal, only for Schmeichel to get his fingertips to the ball at full stretch to tip it over the bar for a stunning save.
The result left both sides in the playoff section of the Champions League table, with Celtic, on nine points, in 17th place and Dinamo in 21st with a point less.
The first half was a lacklustre affair, with both sides failing to create any significant chances and no shots on target, as the game drifted despite Celtic's dominance of possession.
The second half began in a similar fashion, as the home fans urged Dinamo on, with the hosts going close when Celtic defender Auston Trusty blocked a chance with his back.
Though Celtic rallied in the closing minutes, the match ended goalless with both sides appearing content with a point.
Brest edge PSV 1-0 thanks to Le Cardinal goal and keeper Bizot's heroics
Brest claimed a 1-0 home victory over PSV Eindhoven in an action-packed Champions League clash on Tuesday, with Julien Le Cardinal's goal and a series of crucial saves from goalkeeper Marco Bizot proving decisive for the hosts.
Two minutes before the break Brest broke the deadlock when a header from Mama Balde, who was nearly horizontal in the air, deflected off a defender and landed perfectly for Le Cardinal to tap into an empty net.
Brest are now fifth in the Champions League table with 13 points and in a good position to advance to the last 16. PSV are 21st with eight points in the playoff section.
The French side, forced to play their European home matches 100km away in Guingamp due to UEFA stadium regulations, had Bizot to thank for reaching the break with a lead as he delivered a string of impressive saves to deny his Dutch compatriots who had several opportunities.
The second half erupted into a high-intensity, end-to-end battle, with both sides creating numerous chances.
Bizot and PSV keeper Walter Benitez were kept busy, each making crucial saves, but neither team could find a second goal, with Ismael Saibari hitting the post for the visitors just before the hour mark.
Barkley's late goal lifts Villa to 3-2 win over Leipzig in Champions league
Aston Villa substitutes Jhon Duran and Ross Barkley bagged second-half goals to salvage a 3-2 victory over RB Leipzig on Tuesday in a Champions League match marked by a stunning error from keeper Emi Martinez that gifted Leipzig a goal.
With 13 points after six games, Unai Emery's men are provisionally third in the table and just a win away from booking their berth in the Champions League last 16.
Leipzig have zero points and their loss means they cannot advance.
McGinn put Villa on the scoresheet inside three minutes when he fired in Ollie Watkins's header past Peter Gulacsi.
Lois Openda levelled against the run of play in the 27th minute when Martinez ventured well out of his net but misjudged the bounce of the ball, allowing Openda to nudge it past him and score.
Super sub Duran, who has six goals off the bench this season -- the most by any player in Europe's big-five leagues in 2024-25 -- was electric from the moment he entered the game after the break.
He put the visitors up in the 52nd minute when he latched on to a pass from Youri Tielemans before unleashing a blistering shot from nearly 30 metres out that sailed over Gulacsi's head.
Duran had the ball in the back of the net again minutes later but it was chalked off for offside in the build-up.
The home side levelled 10 minutes later when a 40-metre pass from Benjamin Henrichs found Openda, who floated the ball to the back post for Christoph Baumgartner to steer in with a volley.
Two minutes after he entered the game, Barkley bagged a fluke winner in the 85th when he slipped while firing a shot from long range that took a big deflection off defender Lukas Klostermann and went in.
The new Champions League format sees the top eight teams in the league phase after eight rounds advance into the round of 16. The teams from ninth to 24th will go into two-legged play-offs, with the eight winners moving into the last 16.
Villa's final two games of the first round are at Monaco on Jan. 21 and against Celtic at Villa Park on Jan. 29.
Brugge bounce back to beat Sporting 2-1
Club Brugge bounced back from conceding after three minutes to beat Sporting 2-1 on Tuesday in a major boost to their hopes of advancing to the next stage of the Champions League.
Geny Catamo gave the Portuguese champions the early lead with an easy tap-in from a rebound after Maximiliano Araujo’s powerful shot had struck the post but Brugge fought back to level in the 24th minute and got the winner six minutes from time with a strong close-in finish from substitute Casper Nielsen.
The home side pulled level when Christos Tzolis’s strike took a wicked deflection off Eduardo Quaresma, with the goal later adjudged by UEFA to be an own goal.
Sporting were awarded a penalty two minutes later, after Araujo was fouled by Andreas Skov Olsen. But after a check, the VAR officials determined the foul had occurred outside the area and English referee Anthony Taylor’s decision was changed to a free kick which Viktor Gyokeres put over the crossbar.
Nielsen had barely come on when he was set up by Gustaf Nilsson’s pass and expertly hammered home the winner in the 84th minute.
The result catapulted Club Brugge from 23rd to 14th place in the standings, with 10 points from six games, in a match they needed to win as their last group matches next month are at home to Juventus and then away to Manchester City.
Sporting dropped to 12th spot with matches to come away to Leipzig and home against Bologna.
