UCL: Group E results – Liverpool held by Sevilla; Maribor and Spartak Moscow draw

Liverpool 2 – 2 Sevilla
Maribor 1 – 1 Spartak Moscow

• Liverpool 2 – 2 Sevilla

Liverpool’s first game in the Champions League since 2014 ended in a draw with Sevilla at Anfield.
In a repeat of the 2016 Europa League final,which the Spaniards won in Basel, Argentine midfielder Joaquin Correa cut through the Liverpool defence and curled home a cool finish to clinch a point.

It had taken Sevilla just five minutes to take the lead as Wissam Ben Yedder tapped in from close range after home defender Dejan Lovren fell over while trying to clear the ball.

Sadio Mane tested visiting goalkeeper Sergio Rico with a low drive as Liverpool looked to get back into the game, and they managed to do so when Roberto Firmino finished off a fine team move from close range.

The five-time winners continued to push forward and were rewarded as Mohamed Salah’s strike looped in via a huge deflection off Simon Kjaer, but then Firmino, presented with the chance to give the home side breathing space, struck a penalty against the post.

Georginio Wijnaldum came close with a low drive in the second half but the English side were punished for not adding to their advantage when they conceded with 18 minutes remaining.

Luis Muriel could have won it for Sevilla in injury time, but shot wide from inside the box, before Reds defender Joe Gomez was dismissed for a second bookable offence.

Midfielder Philippe Coutinho, who requested a transfer in the summer, made his first appearance of the season for Liverpool, coming on for Emre Can on 75 minutes.
Liverpool have conceded eight goals in three league games so far this season, and their problems at the back were in evidence again at Anfield. They have now failed to keep a clean sheet in 11 of their past 12 Champions League contests.

• Maribor 1 – 1 Spartak Moscow

Maribor and Spartak Moscow played out a 1-1 draw as a referee narrowly escaped being hit by a flare.

The nautical-style flare was fired from a sector packed with Spartak fans after around 15 minutes, landing in the centre of the pitch near German referee Deniz Aytekin, who briefly stopped play.

The opening goal came when home goalkeeper Jasmin Handanovic failed to hold an effort from outside the box by Fernando, and Aleksandr Samedov pounced to fire into the roof of the net.

But Maribor found a leveller five minutes from time as Martin Kramaric burst forward to feed Damjan Bohar, who cut inside and curled a fine effort into the opposite corner.

UCL: Group F results – John Stones bags brace as City cruise at Feyernoord; Napoli stung by Shakhtar

Feyenoord 0 – 4 Manchester City

Shakhtar Donetsk 2 – 1 SSC Napoli

• Feyenoord 0 – 4 Manchester City

John Stones scored twice as Manchester City kicked off their Champions League campaign with a resounding 4-0 win over Feyenoord on Wednesday night.

City wasted little time in taking the initial lead — Stones’ downward header from David Silva’s cross near the corner flag somehow squirting between Tonny Vilhena’s legs on the goal line in the second minute.

Sergio Aguero doubled their advantage eight minutes later.

After fine play down the right side, Kyle Walker’s cross found the Argentina international, who expertly volleyed home past goalkeeper Brad Jones from just outside the six-yard box.

City then left the outcome in no doubt after 25 minutes through Gabriel Jesus, who had the easiest of finishes after Jones parried a lashed Benjamin Mendy shot from distance directly into the Brazilian’s path.

Stones then completed his brace in the 63rd minute with another header — this time rising above a Feyenoord defender and powering into the net.
The victory was City’s biggest-ever away win in the competition.

• Shakhtar Donetsk 2 – 1 SSC Napoli

Shakhtar Donetsk stunned Napoli 2-1 thanks to goals from Taison and Facundo Ferreyra.
Taison gave the hosts the lead on the quarter-hour with a neat left-footed finish from just inside the box.

And Ferreyra added a second in the 58th minute — the Argentine striker racing onto the end of Taras Stepanenko’s majestic cross from the left touchline and bouncing his header into the roof of the net from close.

Arkadiusz Milik pulled a goal back from the penalty spot in the 71st minute after Stepanenko was cautioned for a foul in the Shakhtar box. But Napoli could not muster an equaliser in Ukraine.

UCL: Group G results – Monaco held by Leipzig; Porto beaten by Besiktas

FC Porto 1 – 3 Besiktas
RB Leipzig 1 – 1 Monaco

• RB Leipzig 1 – 1 Monaco

Last season’s semifinalists Monaco were held 1-1 by upstarts RB Leipzig at Red Bull Arena.

Emil Forsberg opened the scoring for the hosts on 32 minutes. Initiating a counter-attack down the left side, he selfishly ignored a wide-open teammate in the box before adroitly smashing his right-footed shot past a helpless Diego Benaglio at the near post.

The lead wouldn’t last long, however, as new signing Youri Tielemans answered for Monaco just two minutes later.

The former Anderlecht midfielder seeing his initial header from close range well-saved by Peter Gulacsi before poking home the rebound with his left foot.

• FC Porto 1 – 3 Besiktas

Besiktas started their Group G campaign with a 3-1 win away to Porto.
Last season’s Turkish champions opened the scoring in the 13th minute when Anderson Talisca headed home from close range from a Ricardo Quaresma cross.
But Besiktas would let Porto back into the match when Dusko Tosic smashed a header from a corner into his own net in the 21st minute.

The visitors weren’t down for long, however, retaking the lead in fine fashion in the 28th minute with a fantastic goal from Cenk Tosun, who cut in from the left side onto his right foot and fired an unstoppable shot from distance past Iker Casillas.

With time running down, Ryan Babel sealed the three points for Besiktas, firing a first-time shot from the centre of the penalty area from after a neat one-two with Alvaro Negredo.

Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas has equalled former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs’ record of playing in 19 different Champions League campaigns.

Besiktas were the 53rd different side that Casillas has faced in the competition, extending his run of playing against the most different opponents in the competition.

UCL: Group H results – Ronaldo scores twice to condemn APOEL; Kane’s brace help Tottenham beat Dortmund and break Wembley woes

Real Madrid 3 – 0 APOEL Nicosia
Tottenham Hotspur 3 – 1 Borussia Dortmund

• Real Madrid 3 – 0 APOEL Nicosia

Champions League holders Real Madrid beat APOEL Nicosia 3-0 in Group H on Wednesday night, with Cristiano Ronaldo straight back in the goalscoring groove.

Ronaldo is currently serving a domestic ban for pushing the referee after being sent off in the Spanish Supercopa clash with Barcelona last month.

But the Portuguese superstar scored twice on his return – taking his Champions League career goals tally to a record 107 – and Sergio Ramos added a spectacular overhead kick.
The breakthrough came on the counter-attack in the 12th minute as Isco ran past a series of defenders before laying the ball off to Bale, whose low cross through the box came perfectly to Ronaldo, who made the finish look easy.
Madrid were soon dealt a blow however, when Mateo Kovacic injured himself while passing and was replaced by Toni Kroos.
Ronaldo came close to adding a second goal in the 34th minute but couldn’t turn a sliding effort on target, and early in the second half came inches from scoring when his volley hit the crossbar and came down on the goalline.
The Portuguese star pleaded with the fourth official, though goal-line technology showed that only about half the ball had crossed the line.

But his second did come five minutes later after Roberto Lago was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box, and Ronaldo despatched the penalty.
Sergio Ramos added a third goal in the 61st minute after Bale’s header took a high deflection, and the defender adjusted his body to put the ball into the net with an overhead kick.

Real Madrid have won their first game of a Champions League season played at Santiago Bernabeu in each of the 11 times they have started the campaign at home.

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more home goals (55) than any other player in Champions League history (Lionel Messi, 54).

Ronaldo has scored more penalties (12) than any other player in Champions League history (Lionel Messi, 11).

• Tottenham Hotspur 3 – 1 Borussia Dortmund

Harry Kane scored twice as Tottenham beat Borussia Dortmund to get their Champions League campaign off to a positive start and end their winless run at Wembley.

Kane’s instinct in front of goal was the difference as Spurs were largely forced on the back foot by an impressive German side who dominated territory and possession.

His first goal – a rising angled finish following a determined run down the left – capped a frantic opening 15 minutes in which Son Heung-min’s opener from an angle was cancelled out by a superb curling finish from Dortmund’s Andriy Yarmolenko.

The England forward’s second was a low finish inside the far post on the hour mark to give his side the edge they needed as they overcame the threat of their dangerous and relentless opponent.
However, the home side ended the game with 10 men as defender Jan Vertonghen was shown a second yellow card for catching Dortmund substitute Mario Gotze with a swinging arm.

The visitors can point an accusing finger at the officials, who ruled out a perfectly good goal from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for offside.

This is just the second win of Tottenham’s tenancy at Wembley, which includes all of last season’s home Champions League group stage games and two Premier League matches this campaign.

The victory leaves them second in Group H behind Real Madrid.

UCL: Group A results – United thrash Basel in their return to Champions League; Benfica beaten by CSKA

Benfica 1 – 2 CSKA Moscow
Manchester United 3 – 0 Basel

• Manchester United 3 – 0 Basel

Manchester United opened their Champions League campaign with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Basel at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening.

United, who returned to Europe’s elite club competition after a one-year absence after winning the Europa League last season.

United lost Paul Pogba to injury in the first half but his replacement, Marouane Fellaini, made an instant impact, opening the scoring in the 35th minute.

Romelu Lukaku extended the hosts’ advantage in the 53rd minute before substitute Marcus Rashford made the points safe on what was a comfortable night for Jose Mourinho’s side.

• Benfica 1 – 2 CSKA Moscow

CSKA Moscow came from a goal down to win 2-1 at Benfica.

The hosts could twice have taken the lead in a flurry of action just after the half-hour as Jonas struck an attempt narrowly off target before Alex Grimaldo came closer still when his effort hit a post.

Benfica needed just five minutes of the second half to break the deadlock when Haris Seferovic finished off a pass by Andrija Zivkovic, but CSKA were level just after the hour when Vitinho scored from the spot after a foul following a corner.

And with 20 minutes to play, the Russian side completed the turnaround when Timur Zhamaletdinov took advantage of another corner.

UCL: Group B results – Cavani’s double, Neymar and Mbappe goals help PSG crush Celtic; Bayern beat Anderlecht

Bayern Munich 3 – 0 Anderlecht

Celtic 0 – 5 Paris Saint Germain

• Celtic 0 – 5 Paris Saint Germain

Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani all on target as PSG defeated 5-0 Celtic in Glasgow, their heaviest ever home European defeat.

The world’s most expensive player coolly finished and then had a hand in PSG’s second, which was finished emphatically by Kylian Mbappe.

Edinson Cavani converted a penalty for the visitors’ third before the break.

Mikael Lustig’s own goal was followed by Cavani’s second of the night, a superb diving header.

• Bayern Munich 3 – 0 Anderlecht

Bayern Munich beat 10-man Anderlecht in their Champions League opener, although the German champions were unconvincing.

Anderlecht had Sven Kums sent off after 11 minutes for fouling Robert Lewandowski to concede a penalty, which the Pole scored – his seventh goal in six games this season.

Joshua Kimmich then crossed for Thiago to score their second.

And Jerome Boateng – in his first game of the season after a thigh injury – set up Kimmich’s 90th-minute goal.

UCL: Group C results: Batshuayi bags brace as Chelsea run riot on debutants Qarabag; Stalemate at Stadio Olimpico

Chelsea 6 – 0 Qarabag FK
Roma 0 – 0 Atletico Madrid

• Chelsea 6 – 0 Qarabag FK

Michy Batshuayi scores twice as Chelsea thrashed Qarabag 6-0 at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday in the Champions League.

Davide Zappacosta scored a wonder goal on his full debut.

Pedro Rodriguez powered home the opener from 20 yards in the fifth minute.

Zappacosta beat goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic with a spinning cross-shot from almost on the touchline to put Antonio Conte’s team two up following Pedro’s fifth-minute 20-yard strike.

Cesar Azpilicueta headed a third early in the second half, before a first Chelsea goal from Tiemoue Bakayoko and a brace from Michy Batshuayi saw Conte’s side blitz Qarabag with three strikes in 11 minutes.

The tournament debutants from Azerbaijan rarely looked like troubling Thibaut Courtois in the home goal, with South African centre-forward Dino Ndlovu limited to speculative efforts from distance as the hosts cruised to a comfortable opening-day victory in Group B.

• Roma 0 – 0 Atletico Madrid

Roma and Atletico Madrid played out a goalless draw at the Stadio Olimpico.

Saul Niguez squandered a gilt-edged chance at the death as his effort was saved by keeper Alisson before he smashed the rebound against the post to let the Italians off the hook.

2017/18 UEFA Champions League Group stage draws

Tottenham will face holders Real Madrid in the group stage of the Champions League, while Manchester United will tackle Benfica. Spurs have been drawn in Group H alongside Spanish side Real, German giants Borussia Dortmund and Apoel Nicosia of Cyprus.

The draw pits Spurs against former stars Gareth Bale and Luka Modric.

Premier League champions Chelsea have been drawn to play Atletico Madrid, Roma and Qarabag in Group C, while Europa League winners United face Benfica, Basle and CSKA Moscow in Group A.

Manchester City are up against Shakhtar Donetsk, Napoli and Feyenoord in Group F, and Liverpool will meet Spartak Moscow, Sevilla and Maribor in Group E.

Scottish champions Celtic face an incredibly tough test in a group with Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain and Anderlecht.

Group A:

Benfica, Manchester United, Basel, CSKA Moscow

Group B: Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain, Anderlecht, Celtic

Group C: Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Roma, Qarabag

Group D: Juventus, Barcelona, Olympiakos, Sporting

Group E: Spartak Moscow, Sevilla, Liverpool, Maribor

Group F: Shakhtar Donetsk, Manchester City, Napoli, Feyenoord

Group G: Monaco, Porto, Besiktas, RB Leipzig

Group H: Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham, Apoel

Match day one: 12-13 September

Match day two: 26-27 September

Match day three: 17-18 October

Match day four: 31 October-1 November

Match day five: 21-22 November

Match day six: 5-6 December

UCL Play offs: Liverpool, Qarabag, Sporting advance to group stages

CSKA Moscow 2 – 0 Young Boys

FC FCSB 1 – 5 Sporting CP

FC Koebenhavn 2 – 1 Qarabag FK

Liverpool 4 – 2 Hoffenheim

Slavia Prague 0 – 0 APOEL Nicosia

• Liverpool 4 – 2 Hoffenheim (Agg 6-3)

Liverpool and Sporting Lisbon both went on scoring sprees as they reached the group stage of this season’s Champions League.

Liverpool, 2-1 up from the first leg against Hoffenheim, made sure they would progress by scoring three goals during the first 21 minutes at Anfield.

Emre Can opened their account, before Mohamed Salah added a second and then Can struck again to leave Hoffenheim facing a potential horror show.

The German side replied before half-time through a Mark Uth goal, only for Roberto Firmino to make it 4-1 before Sandro Wagner grabbed a Hoffenheim consolation 11 minutes from time as Liverpool progressed 6-3 on aggregate.

The result ensures England will be represented by five teams when the draw for the group stages is made.

• FC FCSB 1 – 5 Sporting CP (Agg 1-5)

Sporting went one better in Romania, crushing FCSB 5-1 following a goalless first leg.

Seydou Doumbia put Sporting ahead after 13 minutes, but when Junior Morais equalised seven minutes later there was no indication of the one-sided second period to follow.

Steaua subsided during the final 30 minutes, conceding four goals as Sporting cut loose with Marcos Acuna, Gelson Martins, Bas Dost and Rodrigo Battaglia ensuring the Portuguese side powered into the pool draw.

• FC Koebenhavn 2 – 1 Qarabag FK (Agg 2-2)

Azerbaijan challengers Qarabag went through following a tense play-off tie away to FC Copenhagen.

Qarabag took a one-goal advantage with them to Denmark, but they fell behind on the stroke of half-time when Federico Santander netted.

They looked to have eased their nerves, though, when Dino Ndlovu equalised in the 63rd minute, only for Copenhagen to regain the lead just three minutes later through Andrija Pavlovic.

It set up a tight closing 25 minutes, but Copenhagen could not score again, meaning the tie ended 2-2 on aggregate with Qarabag progressing on away goals and becoming the first team from their country to make the Champions League group stage.

• CSKA Moscow 2 – 0 Young Boys (Agg 3-0)

CSKA Moscow, meanwhile, were always in control of their play-off clash against Young Boys at the VEB Arena.

Having won the away leg 1-0, CSKA were rarely troubled by their opponents as goals from Georgi Schennikov and Alan Dzagoev ensured a comfortable passage 3-0 on aggregate.

• Slavia Prague 0 – 0 APOEL Nicosia (Agg 0-2)

Apoel Nicosia arrived with a two-goal advantage from the first leg, and they were able to preserve that comfortable cushion despite Slavia Prague’s best efforts as the tie finished 0-0.

The draw for the group stage begins at 5 p.m. BST, midday ET on Thursday, Aug. 24.

Seeded

Pot 1: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Benfica, Chelsea, Shakhtar Donetsk, Monaco, Spartak Moscow

Pot 2: Barcelona, Atletico, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla, Man City, FC Porto, Man United

Pot 3: Napoli, Tottenham, FC Basel, Olympiakos, Anderlecht, Liverpool, Roma, Besiktas

Pot 4: Celtic, CSKA Moscow, Sporting CP, APOEL Nicosia, Feyenoord, NK Maribor, FK Qarabag, RB Leipzig The first group games will be played on Sep. 12-13.

UCL play offs: Celtic, Napoli, Sevilla qualify for group stage

FC Astana 4 – 3 Celtic

Maribor 1 – 0 Hapoel Beer Sheva

Nice 0 – 2 SSC Napoli

Rijeka 0 – 1 Olympiacos

Sevilla 2 – 2 Istanbul Basaksehir

Celtic, Sevilla, Napoli, NK Maribor and Olympiakos booked their place in the Champions League group stage with victory in the play-off round.

• FC Astana 4 – 3 Celtic (Agg 4-8)

Celtic slipped to a surprise 4-3 defeat against Astana in Kazakhstan but qualified 8-4 on aggregate thanks to their 5-0 first leg win.

There were some nervy moments for the Scottish champions as they slipped to a first defeat of the season in a pulsating encounter at the Astana Arena.

Celtic’s 19-year-old defender Kristoffer Ajer, in for injured Jozo Simunovic, deflected a shot from defender Dmitri Shomko past goalkeeper Craig Gordon in the 26th minute to put the Kazakh side in front, but Scott Sinclair had Celtic level eight minutes later.

Two goals in a minute at the start of the second-half from attackers Serikzhan Muzhikov and Patrick Twumasi brought the home side back to life and, when Ghanaian Twumasi grabbed his second to make it 4-1, the visitors were on the ropes.

However, late goals from Olivier Ntcham and Leigh Griffiths confirmed Brendan Rodgers’ side’s passage into the group stages for the second successive season.

• Nice 0 – 2 SSC Napoli (Agg 0-4)

Second-half goals from Jose Callejon and Lorenzo Insigne earned Napoli a 2-0 win in Nice and ensured their qualification for the Champions League group stages.

The Serie A side won 4-0 on aggregate but it could have been more with Dries Mertens also striking the post and missing several opportunities in a game they largely dominated.

After a frustrating first half, Callejon opened the scoring from close range in the 48th minute from a Marek Hamsik cross while Mario Balotelli was on the sideline receiving treatment.

Insigne’s well-placed effort from the edge of the box in the 89th minute wrapped up proceedings.

Nice, who started with Balotelli, Wesley Sneijder and reported Barcelona target Jean Seri in their side, did rally after going behind but were unable to break down a superior side.

The Ligue 1 outfit will now play in the Europa League for a second consecutive campaign.

• Sevilla 2 – 2 Istanbul Basaksehir (Agg 4-3)

Sevilla overcame a scare from Istanbul Basaksehir to advance 4-3 on aggregate after a 2-2 draw.

After Gabriel Mercado hit the post for the Spanish club, the visitors took a shock lead as Emmanuel Adebayor played in Junior Caicara, whose cross found Eljero Elia in the 17th minute.

That put the Turkish side ahead on away goals, and Sevilla needed to wait until the second half to regain control as Sergio Escudero headed home from a Jesus Navas cross in the 52nd minute.

Wissam Ben Yedder then supplied some breathing room from a tight angle on 75 minutes after some good control by Nolito.

And it would prove to be a needed goal as Edin Visca got a goal back in the 83rd minute, but Basaksehir could not find another, though Emre Belozoglu cracked the post in stoppage time.

• Rijeka 0 – 1 Olympiacos (Agg 1-3)

Olympiakos confirmed their participation in the Champions League group stage with a 1-0 win away to Croatian champions Rijeka.

Former Chelsea winger Marko Marin scored the only goal of the game in the 25th minute, scoring from an angle following a ball from Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe.

That ensured the Greek side a 3-1 aggregate win and a return to the Champions League after they fell at this stage last season.

• Maribor 1 – 0 Hapoel Beer Sheva (Agg 2-2)

Maribor advanced on away goals after securing a 1-0 win over Hapoel Be’er Sheva.

Mitja Viler scored the only goal of the night after a cross from the endline deflected out to him to just inside the box, and he lashed home in the 15th minute.

That ensured the Slovenian champions reached the group stage 2-2 on aggregate after their 2-1 loss in Israel last week.

UEFA Champions League Play-offs : First leg results – Liverpool, CSKA Moscow win; Copenhagen lose

Qarabag FK 1 – 0 FC Copenhagen

APOEL Nicosia 2 – 0 Slavia Prague

Hoffenheim 1 – 2 Liverpool

Sporting CP 0 – 0 FC FCSB

Young Boys 0 – 1 CSKA Moscow

• Hoffenheim 1 – 2 Liverpool

Liverpool will take a one-goal advantage back to Anfield for the second leg of their Champions League play-off tie with Hoffenheim after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick and an own goal earned them a hard-fought victory in Germany.

The 18-year-old fired in a 30-yard free-kick in the 35th minute after Simon Mignolet had earlier saved a tame penalty from former Leicester forward Andrej Kramaric.

James Milner’s cross was then deflected into his own net by Havard Nordtveit in the second half, but substitute Mark Uth gave Hoffenheim a lifeline with an 87th-minute strike.

Benjamin Hubner could have even levelled the tie ahead of the return leg at Anfield on August 23, but missed a free header from close range in injury-time.

• APOEL Nicosia 2 – 0 Slavia Prague

Apoel raced out of the blocks and were out of sight within 10 minutes thanks to goals from Igor de Camargo and Efstathios Aloneftis.

Former Belgium striker De Camargo flicked home Lorenzo Ebecilio’s corner at the near post after only two minutes.

The Cypriot outfit, who were knocked out by FC Copenhagen at this stage last term, then doubled that advantage when Aloneftis superbly chipped the ball over Slavia goalkeeper Jan Lastuvka from 18 yards.

• Young Boys 0 – 1 CSKA Moscow

CSKA Moscow were fortunate to win their first leg against Young Boys.

The hosts were undone by a 91st-minute own goal from Kasim Adams that will send them back to Moscow needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit next week.

Adams was under no pressure when he headed the ball up in the air, then headed it again while trying to give it to his goalkeeper, but it looped over David von Ballmoos and into the net.

• Qarabag FK 1 – 0 FC Copenhagen

Azerbaijani club Qarabag FK moved closer to a first appearance in the Champions League group stage by beating FC Copenhagen 1-0 in the first leg.

Mahir Madatov scored in the 26th minute at the Tofig Bahramov Republican stadium in Baku, bundling home a rebound after Dino Ndlovu’s long-range shot hit the post.

This is the fourth time Qarabag have made it into Champions League qualifying, though they have never progressed beyond the third round.

Copenhagen have advanced from two of their six appearances in the playoffs, in 2010 and last year.

The second leg takes place on Aug. 23 in Denmark.

• Sporting CP 0 – 0 FC FCSB

Romanian side FCSB, formerly known as Steaua Bucharest, managed a 0-0 draw with Sporting in Lisbon despite going down to 10 men late on after Mihai Pintilii was sent off.

UEFA Champions League Final: Record-breaking Ronaldo strikes twice to fire Real Madrid to Champions League glory

Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice as Real Madrid retained their Champions League crown and heaped more final heartbreak on Juventus with a 4-1 win in Cardiff.

In a gripping final, Real took the lead when Ronaldo finished off a flowing counter-attack (20) but Juventus hit back seven minutes later through a skilful overhead kick from Mario Mandzukic that will go down in history as one the greatest goals in Champions League history.

Casemiro fired Zinedine Zidane’s side into the lead on 61 minutes and Ronaldo struck again three minutes later, before Marco Asensio wrapped it up in stoppage time to condemn Juve -who had substitute Juan Cuadrado sent off for two yellow cards late on – to a fifth straight defeat in the showpiece European final (1997, 1998, 2003, 2015, 2017).

Victory for the La Liga giants means they have become the first side to defend the Champions League since its revamp in 1992 and wins them an historic 12th European major title.

This fixture matched up a well-drilled Juventus defence that had conceded just three goals in this season’s competition against a ruthless Real attacking outfit that scored in all of their 12 Champions League matches this season.

Cristiano Ronaldo underlined his status as the Champions League’s greatest goal-scorer with his decisive double taking his tally to 105 career Champions League goals.

• To put that goal haul into perspective, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi has scored 94 times in the competition and the legendary Raul is way back on 71 in third.
• No other player has more than 56.

Most Champions League goals

Player Goals

Cristiano Ronaldo 105

Lionel Messi 94

Raul 71

Ruud van Nistelrooy 56

Karim Benzema 51

• Ronaldo’s opener against Juventus also meant he became the first player in history to net in three different Champions League finals, adding to his strikes for United in 2008 and Real in 2014.

• It’s worth noting Ronaldo had to wait 26 matches before scoring his first Champions League goal – he’s scored 90 in 88 appearances since leaving Manchester United for Real Madrid.

• Ronaldo’s second of the game then took him clear of Messi at the top of the scoring standings for this competition. His 12 goals in the 2016/17 Champions League mean he has finished top scorer in Europe’s elite club contest five years running.

Champions League top scorer 2016/17

Player  Club  Goals

Cristiano Ronaldo  Real Madrid  12

Lionel Messi  Barcelona  11

Edinson Cavani  PSG  8

Robert Lewandowski  Bayern Munich  8

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang  Borussia Dortmund   7

• Ronaldo scores brings up another landmark and his second against Juventus was also his 600th for club and country.

UcL: Semi-finals second leg -result – Isco’s strike sends Real Madrid to UCL final despite Atletico defeat

Atletico Madrid 2 – 1 Real Madrid (Aggregate 2 – 4)

​Defending champions Real Madrid held off a spirited Atletico Madrid to set up a meeting with Juventus in next month’s Champions League final in Cardiff, despite losing 2-1 to Atletico Madrid.

Atletico Madrid, who were playing their last European game at the Vicente Calderon, were tasked with overturning Real’s commanding 3-0  semi-final lead from the first leg, and blew the tie wide open with two goals in the first 16 minutes through a Saul Niguez header and Antoine Griezmann penalty.

However, a sublime moment of skill from Karim Benzema saw him set up Toni Kroos just before half-time, and though the German’s effort was superbly kept out by Jan Oblak, Isco was there to follow up with the rebound and leave Atletico needing three more without reply.

Chances were scarcer for both teams after the break, although home substitute Kevin Gameiro missed two presentable chances to give Atletico a glimmer of hope.

The result means Real have now got the better of their city rivals for a fourth successive season in Europe.

Real will be attempting to become the first team to win the Champions League twice in a row, will meet Juventus at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, 3 June.

Stalemate in Eindoven; City bounce back with brilliant peformance

Manchester City took command of their round of 16 Champions League tie against Dynamo Kiev by earning a 3-1 first leg lead in the Ukraine.
The Premier League title hopefuls produced a brilliant opening 45 minutes, and were rewarded with goals from Sergio Aguero and David Silva.
The second half was a tighter affair, and the hosts pulled one back through a deflected Vitaliy Buyalsky effort, but City held firm and added a late third courtesy of Yaya Toure that leaves them in total control going back to the Etihad.
City’s whole-hearted performance, amid snow flurries on a cold night, made light of their recent poor form and the controversy over their team selection at Chelsea on Sunday.
City’s success also came in the face of a difficult atmosphere. The stadium was not full but the home fans were highly vocal and it was little wonder the club were so pleased UEFA lifted the order to have the game played behind closed doors.

Atletico Madrid ground out a disciplined 0-0 draw at PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie, although they probably thought they should have won it.
The La Liga side had by far the best of the encounter and PSV spent a quarter of the game with ten men following the second half dismissal of Gaston Pereiro for a second bookable offence.
However, Atletico will still consider themselves strong favourites to progress.
PSV were a surprise last-16 package after knocking out Manchester United at the competition’s group stages.
But Atleti predictably proved a far tougher nut to crack, with Diego Simeone’s 2014 finalists having forged a reputation as one of the best defensive units in Europe.
Atleti had conceded only three goals in six games in winning their Champions League group and goalkeeper Jan Oblak had just one save to make in keeping yet another clean sheet for the Spaniards.

Juve draw as Bayern squander two goal lead; Messi’s brace leave Arsenal with mountain to climb

Arsenal are on the verge of being knocked out of the Champions League after Lionel Messi scored two goals to guide Barcelona to a 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium in the last-16 first leg tie.
The holders had plenty of possession but did not have a shot on target in the first half – only for Messi to tuck away his first real chance with 20 minutes remaining before scoring a late penalty to secure a 2-0 win.
Arsenal had a couple of decent chances of their own but have it all to do in the return leg at the Nou Camp on March 16 if they are to go beyond the round of 16 for the first time since 2010.

Juventus came from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich.
Goals from Thomas Muller and Arjen Robben either side of half-time looked to have put Bayern in control of the tie.
But Paulo Dybala pulled one back and substitute Stefano Sturaro equalised to ensure Juventus will go into March 16’s second leg with optimism.
The pre-match team news focused on both team’s defences, with Juve switching to a back four in the absence of Giorgio Chiellini while injury-hit Bayern paired the inexperienced Joshua Kimmich with the versatile David Alaba in the centre. Full-back Philipp Lahm made his 100th Champions League appearance.

UEFA Champions League Group Stage XI

UEFA.com has announced its Champions League XI for the 2015-16 group stage, with no representatives from European champions Barcelona.

Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have the most representatives with two apiece, with Thomas Muller and David Alaba making the cut for the German champions and Kevin Trapp and Thiago Silva included from the French side.

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who was the leading scorer in the group stage with 11 goals and also contributed three assists, is included alongside Muller (five goals, two assists) and Hulk, whose three goals and four assists helped Zenit St Petersburg top Group H.

There is no place for Barca forwards Luis Suarez (five goals, two assists), Lionel Messi (three goals, one assist) or Neymar (two goals, four assists), while Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski (seven goals, no assists), Zenit’s Artem Dzyuba (six goals, two assists) and Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud (five goals, no assists) also miss out.

In midfield, Willian (five goals, one assist) is included after playing a key role for Chelsea as they took top spot in Group G, while Raheem Sterling (three goals, one assist) makes the cut after Manchester City edged out Juventus to finish first in Group D.

Sven Kums (one goal, two assists) is also recognised for his contribution to Gent’s successful start in the competition as they finished ahead of Valencia to take second place in Group H.

PSG keeper Trapp and centre-back Thiago Silva make the XI after Laurent Blanc’s men conceded just one goal in the group stage, while Alaba, Juventus’ Andrea Brazagli and Atletico Madrid’s Diego Godin are selected after their sides conceded three apiece.

GK: Kevin Trapp (PSG)
DF: Andrea Barzagli (Juventus)
DF: Thiago Silva (PSG)
DF: Diego Godín (Atletico)
DF: David Alaba (Bayern)
MF: Sven Kums (Gent)
MF: Willian (Chelsea)
MF: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
FW: Thomas Muller (Bayern)
FW: Hulk (Zenit)
FW: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

UEFA Champions League: Round 16 Draw

Champions League draw was made in Nyon on Monday
Arsenal have been drawn against holders Barcelona in the last-16 of the Champions League, while Chelsea face PSG for the third consecutive season.

Manchester City meanwhile, have been drawn against Dynamo Kiev in a tie for which the game in Ukraine must be played behind closed doors.

Roma versus Real Madrid and Juventus, last year’s beaten finalists, against Bayern Munich are two of the standout matches in the draw.

The winners of each group, including Chelsea and Man City, are at home in the second legs, while Arsenal will host their first leg.

Barca eliminated Arsene Wenger’s side in successive years in 2010 and 2011 and denied the Gunners the trophy with two late goals in the 2006 final at the Stade de France.

The Gunners, who reached the last 16 with a memorable victory at Olympiacos in their final group game, knew they could have faced Barca or 10-times winners Real Madrid.
Their task will be a daunting one and Barca, having beaten Manchester City at this stage for the last two seasons, are clear favourites.

PSG, who are 17 points clear at the top of the French league, beat Chelsea on away goals at this stage last season, while the Blues beat them on the same rule in the quarter-finals the previous year.

Man City will be pleased to have avoided the dangerous PSG as they bid to reach the quarter-finals for the first time but their fans may be frustrated about the Kiev situation.
The Ukrainian club were ordered to play two games behind closed doors last month as punishment for offences that included racial abuse of players by supporters during their group game against Chelsea.
City fans already boo the Champions League anthem in protest against UEFA, chiefly because their fans were not allowed to travel to a game at CSKA Moscow last season. That situation was slightly different, however, as some fans had already made visa, travel and accommodation arrangements before the ruling was made.
Kiev beat City in the 2010-11 Europa League last 16, with Mario Balotelli sent off for the English side.

The draw for the quarter-finals will be held on 18 March with the semi-final line-up drawn on 15 April.

Gent v Wolfsburg
Roma v Real Madrid
Paris St-Germain v Chelsea
Arsenal v Barcelona
Juventus v Bayern Munich
PSV Eindhoven v Atletico Madrid
Benfica v Zenit
Dynamo Kiev v Manchester City

First legs to be played February 16/17 and 23/24.

Second legs to be played March 8/9 and 15/16.

UEFA Champions League: Group Stage Results

Group E
Bayer Leverkusen could not find a winner against Barcelona as a 1-1 draw saw the German side fail to qualify.
Leverkusen, who had not won in Europe since matchday one, could have made it through if they bettered Roma’s result against BATE Borisov.
Barcelona, who were already through as group winners, went ahead on 20 minutes through Lionel Messi, only for the in-form Javier Hernandez (23) to equalise.

Roma secured their place in the knockout stages after a 0-0 Group E draw with BATE Borisov — the night’s only game without a goal.

Group F
Olivier Giroud scored a hat-trick as Arsenal won 3-0 at Olympiacos to make the last 16 of the Champions League for the 16th season in succession.
Going into the game having lost three of their previous five fixtures, the Gunners needed to win by two goals or more at the Karaiskakis Stadium or better the 3-2 defeat they suffered at home to the Greek champions in September.
With seven key first-team players missing through injury, Arsene Wenger recalled Theo Walcott after his recovery from a calf problem, but it was Giroud who would produce the goods when it mattered as Arsenal made light work of a seemingly difficult task to seal a 3-0 win.
For Giroud it would have been all the more sweet given he had been sent off in the 2-1 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb which started a run of poor results that led to Wednesday night’s scenario.
Arsenal become just the eighth side to advance through their group having taken three points or fewer from their opening four matches and Wenger will now be hoping to avoid the big names as they will come up against a group winner in the next round.

Bayern Munich cruised to a 2-0 victory at Dinamo Zagreb, with lethal striker Robert Lewandowski scoring both goals.

The result means Bayern top Group F by six points while Dinamo finish third.

Group G
Chelsea made it three English teams into the knockout stages after beating Porto 2-0at Stamford Bridge courtesy of an Ivan Marcano own goal and second from Willian (52) which saw the Blues as Group G winners.

Dynamo Kiev will join them in the last 16 after beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 1-0 at home with a 16th-minute goal from Denys Garmash.

While, Porto head into the Europa League.

Group H
Belgium were celebrating a first club through to the knockout stages of the Champions League in 15 years after Gent beat Group H winners Zenit Saint Petersburg 2-1 at at Ghelamco Arena.
Laurent Depoitre (18) headed the hosts into a first-half lead, only for Artem Dzyuba to equalise as the Russian team chased a sixth straight European victory.
Danijel Milicevic (78) knocked in a late winner.

Bottom placed Lyon defeated Valencia 2-0.
New Valencia boss Gary Neville will now regroup his squad for the Europa League.
Lyon, who had picked up just one point from their previous five Group H matches, went ahead just before half-time through Gnarly Cornet (37), with Alexandre Lacazette (76) wrapping things up late on.

Group E
Bayer Leverkusen 1 – 1 Barcelona
Roma 0 – 0 BATE Borisov

Group F
Dinamo Zagreb 0 – 2 Bayern Munich
Olympiacos 0 – 3 Arsenal

Group G
Chelsea 2 – 0 FC Porto
Dynamo Kyiv 1-0 Maccabi Tel Aviv

Group H
Gent 2 – 1 Zenit St. Petersburg
Valencia 0 – 2 Lyon

UEFA Champions League: Group Stage Results

Group A
Cristiano Ronaldo made record by scoring four times (and 11 in the group stage), Karim Benzema three goals and Mateo Kovacic scored once as Real Madrid white-washed minnows Malmoe FF 8-0 at the Santiago Bernabeau.
This is the first time two players had scored hat tricks in the same Champions League game, with Real winning Group A and tying a group-stage record margin set by Liverpool in 2007.

Paris Saint-Germain had already secured the runners-up spot in Group A and defeated Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0.
Lucas Moura provided the opening goal with a powerful shot from the edge of the box in the 57th minute before Zlatan Ibrahimovic added a second late on.

With just three points in the group stage, Shakhtar still finished third and secured a spot in the Europa League thanks to their head-to-head record over Malmo.

Group B
Manchester United crashed out of the Champions League with a 3-2 defeat at Wolfsburg on Tuesday.
Anthony Martial gave United the lead in the 10th minute.
But United were only ahead for two minutes when Naldo flicked to beat David De Gea and level the score at 1-1.
Wolfsburg took the lead following a delicious 11-pass move that was finished by Vierinha.
A late own goal by Josuha Guilavogui gave United hope but Naldo found the net shortly after to earn a 3-2 win and send the injury-hit three-time European champions out.
Without seven first-team regulars, Van Gaal was forced to hand defender Guillermo Varela his full debut.
The hosts lived up to their nickname of Die Wolfe and hounded United like a pack of aggressive wolves.

Wolfsburg won Group B while United settle for a spot in the Europa League.

PSV rallied to defeat CSKA Moscow 2-1 to finish runners-up and move on ahead of Man United.
Sergei Ignashevich provided the Russian side a 76th-minute lead, but Luuk de Jong equalised two minutes later before Davy Proepper found the winner four minutes from time.

Group C
Luciano Vietto had a goal and an assist to help Atletico Madrid win Group C with a 2-1 victory at Benfica.
Vietto assissted Saul Niguez to score in the 33rd minute, then scored himself in the 55th minute.
Konstantinos Mitroglou got one back with a shot off the post for Benfica, who advanced as group runners-up.

Galatasaray drew 1-1 with FC Astana to secure their spot in the Europa League.
Selcuk Inan scored for the Turkish giants in the 64th minute to cancel out Patrick Twumasi’s opener moments earlier.

Group D
Manchester City qualified for the Champions League last 16 in first place in Group D after beating Borussia Monchengladbach 4-2 at the Etihad Stadium.

Raheem Sterling scored two and set up another goal as Manchester City produced a late surge to beat Borussia Monchengladbach.
City had trailed after the Germans replied to David Silva’s early strike through Julian Korb and Raffael but Raheem Sterling turned the game around late in the second half with two goals and Wilfried Bony added the final gloss.

With Juventus losing at Sevilla, the result was enough for City to leapfrog the Italians to the top of Group D while Monchengladbach slipped to the bottom and missed out on a Europa League spot. Sevilla earned a spot in the Europa League.
Fernando Llorente’s goal in the 65th minute was the only scoring.

Group A
Paris Saint Germain 2 – 0 Shakhtar Donetsk
Real Madrid 8 – 0 Malmoe FF

Group B
PSV Eindhoven 2 – 1 CSKA Moscow
Wolfsburg 3 – 2 Manchester United

Group C
Benfica 1 – 2 Atletico Madrid
Galatasaray 1 – 1 FC Astana

Group D
Manchester City 4 – 2 Borussia Moenchengladbach
Sevilla 1 – 0 Juventus

UEFA Champions League Results

Kevin De Bruyne struck an injury-time winner as Manchester City came from behind to claim a dramatic 2-1 win over Sevilla in the Champions League.

Group A

The clash between group A leaders Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid ended in a barren draw.

Both teams had six points from their first two matches coming into Wednesday’s match, but Real leads with a superior goal difference.

Malmo picked up their first points of the campaign with a 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk.

Shakhtar have lost all three matches, and may even struggle to progress into the Europa League by finishing third after a goal from Malmo striker Markus Rosenberg gave the hosts a win that should have been by a wider margin.

Group B

Anthony Martial scored as Manchester United earned a 1-1 draw at CSKA Moscow to keep the light on for a Champions League last 16-spot, on their return to the city where they lifted the Champions League in 2008.

United initially froze on a sub-zero night in the Russian capital, gifting CSKA Moscow a penalty when Martial handled in the box.

Seydou Doumbia converted the follow up after David de Gea had tipped Roman Eremenko’s spot-kick on to the post, but Martial ensured the match ended in a 1-1 draw with a second-half diving header.

Wolfsburg now lead the group as second-half goals from Bas Dost and Max Kruse helped Wolfsburg to a 2-0 win over PSV Eindhoven.

Group C

Atletico Madrid made light work of Astana with a 4-0 victory at the Vicente Calderon to stay top of their group.

Saul Niguez found the back of the net with a clever back-heel to put the hosts on their way, before Jackson Martinez got on the scoresheet just a few minutes after he had seen a goal disallowed due to offside.

Oliver Torres made sure of the result with a third for Atletico, finding the back of the net after being played in by Gabi, with Denis Dedechko then firing into his own net late on to make it four.

Galatasaray came from behind to pull off a 2-1 victory against Benfica.

Benfica got off to a flying start as Nicolas Gaitan edged them ahead inside two minutes with a dinked finish.

Selcuk Inan soon equalised from the penalty spot, though, before Lukas Podolski completed the turnaround 15 minutes later.

Group D

Kevin De Bruyne’s stoppage-time goal earned Manchester City a crucial 2-1 win over Sevilla at the Etihad Stadium.

Adil Rami own goal after Yevhen Konoplyanka’s earlier strike saving them from another possible home defeat.

But as the game moved into four minutes of added time, De Bruyne scored the winner as he guided a shot into the bottom corner.

Juventus dropped their first points of the campaign following a 0-0 draw with Borussia Monchengladbach.

Group A

Malmoe FF 1 – 0 Shakhtar Donetsk

Paris Saint Germain 0 – 0 Real Madrid

Group B

CSKA Moscow 1 – 1 Manchester United

Wolfsburg 2 – 0 PSV Eindhoven

Group C

Atletico Madrid 4 – 0 FC Astana

Galatasaray 2 – 1 Benfica

Group D

Juventus 0 – 0 Borussia Moenchengladbach

Manchester City 2 – 1 Sevilla

UEFA Champions League Results

Olivier Giroud and his teammates celebrate his goal for Arsenal in 2-0 win over Bayern Munich.

Group E

Ivan Rakitic was the hero as he scored twice to guide Barcelona to a 2-0 win at BATE Borisov.

Rakitic came on for Sergi Roberto in the 18th minute.

Roma and Bayer Leverkusen drew 4-4 in a wild game in which both teams saw two-goal leads slip.

Leverkusen’s Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez opened the scoring with a fifth-minute penalty after Vasilis Tortosidis was whistled for handling Hakan Calhanoglu’s cross. Hernandez scored his second 15 minutes later after playing a 1-2 with Calhanoglu.

Roma got one back in the 30th minute with Daniele De Rossi to scoring. The Italian side equalised eight minutes later when De Rossi redirected a freek kick by Pjanic, and the Bosnian curled a goal with a long free kick early in the second half.

Gervinho then found Iago Falque in the box to widen Roma’s lead in the 73rd minute, but Leverkusen were not finished as Kevin Kampl scored with a looping shot in the 84th minute and Admir Mehmedi completed the comeback with a goal from close range two minutes later.

Group F

Arsenal defeated Bayern Munich 2-0 at the Emirates as substitute Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil struck late to give life to Arsenal’s Champions League ambition.

After losing their first two matches against Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos, Arsenal needed to take something from their clash with Pep Guardiola’s side and Giroud’s bobbled 77th-minute finish set them on their way before Ozil wrapped up the win in added-on time.

The Germans had arrived at the Emirates Stadium in imperious form following a new Bundesliga record of nine consecutive victories and leaders of Group F with maximum points from two European ties.

However, Arsenal – who had lost their first two matches to sit bottom of the table – produced a resolute display and took the lead on 77 minutes when Giroud headed in after a mistake from goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who had earlier produced a brilliant save to deny Theo Walcott.

Former West Brom striker Brown Ideye scored the only goal for Olympiakos in the 79th minute as the Greek champions won 1-0 away to Dinamo Zagreb.

Group G

Chelsea’s recent struggles continued and the pressure ramped up on Jose Mourinho as the Blues were held to a 0-0 draw at Dynamo Kiev.

Eden Hazard, restored to the starting XI, hit the post with an early shot, Cesc Fabregas felt he was sandwiched in the box but penalty appeals were dismissed, and Nemanja Matic beat three men before prodding wide.

Jose Mourinho spoke out about the referee after a penalty shout was waved away when Cesc Fabregas went down under a Serhiy Rybalka challenge.

Porto lead Group G after managing a 2-0 win at home against Maccabi Tel-Aviv.

Vincent Aboubakar and Yacine Brahimi scored three minutes apart in the first half to give Porto a two-point cushion over Dynamo Kiev and three clear of Chelsea.

Group H

Zenit St Petersburg stayed perfect in Group H, defeating Lyon 3-1 for their third win from three games.

Artem Dzyuba provided Zenit a lead inside three minutes, but Alexandre Lacazette equalised for the French side shortly after the break.

But Hulk put the hosts back in front eight minutes later with a blast from 30 yards, and Danny added a third goal seven minutes from time.

Valenica used a Stefan Mitrovic own goal to squeeze out a 2-1 win at home against Belgian champions Gent.

Sofiane Feghouli and Thomas Foket exchanged first-half goals, but Valencia took the lead again in the 72nd minute when a lobbed cross hit off the top of the crossbar and fell to Jose Luis Gaya, whose shot deflected off Mitrovic and into the net.

Group E

BATE Borisov 0 – 2 Barcelona

Bayer Leverkusen 4 – 4 Roma

Group F

Arsenal 2 – 0 Bayern Munich

Dinamo Zagreb 0 – 1 Olympiakos

Group G

Dynamo Kyiv 0 – 0 Chelsea

FC Porto 2 – 0 Maccabi Tel Aviv

Group H

Valencia 2 – 1 Gent

Zenit St. Petersburg 3 – 1 Lyon

UEFA Champions League Play Off Draw

Manchester United have been handed a relatively easy draw against Club Brugge of Belgium as they seek to return to European Club Football premier competition. The stand out games of the round sees Valencia and Lazio facing Monaco and Leverkusen respectively.

The draws in full as follows:

CHAMPIONS ROUTE

Astana (KAZ)                      vs                            Apoel (CYP)

Skenderbreu (ALB)         vs                            Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)

Celtic (SCO)                        vs                            Malmo (SWE)

Basel (SUI)                          vs                            M. Tel Aviv (ISR)

Bate Borisov (BLR)           vs                            Partizan Belgrade (SRB)

LEAGUE ROUTE

Man United (ENG)          vs                            Club Brugge (BEL)

Sporting CP (POR)            vs                            CSKA Moscow (RUS)

Rapid Wien (AUS)            vs                            Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)

Valencia (ESP)                   vs                            Monaco (FRA)

Lazio (ITA)                           vs                            Bayer Leverkusen (GER)

The first leg of the games will be played on 18/19^th August while the return legs hold on 25/26^th of August.

The 10 winners of the play off will join the 22 other teams who qualified directly to the group stage. They include: Barcelona (holders), Bayern München, Chelsea, Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Zenit, PSV Eindhoven and Real Madrid. Others are Atlético Madrid, FC Porto, Arsenal, Manchester City, Sevilla, Olympique Lyonnais, Dynamo Kyiv, Olympiacos, Galatasaray, AS Roma, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Wolfsburg and  KAA Gent.

Draw facts  

If Valencia win their play-off, Spain will be the first nation to have five clubs in the same group stage.

Borussia Mönchengladbach could be the 11th different German side to compete in the UEFA Champions League group stage, one more than France and behind only Spain on 13. • Astana are the only remaining European Cup debutants.

UEFA Champions League Qualifier Round UP

Celtic moved to the Champions League play-off after playing a goalless draw with Qarabag FK in Azerbaijan.

Shakhtar Donetsk swept into the playoff round of the Champions League after winning Fenerbahce 3-0 in Lviv. New signings Nani and Simon Kjaer took part in the game but Robin van Persie was missing in action.

A late goal from defender Evgeni Postnikov saw Kazakhstan’s FC Astana beat Finland’s HJK Helsinki 4-3 in a thrilling match.

The rest of the night’s results saw CSKA Moscow and BATE Borisov seal progress, while Swiss side FC Basel also went through with a 4-1 aggregate win over Lech Poznan.

FK Partizan overcame Steaua Bucurest with a 4-2 win on the night and Albanian minnows KF Skenderbeu went through after a 2-0 win over FC Milsami Orhei.

Maccabi Tel-Aviv overcame a 2-1 deficit to win 2-0 and beat Viktoria Plzen. Club Brugge defeated Panathinaikos and Salzburg lost a 2-0 lead to go out 3-2 to Malmo.

Results

Astana 4 – 3 HJK

Qarabag FK 0 – 0 Celtic

Sparta Prague 2 – 3 CSKA Moscow

BATE Borisov 1 – 0 Videoton

FC Basel 1 – 0 Lech Poznan

Club Brugge 3 – 0 Panathinaikos

Malmo FF 3 – 0 Salzburg

Partizan Belgrade 4 – 2 Steaua Bucuresti

Shakhtar Donetsk 3 – 0 Fenerbahce

Skenderbeu 2 – 0 FC Milsami Orhei

Viktoria Plzen 0 – 2 Maccabi Tel Aviv