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Real Madrid reached the Champions League last 16 and eased the pressure on coach Zinedine Zidane with a 2-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach.

Karim Benzema netted two first-half headers to settle the contest in the Spanish capital, which Madrid had to win to make certain they did not crash out at the group stage of the competition for the first time.

Gladbach slipped into second spot in Group B with their defeat, but Inter's draw with Shakhtar Donetsk means the Bundesliga side join Los Blancos in the next round.

This was billed as a must-win contest not only for the 13-time European champions' hopes of competing for the trophy, but also for Zidane, whose future came under intense scrutiny after last week's loss to Shakhtar.

There was a clear response to the critics as Madrid led inside nine minutes, Lucas Vazquez picking out Benzema, who headed expertly beyond the reach of Yann Sommer.

Alassane Plea should have levelled but clipped a finish wide of the right-hand post after being sent through on goal by Florian Neuhaus.

That miss was punished just after the half-hour mark, Rodrygo's wicked cross setting up Benzema for a header that was too much for Sommer to keep out.

It would have been 3-0 before the break had Sommer not got fingertips to Luka Modric's volley to turn the ball onto the post, before the excellent Madrid midfielder had an emphatic strike ruled out for an earlier offside against Raphael Varane.

Sommer made a terrific save to keep out a Toni Kroos strike, although Gladbach were certainly improved after the interval and saw another chance go begging when Plea dragged a shot narrowly wide.

Sommer was again at full stretch to claw away Sergio Ramos' header before Benzema's follow-up somehow crashed off the underside of the crossbar and away, and the woodwork again denied Madrid in the closing stages when Vazquez's shot rebounded off the upright.

What does it mean? Stars stand up to spare Zidane

Given the context, this was Madrid's best performance and result of the season.

The ignominy of dropping out of the competition after 28 consecutive qualifications from the group stage would likely have left Zidane's position untenable. As it is, his key players all produced when it mattered to send Madrid through as group winners and keep their coach in a job.

Gladbach disappointed here but have done superbly overall to qualify for the next round.

Modric masterful

Modric was close to his Ballon d'Or-winning standards of two years ago, especially in the first half, when he was unlucky not to score at least one excellent goal.

He attempted more passes in the opposition half (54) than any other player as he knitted the midfield and forwards together with precision.

Plea wilts on the big stage

Plea really should have scored in the first half when Madrid only led by one goal, and his miss seemed to condition the rest of his performance.

He was wayward with his two good openings and completed the fewest passes (13) of any Gladbach starting player not hauled off at half-time.

What's next?

Atletico Madrid visit Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano for Saturday's LaLiga derby match. Gladbach are next in action at home to Hertha Berlin.

Bayern Munich won all of their home games in the Champions League group stage for the second straight season as they saw off Lokomotiv Moscow 2-0 on Wednesday.

With top spot in Group A already ensured for the holders heading into the encounter in Munich, Hansi Flick's side had little pressure on their shoulders.

A toothless first-half display paved the way for a much-improved performance after the break as Niklas Sule's towering header and an excellent finish from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting saw Bayern return to winning ways after drawing with Atletico Madrid last week.

Flick has now won 13 of his 14 Champions League matches in charge of Bayern, who have shown little let up following their triumphant campaign last term.

Bayern enjoyed 69.1 per cent possession in the first half, though their dominance only resulted in one attempt on target.

It came in the 30th minute, with Douglas Costa drilling straight at Lokomotiv goalkeeper Guilherme.

Maciej Rybus and Francois Kamano went close against the run of play, before Thomas Muller sliced just wide at the other end.

Serge Gnabry was introduced at half-time and the winger almost set up an opener within five minutes, with Sule's header from his team-mate's corner kept out by Guilherme.

Brazil-born Russia international Guilherme denied Bayern again moments later, blocking Choupo-Moting's clever flick, but his standout stop came in the 57th minute.

Gnabry met Kingsley Coman's cross and, despite diving in the opposite direction, Guilherme made a supreme save with his feet before Bayern's number seven thumped wide on the rebound.

Lokomotiv's resolve was finally broken in the 63rd minute, though, with Sule meeting Costa's corner and directing a brilliant header beyond Guilherme.

Gnabry saw another stinging effort saved with 10 minutes remaining, but Lokomotiv failed to clear their lines and were punished when Choupo-Moting slammed home his first Champions League goal for Bayern.
 

What does it mean? Bayern dominant, no consolation prize for Lokomotiv

The visitors needed to snatch a win against Bayern to have any chance of clinching a Europa League spot ahead of Salzburg, who went down to Atletico Madrid.

Bayern scored 24 goals in last season's group stage - trailing Paris Saint-Germain's competition record by just one – and though this term's tally of 17 represents a drop-off, the Bundesliga champions have again been in supreme form throughout, with a 4-0 win over Atleti in October a highlight.

Gnabry gets Bayern going

Bayern, who amassed 22 attempts in total, needed more pace and urgency to their play for the second half and Gnabry certainly provided that.

After replacing Muller at the break, the former Arsenal forward created a joint-game-high three chances – along with Costa and Bouna Sarr – including a fine assist for Choupo-Moting's goal.

Guilherme's best efforts not enough

Lokomotiv's goalkeeper was always likely to be busy on Wednesday, but Guilherme certainly did himself proud.

His save from Gnabry's strike was of the highest quality, and in total the 34-year-old tallied up five saves, with both of Bayern's goals down to individual excellence, rather than an error on his part.

Key Opta Facts

- Alongside Manchester City, Bayern (16 points), have qualified for the Champions League knockout stages with the most points of any side in this season's competition (P6 W5 D1 L0).
- Lokomotiv have exited the Champions League, finishing bottom of the group for the third successive year. Indeed, this is the first time the Russian side have failed to register a single win during a campaign in the competition.
- Sule and Choupo-Moting became the 10th and 11th different players to score for Bayern in this season's Champions League, more than any other club in 2020-21 (excluding own goals).
- Sule netted his first Champions League goal in his 25th appearance in the competition, with this his first goal of any kind since April 2019 (versus Werder Bremen).
- Choupo-Moting scored his third Champions League goal (first for Bayern), but his first as a starter in the competition (ninth start). Indeed, he had four shots against Lokomotiv this evening, double that of any of his other appearances in the competition.

What's next?

Bundesliga leaders Bayern travel to Union Berlin on Saturday, while Lokomotiv are in Russian Premier League action at Krasnodar a day later.

Andre Onana was on parade as Ajax were eliminated from the Champions League following their 1-0 loss to Atalanta on Wednesday night.

The 24-year-old was handed his 16th appearance this season across all competitions in the encounter but could pacify the fans of the Sons of the Gods following his bunder against Liverpool in their last outing in the competition.

Curtis Jones capitalized on the Cameroon international’s error to score the only goal of the game at Anfield, which condemned them to their second defeat in the tournament this season. 

The goalkeeper, subsequently, apologized for his laxity in the encounter and promised to make amends against Atalanta.

Ajax’s aim of hitting the ground running was thwarted by the Goddess’ solid defence, which kept the Sons of the Gods’ attack at bay.

In his effort to deal with Atalanta’s attacks, Ryan Gravenberch was cautioned in the 22nd minute before receiving his second booking in the 79th minute and subsequently sent off.

Atalanta capitalized on their numerical advantage to break the deadlock with only six minutes after the incident.

Luis Muriel scored the only goal of the game, with a well-taken effort which made the difference to halt the progress of Ajax in the European competition.

Onana featured for the duration of the match but his effort was not enough to help his side avoid their third consecutive loss.

Ajax finished third in Group D of the competition with seven points from six games behind Liverpool and Atalanta.

Onana made six appearances in the Champions League this season and helped the club win two games.

The Cameroon international will hope to deliver a more impactful contribution when Ajax square off against PEC Zwolle in their next league game on December 12.

Jurgen Klopp admits he may have changed his mind about the need for VAR in football, after another incident-filled match for his Liverpool side in the Champions League.

The Reds’ 1-1 draw with Danish champions FC Midtjylland on Wednesday saw a number of interventions from the video assistant referee.

First Midtjylland were awarded a penalty for a foul by Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher on Anders Dreyer. The forward had initially been flagged offside by the assistant referee but replays showed, eventually at least, that he had been onside, though there was a lengthy delay as the referee headed to the pitchside monitor to rule on Kelleher’s subsequent challenge.

Andreas Scholz converted from the spot to equalise for the home side after Mohamed Salah had opened the scoring.

There was more confusion minutes later when Scholz thought he had smashed the Danes in front after Liverpool failed to clear a free-kick from the left. This time, after an even longer delay, it was found that Sory Kaba had strayed offside as the set-piece was delivered and the goal was chalked off.

Liverpool were next to fall foul. Takumi Minamino’s late strike was initially ruled out for offside, only for replays to show the Japanese star was clearly on. VAR, though, ruled that Sadio Mane had handled the ball in the build-up, though the evidence appeared far from conclusive even after multiple replays.

The game, which had nothing riding on it in terms of final group positions, finished 1-1 after more than eight minutes of stoppage time.

Klopp was asked afterwards about the application of VAR, and admitted that while he had originally been an advocate of bringing technology into the sport, he may now have to reconsider his stance having seen so many controversial incidents – and not just those involving his own team.

“It just took too long,” he said. “I didn’t see it back, if they were right or if they were difficult [decisions] to make, but it took three or four minutes, and in the cold for the boys, it’s really hard.

“I can already hear people saying, ‘my God, is he talking about that again?’ but it took a really long time and it was really cold. That doesn’t help!

“I used to be one of the people who said, ‘yes, VAR is a good idea’ but I’m really not sure if I would say that again, to be honest. Now we have it, and now we have to deal with it.”

Liverpool will assess an injury suffered by Greek left-back Kostas Tsimikas in the second half of Wednesday’s game.

Tsimikas, making only his third Reds start, was replaced by Andy Robertson after 61 minutes after appearing to jar his knee in an innocuous challenge with Dreyer.

Liverpool handed a professional debut to defender Billy Koumetio, who at 18 years and 25 days, became the youngest player to feature for the club in the competition.

Leighton Clarkson, 19, played 90 minutes in midfield, in what was only his third senior appearance.

“We will let them experience this without making this one game too big,” Klopp said. “It’s a wonderful thing to have your first Champions League game, but a career is all about how many you will have.

“Both boys are really skilled but there is a lot to learn. We will give them the time to do so. They helped us a lot tonight because we could rest other players, which was very important.

“I’m pretty sure it was a big night for both of them. I am really thankful they are already as good as they are, that’s the reason we can use them, but I know there is still a lot more to come.”

Arsenal have yet to decide whether William Saliba will be sent out on loan in January.

The 19-year-old centre-back has yet to make a senior appearance for the Gunners following his £27 million move from Saint Etienne in 2018.

He was expected to be a key player this season, having spent the 2019/20 campaign back on loan with his former club in Ligue 1, but things have not gone to plan.

Saliba has suffered some personal issues off the pitch and had to deal with the death of his mother soon after making his move to England.

His struggles to adapt saw him left out of Arsenal’s 25-man squad for the Europa League and he has yet to play a single minute in the Premier League or even make a matchday squad.

The centre-back has instead had to make do with some appearances for the Under-23s and it has been widely expected that he will leave on loan once the January transfer window opens, with Saint Etienne the likely destination.

Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s Europa League meeting with Dundalk on Thursday night, however, Mikel Arteta said a final decision on the defender’s future had yet to be made.

“It's something that we are discussing at the moment,” said the Arsenal boss. “The best thing for us to do. It will be decided soon.”

Saliba was sent off on Tuesday night while playing for Arsenal’s U21s in the Football League Trophy against Wimbledon at Plough Lane.

His continued absence from the first-team has been a source of great frustration amongst some fans and Arteta was asked when they cool expect to finally get their first proper look at the centre-back in the first-team.

“Whenever we have the spaces and we believe that he's ready to play with us,” he replied.

“To be fair, he's made massive improvements in the last few months and it's been a really tricky situation for him. As I mentioned before, designed a pathway for him and there were a lot of things that happened to him in his personal life and professionally as well.

“Now we've made some steps forwards, he's working really hard and played for the under-21s again.

“That was a good game because [Gabriel] Martinelli finally came back for 45 minutes, so I think it was a really positive day for us in terms of that.”

Neymar believes that his future lies with Paris Saint-Germain, saying the idea of leaving the club hasn't even crossed his mind at present. 

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi would then echo the Brazilian's words, saying that contract talks with Neymar as well as Kylian Mbappe were underway and that he is optimistic both players will stay for the long term.

Both Neymar and Mbappe scored in Wednesday night's 5-1 win over Istanbul Basaksehir, a game that began on Tuesday but was postponed after players on both teams walked off the pitch over accusations of racism against the fourth official. 

Neymar netted a hat-trick in the win, which clinched top spot in Champions League Group H for PSG, becoming the first player in the history of the European Cup/Champions League to score 20 goals for two different teams.

Mbappe also made some history with his goal as he became the youngest player to ever reach 20 goals in the Champions League, breaking a record previously held by Lionel Messi.

Neymar, who joined PSG from Barcelona in 2017 in a world-record €222 million transfer, has been frequently linked with a move back to Camp Nou. But with his former side suffering major financial difficulties, a return to Barca appears farther away than ever for the attacker. 

The 28-year-old, whose contract at PSG expires at the end of next season, revealed after the match against Basaksehir that he now sees his long-term future at Parc des Princes.

"I am very happy here in Paris. I am very happy at the club, with my team-mates," Neymar told RMC Sport.

"The idea of leaving does not occur to me. We have to discuss [my contract]. We have a very good relationship, I am very happy and we'll see what happens in the future."

Al-Khelaifi revealed that PSG are also in talks with Mbappe, whose contract also expires in 2022, and believes that both players will eventually commit their future to the Ligue 1 champions.

“We started to discuss with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe," Al-Khelaifi said.

"The discussions will remain confidential but I am very confident. Both want to stay with us."

Mikel Arteta insists he has no regrets about playing Thomas Partey in Sunday’s north London derby, despite confirming the midfielder will miss ‘the next few matches’ with a reoccurrence of his thigh injury.

The Ghana international had missed almost a month of action having initially picked up the injury during the defeat against Aston Villa on November 8.

But he worked tirelessly to be fit into to face Tottenham last weekend and was cleared to play having completed two full days training ahead of Sunday’s clash.

Arteta then started him against Spurs, only for the £45 million deadline day addition from Atletico Madrid to break down just before half-time of the 2-0 defeat which left Arsenal languishing in 15th place in the Premier League

And the Arsenal boss has now confirmed Partey is set for another spell on the sidelines, although he has not yet put a timeframe on when he could be available again.

“He got injured in the same area,” said the Spaniard. “Not exactly the same spot, but similar as it was before.

“We MRI [scanned] him yesterday [Tuesday]. There was an injury there and he will miss the next few matches.”

Arteta has come in for some criticism following Partey’s injury, with many believing he was rushed back too early for such a crucial game.

But the Arsenal boss is adamant that was not the case and that the player had gone through all the necessary checks to ensure he was ready to return.

“No,” he said when asked if Partey had been rushed back.

“He did incredibly well. He was very confident. We tested him three times. He had zero symptoms about it. But in football, you have a lot of unpredictable actions and he went into the floor, his knee got stuck.

“After he needs to stretch and get up. Immediately he put a lot of stress in a similar area and he felt it again.

“After it was said it was a bit too early, I don’t think it was because he was completely fine to play.”

Partey will now definitely miss Thursday night’s Europa League meeting with Dundalk in Ireland and next week’s Premier League meetings with Burnley and Southampton at Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal then travel to Everton before playing Manchester City in the Carabao Cup quarter-final on December 22 and Chelsea on Boxing Day.

Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has urged Dean Smith to keep Marvelous Nakamba in his team despite his struggles for playing time.

Nakamba is having a contrasting campaign at Villa Park compared to his maiden season in England where he played over 30 games across all competitions.

The Zimbabwe midfielder has only played 13 minutes of football in two Premier League outings this term, and he also made three appearances in the Carabao Cup before their exit to Stoke City in October.

The presence of Douglas Luiz, Ross Barkley, Conor Hourihane, Jack Grealish and John McGinn in Dean Smith's squad have made Nakamba drop down the pecking order, however, Agbonlahor thinks the 26-year-old still has a role to play in the squad later in the season.

“I actually don’t, to be honest,” the former Aston Villa captain responded to Football Insider when asked if Nakamba should be sold in January.

“Dean Smith will have picked his 25-man squad for the season, unless he has money to bring in new signings I don’t think he would get rid of him.

“Just because you’ve got Luiz, Grealish, Hourihane, McGinn, Barkley in front of him at the moment, there’s injuries and suspensions that could happen. Who do you call for then? I’m sure he’s the next one in line.

“I’m sure Dean Smith will be thinking he’ll use him at some point this season when needed.

“At the moment Dean Smith needs a big squad for the season. The last thing you want is to have just 18 senior players available, as some clubs have already done this season like Burnley.

“That can easily happen if you decide to move players on. For sure, I think he keeps hold of him and he’s involved in the squad.”

Nakamba joined Aston Villa in 2019 from Club Brugge on a five-year deal.

During his first season at the club, he helped the Claret and Blue Army maintain their top-flight status with his presence in the middle of the park as they finished 17th in the table and he also helped them reach the Carabao Cup final where they lost 2-1 to Manchester City, with Tanzania's Mbwana Samatta scoring Aston Villa's only goal in the game.

A much-changed Liverpool brought their Champions League group-stage campaign to a close with a 1-1 draw against Midtjylland.

Mohamed Salah looked to have set a Reds team featuring European debutant Leighton Clarkson up for a comfortable victory when he scored within the first minute in Denmark.

However, the spirited hosts fought back through Alexander Scholz's second-half penalty, and were perhaps unfortunate not to win at the end of a performance that belied their status as group whipping boys.

With a starting XI showing eight changes from the weekend win over Wolves, the visitors might have been expected to make a slow start to proceedings.

Instead, they netted the quickest goal in their Champions League history, Salah latching onto Scholz's loose backpass and fending off two defenders before poking home with 55 seconds gone.

It would have been 2-0 shortly after but for an instinctive Jesper Hansen save from Diogo Jota's close-range effort.

However, Midtjylland responded well, Sory Kaba drawing a goal-line clearance from Fabinho with a back-post header before testing Caoimhin Kelleher with a powerful shot from a tight angle.

The hosts took that attacking intent into the second half, too, Anders Dreyer meeting a dropping ball to smash the crossbar shortly after the restart.

And they were given a deserved route back into the game on the hour mark when Dreyer was adjudged - following a lengthy VAR check - to have brought down by an onrushing Kelleher in the box, allowing Scholz to score from the spot.

Seemingly at the heart of every key event in the match, Scholz thought he had grabbed his second with a fine finish from a tight angle following a set-piece delivery but this time the VAR intervention went against the hosts.

Takumi Minamino thought he had won it at the end when he turned home after latching onto Sadio Mane's header only for VAR to rule it out for a handball from the Senegalese.

What does it mean?

Both sides' Champions League fates were already decided before tonight, with Liverpool through as group winners and Midtjylland unable to claim a place in the Europa League.

However, the Danes restored a sense of pride with their performance, claiming a point from an opponent who will be among the favourites to go all the way in this competition.

What's next?

Liverpool turn their attentions back to defending the Premier League title when they face Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday. Midtjylland, meanwhile, visit Odense as they look to maintain their lead in the Danish Superliga.

Neymar scored an inspired hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain defeated Istanbul Basaksehir 5-1 to clinch top spot in Champions League Group H in a resumed fixture that saw both sets of players make strong anti-racism messages.

The fixture at Parc des Princes was suspended after 13 minutes on Tuesday after it was alleged fourth official Sebastian Coltescu had exposed Basaksehir assistant Pierre Webo to racist language.

UEFA consequently launched an investigation and, after players for both teams united to make a stand against discrimination, Neymar ran the show, netting twice in a superb first-half showing and completing his hat-trick early in the second.

Kylian Mbappe ended a year-long wait for a Champions League goal before the break and scored a second following Mehmet Topal's brief riposte as PSG beat RB Leipzig to top billing in the pool.

Fredrik Gulbrandsen and Mbappe had missed great chances by the time Neymar received Marco Verratti's pass, nutmegged Carlos Ponck and bent a sublime effort into the top-right corner to open the scoring in sensational fashion.

A rapid counter involving Rafinha and Mbappe resulted in Neymar squeezing his shot past Fehmi Mert Gunok to double the lead.

Mbappe made sure of the win before half-time, smashing home from 12 yards after Mitchell Bakker's tap-in was ruled out for offside but Gunok was penalised for fouling Neymar.

The visitors were again tormented by Neymar, who cut in from the left, combined with Angel Di Maria and rifled in his third from 20 yards five minutes after the restart.

Topal knew little about diverting Irfan Can Kahveci's powerful blast home to frustrate PSG keeper Keylor Navas, but Neymar led the charge from which Mbappe tapped in Di Maria's lay-off to round off a five-star showing.

What does it mean? PSG win group as clubs win applause for anti-racism message

As football continues to battle the evil of racism it was reassuring to see PSG's players and staff make a strong stand with their Basaksehir counterparts by walking off the pitch on Tuesday.

It was a theme that continued prior to Wednesday's resumption, with both sets of players wearing 'No To Racism' t-shirts (the same message was displayed in the stands, as was one of support for Webo from PSG's ultras), while players mixed in the centre circle and took the knee.

The message was strong, the message was clear and the response from both teams has been impressive.

Basaksehir grateful to see Ney-mar of PSG star

Amid the seemingly never-ending accusations of a penchant for theatrics it can often frustratingly feel that Neymar's inimitable talent can be forgotten.

For anyone who needed a reminder, there was one here. Neymar, who is now the first player to score 20 Champions League goals with two different teams, put six of his seven attempts on target, had a part in all five goals and completed 45 of 55 passes.

Mbappe masters Messi record

Mbappe had missed a couple of chances prior to whacking home his spot-kick for a first Champions League goal since a 5-0 hammering of Galatasaray a year ago.

Aged 21 years and 55 days, he is the youngest player to reach 20 Champions League goals, beating the record of Lionel Messi (22 years, 266 days). Whatever happened to him?

Key Opta Facts

- PSG have now won their last five Champions League matches against Turkish sides by an aggregate score of 15-1, with this their heaviest victory in the competition since beating another Turkish side, Galatasaray, 5-0 in December last year.
- Since both Kylian Mbappe and Neymar signed for PSG in August 2017, they have combined for more Champions League goals than any other duo (nine), with Neymar scoring four of those.
- Neymar's treble for PSG was his third Champions League hat-trick, also doing so against Celtic in December 2013, and against Crvena Zvezda in October 2018; indeed, only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (eight each) have scored more hat-tricks in the competition than the Brazlian.
- Only Edinson Cavani (30) has scored more Champions League goals for PSG than Neymar, who, thanks to his hat-trick, moves level with Zlatan Ibrahimovic on 20.

What's next?

PSG are in Ligue 1 action at home to Lyon on Sunday, while Basaksehir host Gaziantep in the Turkish Super Lig.

Real Madrid reached the Champions League last 16 and eased the pressure on coach Zinedine Zidane with a 2-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach.

Karim Benzema netted two first-half headers to settle the contest in the Spanish capital, which Madrid had to win to make certain they did not crash out at the group stage of the competition for the first time.

Gladbach slipped into second spot in Group B with their defeat, but Inter's draw with Shakhtar Donetsk means the Bundesliga side join Los Blancos in the next round.

This was billed as a must-win contest not only for the 13-time European champions' hopes of competing for the trophy, but also for Zidane, whose future came under intense scrutiny after last week's loss to Shakhtar.

There was a clear response to the critics as Madrid led inside nine minutes, Lucas Vazquez picking out Benzema, who headed expertly beyond the reach of Yann Sommer.

Alassane Plea should have levelled but clipped a finish wide of the right-hand post after being sent through on goal by Florian Neuhaus.

That miss was punished just after the half-hour mark, Rodrygo's wicked cross setting up Benzema for a header that was too much for Sommer to keep out.

It would have been 3-0 before the break had Sommer not got fingertips to Luka Modric's volley to turn the ball onto the post, before the excellent Madrid midfielder had an emphatic strike ruled out for an earlier offside against Raphael Varane.

Sommer made a terrific save to keep out a Toni Kroos strike, although Gladbach were certainly improved after the interval and saw another chance go begging when Plea dragged a shot narrowly wide.

Sommer was again at full stretch to claw away Sergio Ramos' header before Benzema's follow-up somehow crashed off the underside of the crossbar and away, and the woodwork again denied Madrid in the closing stages when Vazquez's shot rebounded off the upright.

What does it mean? Stars stand up to spare Zidane

Given the context, this was Madrid's best performance and result of the season.

The ignominy of dropping out of the competition after 28 consecutive qualifications from the group stage would likely have left Zidane's position untenable. As it is, his key players all produced when it mattered to send Madrid through as group winners and keep their coach in a job.

Gladbach disappointed here but have done superbly overall to qualify for the next round.

Modric masterful

Modric was close to his Ballon d'Or-winning standards of two years ago, especially in the first half, when he was unlucky not to score at least one excellent goal.

He attempted more passes in the opposition half (54) than any other player as he knitted the midfield and forwards together with precision.

Plea wilts on the big stage

Plea really should have scored in the first half when Madrid only led by one goal, and his miss seemed to condition the rest of his performance.

He was wayward with his two good openings and completed the fewest passes (13) of any Gladbach starting player not hauled off at half-time.

What's next?

Atletico Madrid visit Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano for Saturday's LaLiga derby match. Gladbach are next in action at home to Hertha Berlin.

Misfiring Inter and Shakhtar Donetsk missed out on the Champions League round of 16 following a goalless draw on a miserable Wednesday night at San Siro.

All four sides in Group B started the final round of matches with a chance of progressing and it was Real Madrid who advanced along with Borussia Monchengladbach after a 2-0 victory for the LaLiga giants.

Lautaro Martinez struck the crossbar early on and missed several other chances of a frustrating evening for Antonio Conte's side, who could not fashion a winner to put them through and ended up bottom of the group.

Injury-hit Shakhtar posed more of a threat in the second half but were similarly unable to make it count, though they do have the consolation of a place in the Europa League.

Inter started strongly and they were almost in front when Martinez rattled the crossbar from eight yards out after Nicolo Barella squared the ball from the right just six minutes in.

Martinez then turned sharply and blazed over and Stefan de Vrij was unable to finish from close range when Shakhtar failed to deal with a corner.

Vitao was substituted after seemingly picking up an injury, having been fortunate to escape with a yellow card for a cynical foul on Romelu Lukaku, and Martinez headed straight at goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin late in a first half dominated by the Nerazzurri.

Trubin produced a fine reflex save to keep out Lukaku's glancing header early in the second half and Martinez sliced an effort wide as Inter's anxiety mounted.

Milan Skriniar's strike deflected just wide of the far post, but Shakhtar could have snatched an opener on the break, with Mateus Tete's shot palmed away by Samir Handanovic and Maycon firing off target following up.

Substitute Alexis Sanchez nodded a great chance over in the closing stages and then rose to meet a corner but saw his powerful header hit Lukaku, which summed up Inter's night, and Trubin tipped over Christian Eriksen's drive as both sides bowed out.
 

Bayern Munich won all of their home games in the Champions League group stage for the second straight season as they saw off Lokomotiv Moscow 2-0 on Wednesday.

With top spot in Group A already ensured for the holders heading into the encounter in Munich, Hansi Flick's side had little pressure on their shoulders.

A toothless first-half display paved the way for a much-improved performance after the break as Niklas Sule's towering header and an excellent finish from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting saw Bayern return to winning ways after drawing with Atletico Madrid last week.

Flick has now won 13 of his 14 Champions League matches in charge of Bayern, who have shown little let up following their triumphant campaign last term.

Bayern enjoyed 69.1 per cent possession in the first half, though their dominance only resulted in one attempt on target.

It came in the 30th minute, with Douglas Costa drilling straight at Lokomotiv goalkeeper Guilherme.

Maciej Rybus and Francois Kamano went close against the run of play, before Thomas Muller sliced just wide at the other end.

Serge Gnabry was introduced at half-time and the winger almost set up an opener within five minutes, with Sule's header from his team-mate's corner kept out by Guilherme.

Brazil-born Russia international Guilherme denied Bayern again moments later, blocking Choupo-Moting's clever flick, but his standout stop came in the 57th minute.

Gnabry met Kingsley Coman's cross and, despite diving in the opposite direction, Guilherme made a supreme save with his feet before Bayern's number seven thumped wide on the rebound.

Lokomotiv's resolve was finally broken in the 63rd minute, though, with Sule meeting Costa's corner and directing a brilliant header beyond Guilherme.

Gnabry saw another stinging effort saved with 10 minutes remaining, but Lokomotiv failed to clear their lines and were punished when Choupo-Moting slammed home his first Champions League goal for Bayern.
 

What does it mean? Bayern dominant, no consolation prize for Lokomotiv

The visitors needed to snatch a win against Bayern to have any chance of clinching a Europa League spot ahead of Salzburg, who went down to Atletico Madrid.

Bayern scored 24 goals in last season's group stage - trailing Paris Saint-Germain's competition record by just one – and though this term's tally of 17 represents a drop-off, the Bundesliga champions have again been in supreme form throughout, with a 4-0 win over Atleti in October a highlight.

Gnabry gets Bayern going

Bayern, who amassed 22 attempts in total, needed more pace and urgency to their play for the second half and Gnabry certainly provided that.

After replacing Muller at the break, the former Arsenal forward created a joint-game-high three chances – along with Costa and Bouna Sarr – including a fine assist for Choupo-Moting's goal.

Guilherme's best efforts not enough

Lokomotiv's goalkeeper was always likely to be busy on Wednesday, but Guilherme certainly did himself proud.

His save from Gnabry's strike was of the highest quality, and in total the 34-year-old tallied up five saves, with both of Bayern's goals down to individual excellence, rather than an error on his part.

Key Opta Facts

- Alongside Manchester City, Bayern (16 points), have qualified for the Champions League knockout stages with the most points of any side in this season's competition (P6 W5 D1 L0).
- Lokomotiv have exited the Champions League, finishing bottom of the group for the third successive year. Indeed, this is the first time the Russian side have failed to register a single win during a campaign in the competition.
- Sule and Choupo-Moting became the 10th and 11th different players to score for Bayern in this season's Champions League, more than any other club in 2020-21 (excluding own goals).
- Sule netted his first Champions League goal in his 25th appearance in the competition, with this his first goal of any kind since April 2019 (versus Werder Bremen).
- Choupo-Moting scored his third Champions League goal (first for Bayern), but his first as a starter in the competition (ninth start). Indeed, he had four shots against Lokomotiv this evening, double that of any of his other appearances in the competition.

What's next?

Bundesliga leaders Bayern travel to Union Berlin on Saturday, while Lokomotiv are in Russian Premier League action at Krasnodar a day later.

The Kenya national U17 team has landed in Kigali, Rwanda ahead of the upcoming Cecafa U17 Championship.

The Oliver Page’s side is in Group A which also has South Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia. The junior side will have to overcome the pressure and post good results especially after the U20 side faltered at the penultimate stage in the recently held championship in Tanzania.

After going through the group stage unbeaten, Kenya were finally eliminated by eventual winners Uganda in the semi-finals.

The Rising Stars were also defeated by South Sudan in the third-place playoffs and that means the U17 side are going into the tournament just after the unwanted results from their senior brothers.

Hosts Rwanda are in Group A alongside Eritrea and South Sudan while Group C has Sudan, Djibouti and Tanzania. The regional tournament will start on December 12 and will end 10 days later.

The U17 players were largely picked from the side that reached the Cecafa final last year and a number were selected from a pool of stars who were scouted from across the country in an exercise that took two weeks before the team was assembled.

The junior stars are expected to participate in a recovery training session on Tuesday at the IPRC Kicukiro ground as they stay at the Lemigo Hotel in the country’s capital city.

Goalkeepers: Alvin Odari (FKF Center of Excellence), Ibrahim Wanzala (St.Peters Mumias), Daniel Ochieng (Ringa Secondary)

Defenders: Abdikadir Mursal Harun (Isiolo Baracks) Salimu Hamisi Omari (Mweza Secondary), Yasin Rajab Umar (FKF Center of Excellence), Rabok Ryan Wesley Ogam (Kakamega High), James Gachago (Moorland School, UK), Irungu Sigmunn Maina (Eastleigh High School), Opande Faiz Ouma (Aquinas High School)

Midfielders: Munyao Linus Kaikai (Kakamega High), Injehu Kevin Wangaya (FKF Center of Excellence), Wafula Issa Lumumba (St. Anthony Boys), Vihenda Silas Maloba (Kakamega High), Kahindi Nyale Khamis (FKF Center of Excellence), Teddy Sirma (FKF Center of Excellence), Omondi Andreas Odhiambo (FKF Center of Excellence), Phabian Sheldon Odhiambo (Ongata Secondary)

Forwards: Jefwa Majaliwa Charo (Tandee High School), Nduni Ali Hamisi (Shimba Hills Secondary), Harel Gil (Claremont School), Muendo Kenn Kyalo (St.Anthony Boys), Ouma Victor Otieno (Jamhuri High School), Ochieng Baron (Dagoretti High School), Koome Dennis (Kanda High School).

Mohamed Salah became Liverpool's all-time top Champions League goalscorer with his first-minute strike against Midtjylland on Wednesday.

The goal was Salah's 22nd for the Reds in Europe's top club competition, overtaking Steven Gerrard, who scored 21 Champions League goals for Liverpool in his career.

Gerrard became a club legend during his 17 seasons at Anfield, famously helping Liverpool win the Champions League in 2005 with a three-goal comeback over AC Milan.

Salah's early strike set another record as well, with his goal after just 55 seconds the fastest Liverpool have ever scored in a Champions League game.

Wednesday's Group D finale did not have meaning in the standings for either side, with Liverpool having already clinched first place in the group before the game and their Danish opponents consigned to finish in last.

As such, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was able to rotate his squad and include several young players, which meant his Liverpool side was the youngest the club has ever fielded in the Champions League.

With an average age of 24 years and 26 days, no Reds team in the club's 128 total Champions League matches has ever been younger. 

One of those youngsters given a chance to impress was academy product Leighton Clarkson, who was handed his Champions League debut. 

Ahead of the game, Klopp spoke highly of the 19-year-old, a player he believes has a bright future at Anfield. 

"I am really looking forward to the game. I made some changes, we had to. We are bringing in fresh legs and natural desire," Klopp told BT Sport.

"Leighton Clarkson is one of the biggest talents at our club. He is a No.6 type of midfielder, can play eight, very talented, good football playing boy."

Klopp will be happy to have been able to rotate his side, with a pair of Premier League matches set for the next week. 

The Reds face Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday before they face a top-of-the-table showdown against Tottenham three days later. 

Liverpool are currently level on points with Jose Mourinho's side at the top of the Premier League standings, with Spurs in first place on goal difference. 

Amine Harit has returned to training with his Schalke 04 teammates on Wednesday while Nabil Bentaleb continues to train alone until further notice.

The Bundesliga club revealed the 23-year-old Moroccan has joined Manuel Baum's side in preparing for Sunday's league trip to Augsburg after missing their last two games.

Following Schalke 04's 2-0 loss to Wolfsburg on November 24, the club's head of sport and communication, Jochen Schneider said Harit needed to reflect on his actions which consequently led him to train alone for about two weeks.

Ahead of his potential return to action on Sunday, the 'valuable' Morocco midfielder who has played six Bundesliga matches so far in this campaign, is expected to help the Royal Blues end their 26-game winless streak in the German top-flight.

“We’ve said from the start that Amine’s period of reflection would end if he made the right decisions about his behaviour,” Schneider said.

“Through talks with Amine, he has convinced us that he can once again be a valuable part of the team. Together with head coach Manuel Baum and the rest of the coaching staff, he’ll do everything to rediscover his footballing potential.”

A decision is yet to be made regarding Nabil Bentaleb’s fate at the Veltins-Arena which leaves him to continue his individual training session.

The Algeria international, meanwhile, has reacted to his exile at the club and he stated that he was disappointed by Schalke 04’s move to suspend him from first-team training without any justification.

Royal Blues are enduring a bleak start to the 2020-21 season having picked up just three points from 10 league games so far which puts them at the bottom of the Bundesliga table.

They are yet to win a league match since the start of 2020 when they defeated Borussia Monchengladbach 2-0 at home.

Sparta Rotterdam goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has attributed his new found-form to his consistent hard work.

The 21-year-old is enjoying stellar progress in his career, having become the first choice for the Dutch side.

The shot-stopper teamed up with the Red and White Gladiators in the summer after leaving Fortuna Düsseldorf II in his quest to enjoy top-flight action.

Okoye has since been featuring consistently for Sparta Rotterdam, playing five league games and helping them secure three wins in their last four games.

His impressive form in goal has helped Henk Fraser’s men move to 10th on the league table after accruing 12 points from 10 games.

Okoye was also in goal in Nigeria’s defeat to African champions Algeria and a draw against Tunisia in friendlies in October.

He was also preferred in goal when the three-time African champions played out a back-to-back draw against Sierra Leone in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Okoye earned rave reviews for his performances in the double-headers and has revealed the secret to his new-found form.

“I think hard work is always paying off, it’s just a matter of time and a matter of God’s planning and timing,” Okoye told AOI.  

“That’s why I trusted my process and kept on doing my thing and will continue to do it. It’s important that I am in a good position with my team after a difficult start to the season for us.

“The last few months have been amazing for me and the squad so I just want to help the team achieve our goals.”

Okoye started his career with the Bayer Leverkusen youth team before moving to Fortuna Düsseldorf in 2017.

The goalkeeper will be expected to be in action when Sparta Rotterdam take on Willem II on December 13.

Simba SC returned to the local scene with a 2-0 win against Polisi Tanzania in a Mainland Premier League match played at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Wednesday.

The champions were not involved last weekend as they were featuring in the Caf Champions League, and they came into the league match having won the last one 7-0 against Coastal Union.

It was Zambian midfielder Clatous Chama who sealed the points for Simba, as he notched a double after coming on as a second-half substitute.

After shaking off an injury sustained in Nigeria during their Champions League match against Plateau United, Kenya defender Joash Onyango was drafted back into the squad alongside midfielder Francis Kahata, who has been warming the bench for the better part of this campaign.

With striker John Bocco dropping into the bench, Ivorian defender Pascal Wawa was given the armband to lead the side while Rwandan star Meddie Kagere also picked a rare start after recovering from injury.

Simba knew very well a win will keep them in touch with rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) at the top of the 18-team league table and they started the match on a high note with Kagere forcing the Polisi keeper with a nice save from a well-taken header.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi continued to threaten and Kagere once again found himself with another golden chance to put them ahead, but after rounding the defenders, he fumbled with the ball and lost it in the process as it rolled out for a goal-kick.

Another chance for Simba came in the 36th minute when Kahata combined well with Luís Miquissone and Bernard Morrison, but the Ghanaian midfielder could not place the ball inside the net as the Polisi keeper was outside his line.

The team’s headed into the break tied at 0-0 and on resumption, Simba continued from where they left as they tried to break down the Polisi defence for the opening goal.

However, they were forced to wait until the 64th minute when midfielder of the year Chama came on after replacing Yassin Mzamiru, and with his first touch of the ball, he side-stepped the Polisi defenders to slice the ball home for the opening goal.

Chama was at it again with 90 minutes on the clock when he sealed the points for Simba with a sublime finish from outside the box.

With the win, Simba have now reached 26 points, eight fewer than table-toppers Yanga and with two matches in hand, while Azam are second on 27 points.

In another match played on Wednesday, Namungo FC settled to a 0-0 draw against Biashara United at Majaliwa Stadium in Lindi.

Like Simba, Namungo were not involved in league matches last weekend as they were taking part in the Caf Confederation Cup where they beat Al-Rabita of South Sudan 3-0 on aggregate to advance to the second preliminary round.