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Bloemfontein Celtic head coach John Maduka says they are happy to be the underdogs heading into the 2020 MTN8 final against Orlando Pirates.

The two teams are set to battle for a trophy and R8 million prize money at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday evening. 

Pirates embarrassed their arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the semi-finals as they secured an emphatic 5-0 aggregate win and they are widely to the considered to be the favourites to win the MTN8.

Malawian tactician Maduka explained that they will use the underdog tag to their advantage when they face a Bucs side which is undefeated this season. 

“We are going there as underdogs, most of the people expect Pirates to beat us and win,” Maduka told the media. 

“So, that again gives us that advantage because the pressure is not on us. The pressure in on Pirates, the majority of people think Pirates are going to beat us and as a team we have planned.

"We have worked hard and [we are] looking forward to the final."

Phunya Sele Sele are coming into the final brimming with confidence after reaching the Caf Confederation Cup first round in their debut appearance in a continental tournament. 

They defeated DR Congolese side AS Maniema Union 3-2 on penalties on Saturday after the preliminary round tie ended in a 2-2 draw on aggregate. 

Maduka believes the experience gained from their two clashes with Maniema will help them as they prepare to face nine-time MTN8 champions Pirates this weekend. 

“We have learnt a lot in the Caf competition. The teams fight from the word go all the way to the final whistle and that’s one thing that we have learned," he added.

"There is so much in the tactical part of it whereby the game is physical." 

Celtic and Pirates have already met this season with the Buccaneers emerging 1-0 winners in a Premier Soccer League (PSL) match courtesy of Siphesihle Ndlovu's late goal last month.

This will be Celtic's second major cup final in three months having succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns in last season's Nedbank Cup in September 2020.

Nairobi City Stars midfielder Elvis Ojiambo has explained why his Football Kenya Federation Premier League debut was laden with pressure.

The teenager made his debut against Nzoia Sugar, a game which his side won 2-0 at the William Ole Ntimama Stadium on November 29. He was paired in the midfield alongside experienced Peter Opiyo.

 “For me, it was such a big game. I have to admit that I was very nervous before and during the game,” Ojiambo told the club’s portal. “It was my first ever Premier League game and it was a very big one for me.

“It came with pressure.”

The former Kibera Black Stars midfielder played for slightly over an hour before he was replaced by Sven Yidah, who was signed from Kariobangi Sharks.

Ojiambo also earned another start in the second Premier League game which they lost against KCB at Kasarani on Friday. The midfielder has drawn comparisons between the Nzoia Sugar and the KCB games.

“It [the KCB game] was the second Premier League game and there was little pressure compared to the first,” he continued. “I am now slowly coming to terms with playing the games at this level.”

In the Narok game, Ojiambo’s younger sibling Timothy Noor Ouma – the reigning Rift Valley Chapa Dimba Most Valuable Player – also made his Premier League debut after when he came on for Oliver Maloba.

Steve Njunge, who denied Cliff Kasuti a goal from the penalty spot during their game against Nzoia Sugar, Herit Mungai Atariza, Kennedy Onyango, Salim Abdalla, Wycliffe Otieno, Peter Opiyo and Agesa are the players who earned full debuts in Simba wa Nairobi colours.

Yidah earned his 98th appearance in the Premier League.

Anthony Kimani and former Gor Mahia star Maloba are the only players who featured against Nzoia Sugar in Narok who have played in the Premier League for the Kawangware-based side previously.

The Kawangware club will face Bandari on December 11 before a game against their former NSL rivals Bidco United on December 17.

Eyes are on Nairobi City Stars to see whether they will replicate their NSL dominance in the Premier League after they were relegated two seasons ago.

Manchester City have such a strong and deep squad that their "B team" would be good enough to win the Champions League, according to Marseille manager Andre Villas-Boas.

Marseille face City on Wednesday evening needing to better Olympiacos's result to finish third in their group and qualify for the Europa League, while the Premier League side have already booked their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Pep Guardiola is likely to rotate his team with City having already secured top spot, but Villas-Boas does not think this will make Marseille's task any easier, as even the English side's second string is capable of winning Europe's premier club competition.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Villas-Boas said: "Qualifying is not in our hands. Hopefully Porto will do us a favour but we know it is going to be hard against Manchester City. They have so many options, and so many top-level options as well.

"We cannot rely on Porto but we must be at our best to get a positive result because City’s B team are strong enough to win the Champions League, I think."

Villas-Boas is hoping Porto - with whom he started his managerial career and won the Europa League - will do Marseille a favour by beating Olympiacos in their final group match on Wednesday night.

For City, their aim is to finally win the Champions League for the first time, and Villas-Boas is backing Guardiola - who won the competition on two occasions as head coach at Barcelona - as the right man to bring the trophy to the blue half of Manchester.

He said: "The expectations have been very high for City but there will be nobody with more willingness to win it than Pep at this moment. Every year that they start they believe it’s going to be their year and they have the capacity and the squad, but it’s down to small details.

"In the Champions League I’m no expert. Pep is the expert, he’s won it twice as a manager.

"City have been waiting so long, and the quality they have is second to none, the options they have."

Kaizer Chiefs captain Itumeleng Khune believes a victory over Black Leopards will spark a turnaround in the Soweto giants' fortunes.

Amakhosi will resume their Premier Soccer League (PSL) campaign when they play host to Lidoda Duvha at FNB Stadium on Wednesday night. 

Khune recently led the Naturena-based giants to a 1-0 win on aggregate against Cameroonian side PWD Bamenda in the Caf Champions League preliminary round tie

“We had two great games in the Champions League. Going through to the next round is a good morale booster for us. We now have to shift our focus back to the PSL," Khune told the club's official website. 

“It’s not going to be easy. But we have good energy and we have a great attitude in the camp at the moment. We are looking forward to hosting Black Leopards on Wednesday evening.

"Obviously winning the game and making our supporters proud are our biggest priorities.”

It will be a battle between two teams which have endured poor starts in the league this season with Chiefs and Leopards having recorded one win each from five matches. 

Khune stressed the importance of securing a victory over the Limpopo-based side with Amakhosi winless in their last three league games.

“We did not start the season well. We have a chance on Wednesday against Leopards who have also not been doing too well," he continued. 

"We stand a great chance of getting a positive result because of the confidence we gained against Bamenda."

The 33-year-old goalkeeper believes that the current Chiefs team has the ability and the experience to take charge of the current situation and turn things around.

“I have been in this situation before. It takes a lot of courage from every individual to make the team tick and to get the confidence behind everyone in the team," he said. 

"It requires all of us to work hard and be leaders on the field. As the captain, I just wear the armband, but all the guys are leaders. The sooner we understand that, we as a team can change the situation for the better.”

The experienced player went to state that they miss having fans in the stadium as matches are being played behind closed doors in South Africa due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

“Everyone is getting used to the ‘new normal’ but it’s been difficult. We are used to playing in packed stadiums and we miss our fans. They are the driving force behind the team. They give us a lot of confidence going into games," he added. 

"There is a big difference in not having them in the stadium but it’s encouraging to know they are rooting for us from home. We promise them that will continue working hard and push for positive results whenever we play.”

Chelsea have been given a fitness boost after confirmation hamstring injuries suffered by Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi are not serious.

Morocco attacking midfielder Ziyech limped out of Chelsea's 3-1 win over Leeds United in the Premier League last weekend, while England winger Hudson-Odoi suffered a similar injury in training.

However, Chelsea boss Frank Lampard said after his side's 1-1 draw with Krasnodar in their final Champions League group game on Tuesday that the duo will be back soon.

Chelsea face Everton in the Premier League on Saturday before games against Wolves and West Ham on December 15 and 21 respectively.

"Both players are hopefully going to be fit for a week on Wednesday," Lampard told a post-match media conference.

"They had scans which are showing the injuries will be two weeks, so that's positive, particularly with Hakim.

"With Callum we didn't know what to expect when he got injured in training a couple of days ago."

Victory for Chelsea over Krasnodar would have given them their highest ever points total in a single Champions League group stage (16).

But the Blues fell short of the milestone after a subdued game at Stamford Bridge, having already qualified as Group E winners as Jorginho's penalty cancelled out Remy Cabella's opener.

Lampard acknowledged none of his players really stood out against the Russian side, but he was impressed with the performance of midfielder Billy Gilmour.

The 19-year-old Scot made 83 passes with an accuracy of 89.2 per cent, and had 97 touches – more than any other player on the pitch.

"Billy Gilmour was very good on his first start this season. I'm very pleased. We wanted to win but that wasn't to be," Lampard told BT Sport.

"I liked the discipline of the team – they had some counter-attacking moments but nothing big."

On whether he would send Gilmour out on loan, Lampard added: "Not sure. The way he trains and plays I can see him with us. I have to make sure the pathway is right.

"Everyone was pretty good. There weren't outstanding performances, but I asked the lads to be professional and they were.

"I don't think we can over-analyse the group stage – we've won the group and it's good progression."

Lampard also praised the composure of Tino Anjorin, who became the ninth youngest player to debut for Chelsea in the Champions League at 19 years and 15 days.

"He is a work in progress, but the more he trains with us the better he will get," Lampard said.

"I thought he did well tonight with a good debut. In training he has showed a real ability to step straight into the level in terms of his ability on the ball."

Cristiano Ronaldo insisted he never saw Lionel Messi as a rival after Juventus brushed past Barcelona in the Champions League.

Ronaldo converted two penalties and Weston McKennie also scored at Camp Nou, where Juve claimed a 3-0 win and top spot in Group G on Tuesday.

Messi had a game-high 11 shots, including seven on target, but Barca fell as he faced Ronaldo – who starred during nine seasons in La Liga with Real Madrid – once more.

Ronaldo, who shared a brief embrace with Messi before the clash, said there was no rivalry between the two all-time greats.

"I have always had a very cordial relationship with him," the Juve star told Movistar.

"I shared 12, 13 or 14 years of award ceremonies with him. I never saw him as a rival.

"He always tries to do what is best for his team and me too. I always got along very well with him.

"But we know that in football, for the press, for the show, a rivalry is sought, but I have always gotten along well with him. I see him as always."

Since 2003-04, Messi's seven shots on target were the most a player has had in a single Champions League match without scoring. His 11 in total was also the most in a game without scoring in the competition.

But Ronaldo scored his first goals against Barca in the Champions League (in his sixth appearance) and 133rd and 134th goals in the competition.

"Barcelona are going through a difficult time, but it is still Barcelona," Ronaldo said.

"The truth is that we are very happy, we knew it was an almost impossible mission, it was a complicated mission and we played well.

"The key was to get into the game well, we scored two early and from there we believed it was possible."

Juventus are yet to lose in the Serie A this season but have drawn of their 10 matches to sit in fourth position - six points behind current leaders Milan.

Having progressed out of the Champions League as group winners, the Old Lady will now turn their attention to a road trip to Genoa in the league on Sunday.

Juventus head coach Andrea Pirlo said Cristiano Ronaldo was very motivated to face "eternal rival" Lionel Messi after his brace inspired a 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League.

Ronaldo and Messi faced each other in the Champions League for the first time since 2011 and the former came out on top at Camp Nou, where Juve displaced Barca to claim Group G on Tuesday.

Juve superstar Ronaldo, who left Real Madrid in 2018, became the first player in Champions League history to score two penalties in a single game against Barca, while Weston McKennie was also on target.

Ronaldo also took his tally to 14 goals in his past 13 visits to Barca in all competitions, more than any other away ground in his club senior career.

While Ronaldo downplayed his rivalry with Messi post-match, Pirlo told Sky Sport Italia: "Ronaldo was very motivated to put in a good performance here against his eternal rival, so when you're that motivated, it becomes simple.

"There are many games in a season and it's easier to get fired up for fixtures like this, but we mustn't lose sight of the real target, which is Serie A, so we have to be this concentrated and committed there too."

Juve put beleaguered La Liga outfit Barca to the sword – Ronald Koeman's side conceding three goals in a Champions League home game for the first time since May 2013, and in a home group-stage fixture for the first time since December 2008.

The result also meant Barca failed to finish top of a Champions League group for the first time since 2006-07, while Juventus became the first ever Italian side to score three-plus away goals against the Spanish giants in UEFA competition.

"It was important for our journey that we pick up where we left off in the derby. When you start with that focus, concentration and determination, then the quality emerges," said Pirlo, whose Juve are fourth in Serie A.

"We had prepared the match to create superiority in midfield with three against their two, the midfielders like McKennie able to push up, as we knew they had difficulty stopping them pushing up through the middle.

"The tactical plan worked and then the players did really well to make the most of the scoring opportunities."

The Malaysian government earlier this week lifted Covid-19 restrictions it had imposed on many parts of the country, with one of the outcome involving the ability for contact sports and football matches to be held once again.

However, the latest easing of restrictions are not applicable to several districts in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding state of Selangor, as they are among the most densely-packed areas of the country. 

Football still cannot be played in these areas, while training sessions remain limited to 10 people. However, the latest easing of restrictions is deemed unfair to private football trainers and football pitch operators in the affected areas, as those who want to play matches can simply travel to safe areas to hold their matches there.

One such personal trainer, Shazwan Wong on his Twitter account highlighted the loopholes inherent in the latest set of resrtictions.

"No restrictions on interstate/inter district [travel], which means I who am from a red (risky) zone can travel to play football in a green (safe) zone. Why just not allow us to play closer to where we live?

"People start cancelling training sessions now as they can travel out to green zones to play football which may be the final nail in the coffin for us who strictly follow the SOP! Reopen all football fields!" wrote the youth coach, in tweets addressed to Muar member of parliament Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

He had also earlier highlighted the discrepancy in the restrictions enforcement, whereby futsal has been allowed to be played as usual.

"Reopen football fields please! Futsal has been open as usual for matches, small sided+small space = loads of contacts... Surely outdoor football fields are safer as bigger fields = less contact! Kembalikan bolasepak!!"

Meanwhile Saddiq, a former youth and sports minister himself, raised the issue in Parliament on Tuesday, to the current youth and sports deputy minister Wan Fayhsal Wan Kamal.

Syed Saddiq (left) in 2019. Photo by Zulhilmi Zainal

"There are several [sports] sectors that have been overlooked in the pandemic response, such as the private sporting field operators, who are still not allowed to resume operations. They are still prohibited from operating after months, while the entertainment industry can still run.

"Top Glove (Malaysian disposable rubber glove manufacturer) plants are still allowed to continue operating despite having caused one of the biggest, still active [Covid-19] clusters in the country, but not small-scale pitch operators. Why are there double standards?"

Fayhsal responded to the former minister:

"The latest SOP have restricted participation at courts and pitches to 50 per cent, while non-contact training can still be held, and it is hoped that this will help these private sporting facilities.

"At the same time, the government has provided financial assistance to national and grassroots-level sports associations, while we will provide further fundings to affected sports operators. At the same time, we are mulling over 'sports bubbles', and we hope for the best for Malaysian sports."

Mumbai City take on Chennaiyin FC at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL).

TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM

The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the ISL in India.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

TEAM NEWS

Mumbai City Possible XI:   

Injured - None
Doubtful - Mandar Rao Dessai    
Suspended - None  

Key Players - Hugo Boumous, Adam le Fondre     

Chennaiyin FC Possible XI: 

Injured - None  
Doubtful - Anirudh Thapa   
Suspended - None  

Key Players -  Rafael Crivellaro, Jakub Sylvestr      

In what was arguably 2020-21 Indian Super League's (ISL) most entertaining draw so far, Bengaluru and NorthEast United scored two goals each and produced a good watch for the neutrals on Tuesday. 

While critics have accused Carles Cuadrat of being overly defensive in his first few matches, with the team securing two draws and a win going into Tuesday's game. NorthEast United, on the other hand, seemed to have had found the right balance and looked solid. Both teams were unbeaten going into the game and despite trying their best to kill their opponents' joy, that record remained intact. 

It was an encouraging performance from Bengaluru - far from perfect but arguably the most all-around they have looked this season in four matches. Dimas Delgado once again reminded Indian football why he is often praised by the experts for his ability to keep it going. He became the sixth player this season to have more than 100 touches in the midfield as the Spaniard took control of the midfield against NorthEast United. 

However, given Bengaluru had over 60 per cent ball, Cuadrat will be disappointed that his team couldn't' convert some of the chances they created and win the game. There were plenty of shots on target by both teams, for a change this season, the game could have had more goals if not for sub-standard finishing. 

For a team that had defended well and shut teams down in their first four matches of the season, the levels dropped a bit against Bengaluru. Gerard Nus wasn't happy with a draw and rightly so - as both goals his team conceded were partly due to poor mistakes at the back. Dylan Fox and Benjamin Lambot did not cover themselves in glory either.

A Rahul Bheke throw-in caused a lot of confusion in the NorthEast box and instead of sending the ball into the stand, the defender watched as Juanan, of all players, slammed the ball home like a poacher, to score his second goal of the season. 

Fox also failed to react in time as Sunil Chhetri headed the ball back across the box. With the defender seemingly unaware where the innocuous ball was inside the box, Udanta Singh pounced and beat Gurmeet from a narrow-angle to put the Blues 2-1 ahead. Both Fox and Gurmeet could have done better to prevent that from happening. 

The Blues couldn't hold onto their lead for the second time in the game as Luis Machado latched onto a through ball and following a failed attempt by Juanan to dispossess the striker, beat Gurpreet in goal.

The battle on Bengaluru's left flank was one to keep an eye on as Ashique Kuruniyan went up against Ashutosh Mehta. After only an average show in the last game, Mehta bounced back with a lockdown of his own for most of the game on NorthEast United's right flank. He did well to deal with Chhetri and Kuruniyan who were doubling up on him. However, Chhetri rarely had any joy against Mehta, save for the header which somehow resulted in the second goal. 

Although the keeper conceded two goals, Gurpreet Singh's takeover as Bengaluru's most important player seems to have been completed. Sunil Chhetri got an assist but hasn't made the sort of impact he usually makes in games whereas the India international goalkeeper has produced a few stellar saves already to keep Bengaluru unbeaten this season. 

Mabel Okoye continued her goalscoring form as she inspired Madrid CFF to a 3-0 victory over Kholosa Biyana's Sporting Gijon in Tuesday's rescheduled Spanish Reto Iberdrola game.

The Nigerian-born Spanish youngster had opened her goal account in her side's 2-0 win over Pozuelo Alarcon on November 21 and went on to lead her side to a third win of the season, at home.

On the other hand, South Africa midfielder Biyana was handed her fifth appearance as Sporting Gijon eyed a first win of the season following a fourth consecutive draw at Pozuelo Alarcon.

The hosts went into the tie on the heels of a recent 1-1 draw at Friol as they aimed to return to winning ways, and the 19-year-old striker provided the opening goal of the match after 20 minutes.

After the restart, Victor Manuel's ladies built on their impressive start as Irene Osorio Bosqued beat goalkeeper Oihana Aldai Aranzabal to double the lead in the 52nd minute.

Hopes for a comeback were dashed when the hosts won a penalty inside the visitors' box and Paula made no mistake to guarantee the victory in the 66th minute by converting from the spot.

Okoye featured for the duration of the match and has now scored two goals in six matches this season for Madrid CFF.

On the other hand, South Africa's Biyana played from the start to the finish but could not rescue Sporting from a first defeat this term.

The result means Tenerife moved to the top of the log with 11 points from six matches on superior goals despite being tied with Atletico Madrid.

Leaders Madrid will hope to maintain their winning form against Parquesol on Sunday, while seventh-placed Sporting will welcome sixth-placed Friol on the same day.

Club Brugge have been knocked out of the 2020-21 Champions League following Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Lazio.

Heading into Group F’s last game, Philippe Clement’s men were ranked third on the log – needing a win to scale through.

Against the Eagles, the Belgians who played a man less for most of the game following the dismissal of Eduard Sobol in the first-half showed character, yet they could not progress past the group phase.

Lazio took the lead in the 12th minute after Joaquin Correa scored from close range after goalkeeper Simon Mignolet parried Luis Alberto’s strike into his path.

Brugge equalised three minutes later courtesy of Ruud Vormer who punished goalkeeper Pepe Reina for fumbling a tame short from Noa Lang.

In a goal-laden first-half, Ciro Immobile put the hosts ahead in the 27th minute – converting from the penalty spot following Clinton Mata’s awkward challenge on Immobile inside the goal area.

Things got worse for the visitors in the 39th minute after Sobol was given his marching orders by the referee for a second bookable offence.

The Belgian top-flight outfit came out stronger in the second half but they could not find their bearings in the final third.

Nonetheless, the moment of redemption came in the 76th minute as Hans Vanaken headed Vormer’s cross past Reina.

Despite a late rally from Clement’s team in search of the winner, the game ended on a no winner, no vanquished note which saw them crash out of the championship early, although their consolation will be a place in the Europa League.

Cote d'Ivoire midfielder Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro played for 15 minutes after replacing Luis Alberto in the 75th minute, while Morocco's Sofian Kiyine was an unused substitute.

For Club Brugge, Cote d’Ivoire’s Odilon Kossounou was on parade from start to finish while Angola’s Mata and Senegal’s Krepin Diatta came off for Ignace Van Der Brempt  and David Okereke respectively with six minutes left to play as Nigeria’s Emmanuel Dennis was an unused substitute.

Unbeaten in their last four games across all competitions, Brugge travel to the Bosuilstadion for Sunday’s clash with Royal Antwerp.

Paris Saint Germain's final Champions League group game was suspended on Tuesday when both they and Istanbul Basaksehir walked off the pitch in protest at alleged racial abuse directed at a member of the Turkish side's coaching staff. 

The match was thrown into turmoil after the first-half incident, with Basaksehir walking off the pitch first and then followed in solidarity by PSG.

What did the referee say?

Assistant coach Pierre Webo claimed that the fourth official addressed him with a racist slur during the first half of the Group H game, played in tandem with Manchester United's clash against RB Leipzig. 

Webo was additionally sent from the field after his exchange with the referee in the 13th minute, to the disbelief of the Basaksehir squad. 

What did Demba Ba say?

Demba Ba, the veteran ex-Chelsea and Newcastle United striker, was among the visiting players who remonstrated with officials over their treatment of the Cameroonian. 

“You never say, ‘This white guy’, you say, ‘This guy’," the 35-year-old was heard on camera as saying following Webo's expulsion.

"So why when you mention… listen to me… so why when you mention a black guy [do] you have to say, ‘This black guy’?”

Why did the players walk off?

The match was halted as Basaksehir continued to protest the decision, and 10 minutes later the Turkish side opted to leave the field in order to register their disgust at the officials' behaviour. 

PSG in turn decided to support their opponents' stance and returned to the dressing rooms too, leaving the Parc des Princes deserted. 

Presnel Kimpembe was also overheard exclaiming, “What? What? Is he serious?" in reference to the official's actions.

“We are heading in. That is it, we are heading in.”

Kimpembe would later post a picture on Twitter saying: "No to racism."

PSG star Kylian Mbappe also chimed in on Twitter, saying: "SAY NO TO RACISM. M.WEBO WE ARE WITH YOU"

When did the match restart?

UEFA initially attempted to restart the match at 10pm CET (9pm GMT), with PSG's players warming up in the entrance to the pitch tunnel in anticipation. 

The VAR official had been slated to take over fourth-official duties, with the fourth official moved into the video room. 

Basaksehir, however, were unhappy with that decision and insisted he be removed from officiating responsibilities altogether before the match could continue. 

The match was eventually postponed, set to resume with new officials on Wednesday at 6:55pm local time from the 14th minute, with the score at 0-0.

Speaking on RMC, ex-Manchester United striker Louis Saha slammed UEFA's apparent "ultimatum" to the away side. 

"What upsets me that the players are the [only] ones to take a stand. UEFA didn’t," he fired. 

"Now UEFA are making ultimatums about restarting the match ... it’s like they’re in denial ... there’s no sign they are ever going to take this problem seriously."

Cristiano Ronaldo's first Champions League goals against Barcelona helped Juventus to a stunning 3-0 away win to top Group G.

The Bianconeri had lost 2-0 in Turin in the reverse fixture as an absent Ronaldo recovered from coronavirus, meaning they would have to improbably better that result at Camp Nou to leapfrog their hosts.

But Barca's recent defensive woes continued on Tuesday and two Ronaldo penalties - one contentious, the other routine - and a Weston McKennie volley carried Juve to a deserved victory.

Ronaldo had not previously netted in five European matches against the Blaugrana yet delighted in piling further pressure on under-fire home coach Ronald Koeman, whose side are ninth in LaLiga.

The Portuguese - meeting Lionel Messi for the first time as a Juve player - stuck to the script as he made the most of a generous early penalty award after Ronald Araujo appeared to get his body between man and ball in the box, dispatching his spot-kick down the centre of the goal.

It was two after just 20 minutes - the earliest Barca have ever conceded twice in a home Champions League game - with the defence this time afforded no excuse.

McKennie moved the ball wide to Juan Cuadrado and was allowed to meet the subsequent cross completely unimpeded with a close-range scissor kick.

Half-time then disrupted an improving home display and Barca were dealt a further blow five minutes after the restart as Clement Lenglet was deemed to have handled, following a VAR check, and Ronaldo was again clinical from 12 yards.

Messi's free-kick was nodded onto the top of the crossbar by Antoine Griezmann, who was denied a penalty due to offside as pressure again built on the Juve goal and Matthijs de Ligt dived in rashly.

A VAR call belatedly went Barca's way when Ronaldo bundled the ball onto an offside Leonardo Bonucci, seeing a fourth goal struck off, but it did not impact an eye-catching result.
 

What does it mean? LaLiga troubles translate

This was a standout win for Juventus, who are the first Italian team to score three times away from home against Barcelona, but the undoubted story was the continuation of the Blaugrana's problems.

Such issues had previously been restricted to the league - they could have become just the eighth team ever to win all six Champions League group games on Tuesday - yet this result undid their earlier impressive work in Europe.

A tricky last-16 draw is not what Koeman needs right now, although recent performances would suggest he will do well to make it that far.

Juve front two terrific

There are unlikely to be many more Messi v Ronaldo meetings, and CR7 was determined to steal the show, scoring with two of his three shots - all of which hit the target - as well as teeing up a further chance.

But strike partner Alvaro Morata was similarly impressive, providing a nuisance factor up front. The number nine contested a joint-team-high 13 duels and won three fouls.

Meanwhile, Messi had 11 shots without scoring.

Defensive difficulties

Barca's league defeats have come courtesy of defensive errors, with Lenglet the latest to fall foul of such a mistake in last weekend's defeat to Cadiz as he committed his first error leading to a goal in LaLiga since swapping Sevilla for Camp Nou.

Individual mistakes were the least of the hosts' concerns at the back this time, though, with the whole defence all over the place. Both Lenglet and Araujo were out of position for the second, while a lack of discipline was evidenced by Jordi Alba's booking for dissent.

Key Opta Facts

- Juventus have won 10 of their last 11 Champions League group stage games, while only Chelsea (10) have scored more away goals in the competition this season than the Old Lady (9).

- This is the first time Barcelona failed to top their Champions League group since the 2006-07 campaign, when they were eliminated in the round of 16 by Liverpool.

- This was just the fifth time Barcelona had conceded three or more goals in a Champions League home game – the first since May 2013 (0-3 vs Bayern Munich) and the first in the group stage since December 2008 (2-3 vs Shakhtar Donetsk).

- Messi had all seven of Barcelona's shots on target in this match – since 2003-04, it's the most shots on target a player has had in a single Champions League match without scoring. His 11 shots in total was his most in a game without scoring in the competition.

- In his club career, Ronaldo has scored more away goals against Barcelona than he has vs any other opponent (14).

- Buffon has now played in 17 different seasons of the Champions League, with only Iker Casillas (20), Ryan Giggs (19) and Cristiano Ronaldo (18) appearing in more.

What's next?

Barca host Levante in LaLiga on Sunday as they aim to belatedly get their campaign up and running. Juve also have work to do in Serie A as they visit Genoa earlier the same day.

RB Leipzig held off a dramatic late fightback from Manchester United at the Red Bull Arena to win 3-2 and qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League at their opponents' expense.

United won the reverse fixture 5-0 in October and only needed a point on Tuesday to advance from a tight Group H but found themselves two goals down inside 13 minutes.

Manchester City loanee Angelino fired in an early opener for Leipzig and then set up Amadou Haidara as the hosts took apart United's five-man defence with ease.

Justin Kluivert added a third but Bruno Fernandes' penalty and substitute Paul Pogba's header 135 seconds later gave the visitors hope.

But last season's semi-finalists Leipzig held on to move a point above their opponents and progress, with Paris Saint-Germain – whose game with Istanbul Basaksehir was halted due to allegations of racist remarks by the fourth official – also now set to qualify.

Leipzig were ahead inside 109 seconds – the earliest goal United have conceded in the competition in over eight years – as Marcel Sabitzer's cross went right the way through for Angelino to drill past returning keeper David de Gea.

United have made a habit of recovering from a goal behind in domestic away matches but they were two down 11 minutes later, Angelino this time turning provider by picking out Haidara at the back post to thump in first time.

Only once before, against Juventus in the semi-finals in 1998-99, had United trailed by two goals earlier in a Champions League game and they were fortunate a third did not follow before half-time.

Emil Forsberg fired wide from a glorious position shortly before Willi Orban had a goal chalked off by VAR, the defender clearly offside when poking the ball over the line after Ibrahima Konate's header came back off the post.

It took until the 66th minute for United to test opposition keeper Peter Gulacsi for just a second time, with Fernandes' dipping shot being turned away.

Fernandes went even closer with a free-kick that crashed back off the crossbar, 62 seconds before Kluivert profited from some hesitant Harry Maguire defending to beat De Gea with a clipped finish.

Gulacsi again had to be alert to deny Scott McTominay but Fernandes did find a way past the Hungary keeper from the penalty spot following Konate's challenge on Mason Greenwood.

Pogba, left out of the line-up a day after his agent reiterated the midfielder wants to leave United, headed the ball in off Maguire to set up a tense finale but there was to be no dramatic equaliser.

What does it mean? United crash out after dominant start

United were in control of Group H after beating PSG away and thumping Leipzig at home in their opening two games, only to then lose three of their final four matches, including a shambolic loss away to Istanbul Basaksehir that now looks even more costly.

Leipzig were picked apart by United six weeks ago but it was roles reversed here, the German side's three shots on target in the first 13 minutes more than they managed in the whole game at Old Trafford.

Julian Nagelsmann's men were a lot more reserved in a second period that saw them have just 38 per cent of the ball and their tactic of sitting back almost proved costly. But it is they who will be playing Champions League football post-Christmas, with United in the Europa League again.

Angelino inspires Leipzig

If being knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage was not painful enough for United, the fact the Leipzig win was inspired by an on-loan Man City player will surely hurt even more.

The wing-back had 74 touches of the ball in his 87 minutes on the pitch – only Nordi Mukiele (75) had more among Leipzig players – and he has now had a hand in six goals in six appearances in this season's competition.

United's tactics exposed

Solskjaer made a big call going with wing-backs and the gamble could scarcely have gone worse. Luke Shaw in particular was caught out for Leipzig's first two goals, seemingly not knowing who to pick up.

Shaw gave the ball away 16 times, second only to playmaker Fernandes (29) among visiting players, as his 150th appearance for United ended in a defeat that will see the pressure increase on manager Solskjaer.

What's next?

United have four days to pick themselves up from this defeat before taking on rivals Manchester City in the Premier League. Leipzig, who can look forward to next Monday's last-16 draw in Nyon, face Werder Bremen on their return to Bundesliga action on Saturday.

Cristiano Ronaldo picked up right where he left off at the Camp Nou on Tuesday as he terrorized Barcelona once again at their home stadium.

Ronaldo made his long-awaited return to the stadium on Tuesday as he faced Barcelona for the first time since leaving Real Madrid in 2018.

During his time in La Liga, Ronaldo proved one of Barcelona's all-time great rivals as the Portuguese's Real Madrid frequently did battle with Lionel Messi's Barcelona.

That historic rivalry moved into another chapter when Ronaldo opted to head to Juventus, but the Portuguese star showed just how little has changed with a vintage performance on Tuesday.

Ronaldo fired two goals in what ended as a lopsided 3-0 Juventus win as he was joined by Weston McKennie on the scoresheet.

The former Real Madrid star's first came in the 13th minute came via a penalty while his second, which was scored in the 52nd minute, was also fired from the spot.

With the goals, Ronaldo has scored 14 goals at the Camp Nou in all competitions, more than at any other away stadium in his club career - while the double also put him past the 650 mark overall.

Additionally, Ronaldo became the first player in the history of the Champions League to convert twice from the spot at Barcelona's home ground.

In terms of their Champions League standing, Tuesday's loss harmed Barcelona, who finished second in the group with Juventus finishing top.

The two giants finished level on 15 points, having only lost to one another throughout this group stage run.

However, Juventus have gone top on head-to-head results, despite their 2-0 loss to Barca in their first clash.

Both will move on to the knockout stages, although Barca will do so on the heels of a historic loss, which saw them concede two goals in the first 20 minutes of a Champions League home game for the first time ever.

With Tuesday's result, Juventus became the first Italian side ever to score at least three goals at the Camp Nou in UEFA competition.

Next up for Juventus is a visit to Genoa on Sunday while Barcelona will now look ahead to their match against Levante at the Camp Nou.

Jorginho scored from the penalty spot as Chelsea came from behind to draw 1-1 with Krasnodar in their final match of the Champions League group stage on Tuesday.

Frank Lampard's side had already qualified for the knockout phase as winners of Group E and marginally had the better of a low-key fixture at Stamford Bridge.

Remy Cabella put Krasnodar ahead with a crisp low finish before Jorginho equalised from the penalty spot a few minutes later.

Tammy Abraham twice went close for Chelsea in open play but despite his tireless efforts up front the Blues could not find a winner.

Krasnodar began brightly with Tonny Vilhena's swerving half-volley whistling just over the crossbar and Viktor Claesson striking a shot just past the post from a good position.

The visitors deservedly took the lead after some slick build-up play which culminated in Cristian Ramirez's cutback for Claesson, who fed it to Cabella and the former Newcastle United man arrowed it into the bottom-left corner.

Chelsea got themselves back on terms shortly afterwards when Abraham was impeded by Brazilian defender Kaio as he attempted to turn inside the penalty area.

Jorginho placed the penalty into the corner of the net, deceiving Krasnodar goalkeeper Evgeni Gorodov with his trademark hop-then-shoot spot-kick style.

The penalty was Chelsea's 10th in all competitions this season, which is more than any other Premier League side, having successfully converted eight of them (level with Leicester City and Manchester United).

Abraham skipped clear of the Krasnodar defence just before the half-hour after being found by Kai Havertz, but he could only strike his shot wide of the post.

Chelsea looked the more threatening after half-time as Lampard's side played with greater tempo, although it did not translate to clear goalscoring chances.

Abraham pinched the ball off Ramirez inside the box but Gorodov improvised with his heel to keep out the Chelsea striker's low shot.

Timo Werner upped the energy levels when he came on as a 74th-minute substitute for the ineffectual Havertz, and the German struck a low angled shot just beyond the far post.

But that was as close as Chelsea went in the closing stages as the match petered out.

What does it mean? Chelsea miss out on CL landmark

Victory for Chelsea would have given them their highest ever points total in a single Champions League group stage (16), but they fell short of the milestone.

Lampard also gave some of his squad players a run out as he made 10 changes from Saturday's win over Leeds United, but only a few of his second-string players caught the eye during a subdued game with nothing at stake.

Energy and ambition from Abraham

The striker has had fewer opportunities since Chelsea splashed the cash on expensive attacking options in the last transfer window, but Abraham rolled his sleeves up and put himself about against the Russian outfit.

Abraham attempted five shots – more than any other player on the pitch – and had 10 touches inside the box as he held the ball up, tried to provide a goalscoring threat and won the penalty for Chelsea's equaliser.

No clean sheet for Kepa

Kepa Arrizabalaga, the world's most expensive goalkeeper, made his first Champions League start of the season having lost the number spot to Edouard Mendy following his arrival in September.

There was little he could have done for Krasnodar's goal, and he was generally solid, but with seven goals conceded in four appearances this term he has still let in as many as Mendy and Willy Caballero have in 15 matches combined for the Blues.

Key Opta Facts

- Chelsea are unbeaten in six Champions League games (W4 D2), their longest run without defeat in the competition since September 2015 (9, W5 D4).
- Krasnodar have suffered just one defeat in their past four European games on the road (W1 D2), after losing three of the four before that (W1).
- Chelsea finished the group stage with a haul of 14 points, their highest tally at this stage of the competition since 2014-15 (14).
- Faustino Anjorin is the ninth youngest player to debut for Chelsea in the Champions League (19y 15d) and the youngest since Callum Hudson-Odoi in October 2019 (18y 329d).
- Cabella netted his first goal in the Champions League in his ninth appearance in the competition.

What's next?

Chelsea come up against former manager Carlo Ancelotti on Saturday when they face Everton at Goodison Park. Krasnodar host Lokomotiv Moscow in the Russian Premier League on Sunday.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been fined ten thousand US Dollars ($10,000) by the Confederation of African Football for publishing “offensive and degrading material” that “dents image of the African football ruling body”.

The punishment was meted out to the Arsenal star for slamming Caf after being made to feel like a “hostage”, having been forced to sleep in an airport alongside his teammates ahead the Group D Africa Cup of Nations qualifier versus Gambia.

“Mr. Pierre Emerick Emiliano Francois Aubameyang has publicly published offensive and degrading material that undermines the honour and image of the Confederation of African Football,” a statement from Caf read.

“In terms of the Caf Statutes & Regulations, in terms of Articles 10, 11, 43.1, 46, 82 of the Disciplinary Code, the Caf disciplinary board decided to impose a fine of 10,000 USD for breach of the values of sportsmanship and integrity on the Gabonese Football Federation for the regrettable behaviour of the player.”

Patrice Neveu's Gabon were billed to play the West African country in Bakau on Monday, but they arrived at the Banjul International Airport late on Sunday night.

Upon their arrival, the Panthers were delayed at the airport with reports indicating their passports were seized despite providing their coronavirus results to the immigration officers for checks.

Owing to their exasperating ordeal, the 31-year-old who was named African Player of the Year in 2015 took to Instagram in the early hours of Monday to post videos and photographs initially of his team-mates lounging around having had their passports taken from them by security.

As the hours passed, the photos started to show the majority of the squad attempting to sleep on the floor of the airport, using their luggage as pillows.

Having arrived at 23:30 local time, Aubameyang began to show his frustration after waiting for three hours, posting a video at 02:31 that was accompanied by a caption that read: "Still waiting to enter Gambia, and we play at 4 pm. Nice."

Neveu’s side lost the game 2-1 courtesy of goals from Modou Barrow and Musa Barrow at the Independence Stadium.

On a positive side, the Gabonese skipper can challenge this decision before Caf’s appeal board within the next three days.

Harry Maguire says that Manchester United will need to look inward and take the blame for Tuesday's shocking Champions League elimination.

Needing just a point to seal their spot in the knockout rounds, Man Utd were knocked out of the competition thanks to a 3-2 loss to RB Leipzig.

The game started off on a sour note with Manchester United conceding a goal to Angelino within two minutes.

Making matters worse was a finish from Amadou Haidara 11 minutes later, while a second-half goal from Justin Kluivert seemingly sealed Man Utd's fate.

The Red Devils fought back to score two late goals via Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba, but it wasn't enough to overcome their dismal start as Manchester United slumped to third place and a spot in the Europa League last 32.

And Maguire, who was at least partially to blame for Leipzig's third goal, says Manchester United must take responsibility for their failings throughout the evening and the group stage as a whole.

"We started the game too slow. It wasn't good enough. The first 20 minutes we weren't at it. They put two balls in the box and we failed to deal with them," he told BT Sport.

"We have to look at ourselves, we gave ourselves too much to do. You've seen how close we came at the end but we started too slow and we can't keep falling behind.

"We said on Saturday at half-time, 2-0 down, the next goal is crucial and we said it again tonight. They made it 3-0 and the task becomes even bigger. The third goal proved to be the crucial one but even three down we came close at the end.

"I don't want to look at excuses. We have to go out and be aggressive, win balls. That's the basics. If you can't defend crosses you're going to lose games. I don't want to look at shape - it's not an excuse.

"It's a tough group but we felt we should get through. That's the standards of this club. I'm gutted for everyone, we worked so hard to reach this competition. No matter what group we got it would be tough. We have to do more."

Manchester United will have little time to rest as Maguire and the Red Devils must now look ahead to a Manchester derby this weekend.