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Inter kept their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League last-16 alive as Romelu Lukaku's brace sealed a 3-2 win over Borussia Monchengladbach on Tuesday.  

Antonio Conte's side went into the game having failed to win any of their opening four Group B games, yet they got off to a fine start when Matteo Darmian's first goal for the club put them ahead early on.  

Gladbach, who would have qualified as group winners with a victory, drew level in first-half stoppage time thanks to Alassane Plea's header, but Lukaku restored Inter's lead with the first of two cool finishes after the break. 

Inter held on for all three points despite a second from Plea, meaning they go into next week's clash with Shakhtar Donetsk knowing a win - combined with a defeat for Real Madrid against Gladbach – will see them secure an unlikely spot in the knockout stages.

Inter's bright opening to proceedings led to Darmian drilling through the legs of Yann Sommer from eight yards, the opener coming at the end of a slick move on the edge of the penalty area. 

Samir Handanovic brilliantly denied Marcus Thuram but could do little about Gladbach's leveller in first-half stoppage time, Plea's header from Valentino Lazaro's cross skipping up off the surface and into the top corner.  

After Lautaro Martinez curled against the post from 20 yards, Lukaku put the visitors ahead in the 64th minute, holding off the challenge of Denis Zakaria and superbly lashing into Sommer's bottom-right corner.  

The Belgium international added another nine minutes later, guiding home a first-time finish from 12 yards after he had been picked out in the middle by substitute Achraf Hakimi. 

Gladbach were not done there, though, as Plea set up a tense final 15 minutes with a fine finish past Handanovic, the goal coming after Alexis Sanchez had been caught in possession.  

Plea thought he had an equaliser for the hosts inside the final 10 minutes, but referee Danny Makkelie ruled out his strike for offside against Breel Embolo after a pitchside review, much to the relief of the visitors. 

What does it mean? Inter live to fight another day 

Conte said he wanted his players to learn from last week's defeat to Madrid and they certainly put in an improved performance against their Bundesliga hosts. 

It was more tense at the end than it needed to be, but Conte will scarcely care as his side avoided losing three consecutive Champions League group matches for the first time, giving themselves a fighting chance going into the final round of fixtures.   

Lukaku in lethal form 

The striker was the model of efficiency for Inter, his two goals coming from his only shots on target. Lukaku has now scored 12 times in European competitions over the past two seasons, a tally only bettered by Robert Lewandowski (18) and Erling Haaland (16). 

Young not at the races 

Former Manchester United man Ashley Young endured a game to forget. The 35-year-old missed a sitter from close range late on and completed just 15 passes – the second lowest tally of any Inter starter.  

Key Opta facts

- Inter have won three of their past five away games in all European competitions (D1 L1), one more than they registered in their previous 14 combined (W2 D4 L8).
- Gladbach conceded three goals in a home Champions League game for the first time in their history (ninth game).
- Lukaku has had a hand in eight goals in his last six appearances in the Champions League (six goals, two assists).
- Plea has been directly involved in eight goals in his five Champions League appearances (five goals, three assists) – the most in the competition this term.
- Darmian netted his first ever Champions League goal with what was his seventh shot in his 10th appearance in the competition.

What's next? 

Inter host Bologna on Saturday in domestic action, while Gladbach travel to Freiburg on the same day. 

Liverpool secured passage to the Champions League knockout stages as group winners as they earned a 1-0 win over Ajax.

A second-half goal from teenager Curtis Jones ensured the Reds would progress to the next stage on Wednesday, although academy prospect Caoimhin Kelleher, given his chance in goal, was required to make a stunning late save from Klaas Jan Huntelaar to protect the points at Anfield.

Better was still to come for Jurgen Klopp and co, too, as news of Atalanta's shock draw with Midtjylland meant top spot was clinched in Group D with a game to spare.

Liverpool had been hit by yet another injury blow in the form of a hamstring issue for Alisson, meaning Kelleher was handed his Champions League debut, preferred to Adrian.

The 22-year-old was initially a virtual spectator during a strong start from the hosts that saw fellow youngster Jones crack the post from distance.

Ajax grew into the game as it progressed, however, and called Kelleher into action on the half-hour mark through Noussair Mazraoui's thunderous effort from the edge of the box.

The Irishman should have been tested again shortly after the break but instead saw Davy Klaassen head a glorious chance wide from a well-worked free-kick.

And Ajax went even closer moments later, David Neres striking the post from a tight angle after following up on Mazraoui's parried shot.

They were made to regret those misses almost instantly, too.

Neco Williams' deep left-footed cross appeared to be leading to nothing, but a horrible misjudgement from goalkeeper Andre Onana allowed Jones to poke the ball home from a tight angle at the back post.

Although Onana was more impressive in smothering from Salah and saving well from substitute Roberto Firmino, the damage was done for Ajax, who must now beat Atalanta on matchday six to advance after Kelleher instinctively repelled Huntelaar's close-range header.
 

What does it mean? Relief for Reds

With a packed fixture list causing Liverpool all sorts of injury problems, Klopp will be relieved that nothing now rides on next week's visit to Midtjylland in this competition.

By contrast, Ajax host Atalanta knowing they need a win to pip their opponents to the second qualification spot in Group D.

Big milestone for youngster

Coming into this season, Jones would not have expected to be starting four out of Liverpool's first five Champions League group games, but the local lad has certainly grabbed his chance.

Scorer of the winning goal here, the teenager took more shots than anyone else on the pitch (four), including hitting the post, and even chipped in defensively, winning four of his five aerial duels.

Mane looking out of sorts

With just one goal from his past 10 outings, Sadio Mane is enduring a poor run of form by his incredibly high standards.

The Senegalese looked out of sorts in this one, losing possession on 15 occasions (more than any other Liverpool player), and getting just one of three shots on target.

Key Opta Facts

- Ajax lost for the first time in their past 12 away games in the Champions League (W7 D4).
- Liverpool have registered four clean sheets in their past five Champions League games (two goals conceded in total) after managing just one in eight before that (12 goals conceded).
- Kelleher is the first Irish player to appear in the Champions League for Liverpool since Robbie Keane in December 2008 (also against Dutch opposition in PSV) and just the fourth for the Reds overall in the competition (also Steven Finnan and Darren Potter).
- He is the 11th goalkeeper to appear for Liverpool in the Champions League but only the second to keep a clean sheet on his debut for the Reds in the competition, after Chris Kirkland (v Galatasaray in 2002).
- Liverpool's opener was the first time in Champions League history one teenager, Williams (19y 232d), assisted another, Jones (19y 306d), for a Premier League side.

What's next?

Liverpool return to Premier League action against Wolves on Sunday, while Ajax host Twente in the Eredivisie on Saturday.

Chile's second international friendly match against Zambia was called off on Tuesday after the visitors were put into quarantine by local health authorities due to a spate of Covid-19 cases.

The South Americans suffered a 2-1 defeat against the Olympic Games-bound Copper Queens after strikes from Barbara Banda and Racheal Nachula helped the Africans to a comeback win last Thursday.

The pre-Olympic preparation match in Santiago was in doubt from the moment Chilean health officials declared their decision regarding the Zambian travelling party.

Four Zambia players tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday, after performing the antigen tests before cases were retested and again came out positive.

ANFP Medical Commission general coordinator Casar Kalazich said in a statement," As dictated by the sanitary protocols of the ANFP Medical Commission, we have carried out the test for Covid-19 for the Zambian women's team.

"In antigen testing, a test validated by Chilean soccer, they have yielded four positive results.

"Therefore, and due to the high risk it represents for this match, we have decided to cancel it," added Kalazich, who is also the Chilean Society of Occupational Medicine president.

Following advice from health authorities, the Chilean Football Federation confirmed the match scheduled to kick off 6:30 pm local time (22:30 GMT) at the Santiago National Stadium would not go ahead.

Chile are preparing for an African/South American Olympic playoff two-legged contest against Cameroon, with the first leg scheduled for February 18 in Yaounde and second leg six days later in Santiago.

Zambia, on the other hand, are gearing up for a maiden Olympic appearance in Tokyo next year following an incredible automatic qualification at the expense of Cameroon in March this year.

Hyderabad FC take on Jamshedpur FC in a round three encounter of the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) at the Tilak Maidan stadium in Vasco, on Wednesday evening. 

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

Hyderabad FC Possible XI:   

Injured - Joel Chianese, Luis Sastre
Doubtful - Fran Sandaza, Adil Khan    
Suspended - None  

Key Players - Aridane Santana, Joao Victor     

Jamshedpur FC Possible XI: 

Injured - Joyner Lourenco, Narender Gahlot  
Doubtful - David Grande    
Suspended - Rehenesh TP

Key Players -  Nerijus Valskis, Alex Lima     

Porto joined Manchester City in the Champions League knockout stages after a 0-0 draw where Gabriel Jesus was denied a winning goal by VAR. 

Pep Guardiola's side were already through to the last-16 and will now progress as group winners, although they will be frustrated to have lost their 100 per cent record in this season's competition having dominated for long periods at Estadio do Dragao. 

Jesus scored on the rebound when Agustin Marchesin tipped his 80th-minute header onto the crossbar, although replays showed Joao Cancelo was fractionally offside before delivering his cross to the Brazil striker. 

Marseille's win over Olympiacos rendered this match to be academic, with the other two teams in Group C on three points apiece. 

City penned Porto into their own half for most of the opening exchanges, while each side had penalty claims ignored by referee Bjorn Kuipers - first when Malang Sarr slid in on Raheem Sterling before Ederson robustly met fellow Brazilian Otavio in his area. 

Ederson palmed Diogo Leite's 22nd-minute header out of his goalmouth, sparking a rapid break where opposite number Agustin Marchesin thwarted Ferran Torres. 

Sarr made a vital clearance over his own crossbar when Sterling scampered in behind the Porto defence, with the England winger's shot from the resulting corner cleared off the line by Zaidu Sanusi. 

Phil Foden's sumptuous 58th-minute throughball found Sterling, although Marchesin was equal to the task and Torres' footing deserted him when the rebound fell his way. 

In a remarkable 70th-minute sequence, a stretching Ruben Dias inadvertently hooked a Sterling attempt out of the Porto goalmouth, with Marchesin equal to Torres' overhead kick follow-up. 

The home goalkeeper made another brilliant save from Dias' centre-back partner Eric Garcia, earning his VAR reprieve by the time he was finally beaten by Jesus.

What does it mean? City's problems in front of goal remain 

If Saturday's 5-0 demolition of Burnley hinted at an end to an unusually fallow spell for Guardiola's attack, this latest outing suggested their shot-shy struggles of 2020-21 are set to continue. Despite dominating possession, City could only muster a solitary shot on target during the first half, while a final tally of 18 attempts is their most at goal without scoring in a Champions League match.  

Until Jesus' arrival in the 71st-minute they continued to lack cutting edge. Getting and keeping Jesus and Sergio Aguero - again a knee injury absentee - fit feels key to their chances of success this term. 

Marvellous Marchesin stands tall 

Marchesin will probably have been grateful to see fellow Argentine Aguero missing out, although he may very well have blunted his illustrious countryman in this mood.

The fact no Porto outfield player bettered Marchesin's 29 touches in the first half said much for their limited attacking intent; his five impressive saves showing he was more than up to the task as the last line of a deep-lying defence. 

Zinchenko passes up chance to impress 

Guardiola's decision to field naturally left-footed players on his left flank during the Champions League campaign has generally led to more free-flowing displays when compared to City's stuttering Premier League efforts.

This contest might not have been so attritional had Zinchenko found his range when roving from left-back. The Ukraine international linked well with Foden and Bernardo Silva to frequently find himself in good positions in the final third, but none of his 10 crosses from open play were successful. 

Key Opta facts

- Porto remain winless in their last six Champions League games against English sides (D2 L4), failing to score in four of those meetings.
- City have progressed as group winners for the fifth time in six seasons, only failing to do so in 2016-17 (when they finished second to Barcelona).
- Porto have ended a run of 14 Champions League home games without a draw, this their first since September 2016.
- City have kept four consecutive clean sheets in the Champions League for the first time, as many as they managed in the group stages in their last two campaigns combined.
- Guardiola has seen his side draw 0-0 in the Champions League for the first time in 59 games.

What's next? 

City will chase back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time this season when they entertain Fulham on Saturday, when Porto are at home to Tondela in the Primeira Liga. 

Atletico Madrid's hopes of qualifying from their Champions League group will go down to the final matchday after Thomas Muller scored an 86th-minute penalty to earn a weakened Bayern Munich a 1-1 draw at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Bayern had won their previous 15 games in UEFA's flagship competition but were already assured of top spot in Group A and left the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Manuel Neuer out of their travelling squad.

With Lokomotiv Moscow losing 3-1 at home to Salzburg earlier on Tuesday, victory for Atleti would make certain of second place with a game to spare, an aim they were on course to achieve thanks to Joao Felix's eighth goal in 14 appearances this season.

The Portugal international converted from a Marcos Llorente cutback after 26 minutes, but Felipe - brought on for the injured Jose Gimenez - felled Muller in the box and his fellow substitute converted from 12 yards. 

Atleti must now avoid defeat away at Salzburg next week to join Bayern, unbeaten in 14 games in all competitions after Muller's late goal, in the last 16.

Angel Correa tested Alexander Nubel, making his first appearance in the competition for Bayern, and Yannick Carrasco fired wide in a bright start to the match for Atletico.

The hosts made the breakthrough soon after as Llorente played a one-two on the right, carried the ball to the byline and picked out Joao Felix to finish from six yards.

Jamal Musiala fired just wide following a mazy run but Atleti still looked the more threatening, with Joao Felix denied by Nubel and Llorente blazing over from a good position.

Jan Oblak was called into action for the first time to routinely save from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's long-range effort just short of the hour mark as Atleti, boasting five clean sheets in six prior home games, held firm at the back.

But Bayern's pressure eventually told after Hansi Flick introduced Kingsley Coman and Muller, the latter being brought down in the box by Felipe's outstretched leg for a late penalty that he guided past the despairing dive of Oblak.
 

What does it mean? Group A goes down to the wire

Matchday six will be devoid of any real entertainment in many groups, but that is not the case in Group A as Atletico and Salzburg face off at Red Bull Arena next week in a shoot-out for second place.

Diego Simeone's men were helped by Flick's call to make nine changes from Bayern's previous match, with first place already secured and a top-of-the-table showdown with RB Leipzig to come in the Bundesliga next weekend.

But LaLiga's only unbeaten side this season did not register a single shot on target in a second half that saw them fail to preserve their lead after Bayern turned to big-name reinforcements.

Joao Felix leads from the front

The forward showed great awareness to get on the end of Llorente's cutback as he made it seven goals in his past seven starts for Atletico in all competitions - as many as he managed in his previous 29.

Joao Felix has more than stepped up in Luis Suarez's absence - the Uruguay international missing a fourth game running today through coronavirus - and managed more shots (three) and shots on target (two) than anyone else on the pitch and playing a joint-high two key passes.

Bright barely involved on Bayern bow

David Alaba retained his place in the side and captained Bayern on his 400th appearance for the club, showing yet again why he is so highly valued as he shifted across into the centre of a back three.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is Bright Arrey-Mbi, who was making his first outing at senior level. The 17-year-old defender had just 27 touches of the ball during his 61 minutes on the pitch - only Choupo-Moting (21) had fewer among outfield players up to that point.

Key Opta Facts

- Atletico have lost just one of their past 25 Champions League home games (W18 D6), a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in September 2017. They have never lost a home Champions League game against the reigning champions (P5 W3 D2).
- Although their winning run came to an end, Bayern are unbeaten in each of their past 16 Champions League matches (W15 D1) since a 3-1 loss to Liverpool in March 2019.
- Bayern have failed to keep a clean sheet in four consecutive Champions League games for the first time since April 2017.
- The Bundesliga giants failed to land a shot on target in the first half of a Champions League group game for the first time since October 2009 versus Bordeaux.
- Muller scored his 47th Champions League goal, 21 more than any other German player in the competition's history.

What's next?

Atletico will be looking to make it seven LaLiga wins in a row when they host Real Valladolid on Saturday, the same day Bayern face Bundesliga title challengers Leipzig.

Perth Glory will be keen to add to their first ever Asian Champions League point with a victory in their final group game against FC Tokyo on Thursday evening.

Richard Garcia's side created history with the 3-3 draw against Shanghai Shenhua on Tuesday, and will be hoping to go one better against their J-League opposition.

While the A-League side will just be playing for pride, FC Tokyo need a result to give themselves a chance to qualify for the knockout stage, as they sit even on points with Shanghai Shenhua - who take on already-qualified group leaders Ulsan Hyundai.

Glory have rotated their side consistently throughout the competition and expect Garcia to again tinker with his starting line-up as he attempts to give his squad players exposure to Asian competition.

Glory have performed solidly in most of their matches but have suffered from concentration issues that has seen them ship multiple goals in quick succession.

In both matches against Ulsan, Glory were sunk by late goals from Kim In-Sung and Junior Negrao, while they led 2-0 against Shanghai before going behind and being forced to salvage a late 3-3 draw.

Glory can be expected to use their talismanic duo Diego Castro and Bruno Fornaroli during the match, but the question will be whether the pair start and how many minutes they will play. 

Fornaroli scored his first-ever goal in the competition against Shanghai and will be keen to add to his tally before Perth's time in the competition comes to an end.

Marseille have finally ended their 13-match losing run in the Champions League after defeating Olympiacos 2-1 on Tuesday. 

Andre Villas-Boas' side went down 2-0 at home against Porto last week, which saw them break the record they had previously shared with Anderlecht.

However, the Ligue 1 outfit ensured they would not add to that mark against the Greek outfit, as Dimitri Payet scored twice from the penalty spot in the second half to cancel out Mady Camara's first-half opener. 

It was the first win in the competition for Marseille since they defeated Inter 1-0 in February 2012.

The goals were a relief for Payet personally, as he finally scored for the first time in the Champions League on his 20th appearance - 10 with Lille, 10 with Marseille.

Payet's goals were also Marseille's first of the campaign after they were shut out four times in a row in Group C. 

With the win, the French outfit also ensured they would not set the mark for the longest losing streak in all of Champions League or European Cup history, with Luxembourg side Jeunesse Esch having lost 16 straight games between 1973 and 1987.

While Marseille have been eliminated from contention for the knockout phase this season, Tuesday's win means they still hold out hope of reaching the Europa League. 

Marseille are still in fourth place in Group C but are level on points with Olympiacos, with both sides currently on three.

Villas-Boas' side will face Manchester City on the group's final matchday and would need to better Olympiacos' result against Porto should they wish to reach the Europa League last 32.

Before that match, Marseille will face Nimes on Friday in Ligue 1 as they aim to qualify again for the Champions League next season. 

Marseille are currently in sixth place in Ligue 1 but are only four points behind leaders PSG and hold two games in hand over Thomas Tuchel's men. 

Villas-Boas humorously aimed to find the bright side of his side's European predicament earlier this month. 

"In order to be sh*t in the Champions League, you have to at least qualify for the Champions League," the Portuguese coach said. "We did it and we are being sh*t."

The U.S. women's national team and U.S. Soccer have reached an agreement to settle one part of their long-running lawsuit over gender discrimination.

The settlement is regarding what the USWNT alleged were unequal working conditions between them and the U.S. men's national team.

According to the legal filing: "The crux of that agreement is that USSF will implement revised policies on four working conditions: charter flights, venue selection, professional support, and hotel accommodations."

The agreement over working conditions clears the way for the USWNT to appeal a judge's decision in May, which ruled in U.S. Soccer's favor over the USWNT's pay discrimination claim.

“We are pleased that the USWNT Players have fought for – and achieved – long overdue equal working conditions,” said USWNT spokeswoman Molly Levinson in a statement. “We now intend to file our appeal to the court’s decision which does not account for the central fact in this case that women players have been paid at lesser rates than men who do the same job.

“We remain as committed as ever to our work to achieve the equal pay that we legally deserve. Our focus is on the future and ensuring we leave the game a better place for the next generation of women who will play for this team and this country.”

In a statement, U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone hailed the agreement as an important step forward as the two sides look to repair a long-damaged relationship.

“This is an important and welcomed moment for U.S. Soccer and the women’s national team players," Parlow Cone said.

"Earlier this year, I stepped into the role as President, and shortly after we hired Will Wilson as our new CEO. We, and the rest of the leadership team at U.S. Soccer, are focused on taking a new approach at the Federation in handling all matters.

“I believe our approach helped us reach this agreement and demonstrates the commitment of U.S. Soccer’s new leadership to find a new way forward with the USWNT. This settlement is good news for everyone and I believe will serve as a springboard for continued progress.

“As a former USWNT player, I can promise you that I am committed to equality between the USWNT and USMNT. My goal is, and has always been, to come to a resolution on all equal pay matters and inspire a new era of collaboration, partnership and trust between the USWNT and the Federation."

Tom Barkhuizen scored the opening goal as Preston North End pipped AFC Bournemouth to a 3-2 defeat in a Championship match.

The 27-year-old who scored the Lilywhites' only goal in their 4-1 loss against Watford on Saturday, continued from where he stopped at VIcarage Road with another effort on Tuesday.

Barkhuizen broke the deadlock at the Vitality Stadium in the 16th minute, after benefiting from Daniel Johnson's assist.

The goal was the only difference that separated both teams in the first 45 minutes and it stretched the 27-year-old's tally to three goals after 14 games in the Championship this term.

Late goals from Junior Stanislas and Sam Surridge were not enough to complete Bournemouth fight-back as Scott Sinclair and Patrick Bauer sealed Preston's fourth Championship win on the road this term.

Preston North End climbed to 14th in the league table after gathering 19 points after 15 matches. Barkhuizen and Alex Neil's men will hope to build on the result when they host Wycombe Wanderers at Deepdale on Saturday.

Earlier this year, Barkhuizen was handed his maiden invitation to South Africa national team for their 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sao Tome and Principe in March, which was later moved to November.

The 27-year-old was expected to join Molefi Ntseki's team as a tourist because he is yet to apply for South African citizenship.

A few months ago, Ntseki said; “We sent his agent an email to invite him to be part of this camp, to get a tourist visa so we can work with him at close range … for him to understand South African players and South Africa as a whole, so that when he goes back he can say he is happy and he wants to play in South Africa.

“Sometimes you want to bring someone here and get all the documents, but when he comes he decides here is not the place for him, so we decided to bring him to be part of the camp, and have training sessions with us.”

Pep Guardiola said no team can take qualification for the Champions League knockout stages for granted after Manchester City secured a seeded place for the last-16.

City’s 0-0 draw at Porto means his side will top Group C with a game to spare after reaching the knockout draw for an eighth successive season, but with European giants Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Inter and last year’s semi-finalists RB Leipzig all facing an early exit, Guardiola says qualification is not as easy as people expect.

“This year especially in the Champions League it was tricky because if you lose or draw you have to go to the last game and there is always risk with the COVID situation,” he said.

“I know it's a disaster if we were not able to do it. Nowadays, [people think it is] so easy but we know in the other groups, some important incredible teams are finding it difficult to qualify.

“We know how important the groups are and how difficult it is to qualify so this competition is really difficult - if you sleep for one or two games everything is going to be complicated. Today is a day to be to be happy and now it's time to forget until February the Champions League and focus on the Premier League.”

City have one final group game against Marseille next Wednesday, which comes just three days before the Manchester Derby.

With nothing riding on the fixture, it gives Guardiola the opportunity to rest players for the trip to Old Trafford, but with close to a full squad fully fit, he says he will pick a strong side to beat the Ligue 1 side, who won their first game in 13 attempts against Olympiacos on Tuesday.

“All the players deserve to play,” he said. “We’re going to make a selection, it depends if they're tired, it depends on their behaviour on the pitch, in training sessions, in the locker room, in many situations. We will see.

“It is not just to prepare absolutely for United and Old Trafford, because against Marseille we're going to play to win. This is the way big teams create the mentality. It doesn't matter what competition you play, you have to try to do it and we did really well all game.”

City have kept four clean sheets in their last four Champions League and were unfortunate not to win in Portugal with Gabriel Jesus having a goal ruled out by VAR and Raheem Sterling, Ruben Dias and Eric Garcia all going close.

Goals have been City’s biggest problem this season, but despite another blank, the City boss was happy with how his side performed.

“We played exceptionally well,” Guardiola added. “Unfortunately we could not score but we came here to finish first. We are happy, I guess Porto (who also qualified) are as well.

“We played with huge personality, courage to go there and keep the ball. I know it is not easy. They played with eight players in the box, they were so strong, the full-backs are so strong but we were patient and we attacked and we created enough chances to win. This is the most important thing.”

While the likes of Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Barcelona, LIverpool and Juventus have already confirmed their spots in the round of 16 of the 2020-21 Champions League, a handful will not learn their fate until the final matchday.

Goal has rounded up what results each team needs to safely progress into the highly-anticipated knockout stages of the flagship European club competition.

Group A

Bayern Munich have already qualified for the round of 16 as winners of Group A.

Atletico Madrid and RB Salzburg are both vying for second place and will meet each other in matchday six.

Salzburg need to defeat Atletico to make it to the knockout phases, while Atletico need to just avoid defeat to make it through.

Lokomotiv Moscow are unable to qualify for the last 16, but still have a chance of qualifying for Europa League should they beat Bayern and Salzburg fail to win.

Group B

Group B will go right down to the wire. Borussia Monchengladbach must defeat or draw with Real Madrid on the final day to progress to the knockout phases, though they have already been assured a place in the Europa League.

If they lose to Real Madrid, they can only qualify for the round of 16 only if Inter draw with Shakhtar.

Shakhtar will progress to the knockouts if they win against Inter on the final matchday, while a draw will also be enough - but only if Real Madrid fail to beat Gladbach. A defeat will not see them through.

Real Madrid need only a home victory to qualify to the knockouts, while a draw will suffice should Inter defeat Shakhtar. If they lose, they will drop to the Europa League if Inter don't beat Shakhtar.

Inter need to win against Shakhtar and rely on a win or loss between Borussia Monchengladbach and Real Madrid. A draw between the two would not be enough due to the head-to-head.

Group C

Manchester City have advanced to the knockout phases as winners of Group C, with Porto finishing in second.

Olympiakos and Marseille will both battle for third place to earn a spot in the Europa League. Marseille, who face Man City, must better Olympiakos' result against Porto to keep their hopes of remaining in the competition alive.

Group D

Liverpool finished top of their group with their win over Ajax in matchday five.

Midtjylland are to finish fourth and unable to qualify for Europa League, while the fates of both Ajax and Atalanta cannot be decided until the end of matchday six.

Ajax must win against Atalanta, while a win or draw is enough for Atalanta.

Group E

Both Chelsea and Sevilla have qualified for the round of 16.

Their penultimate group stage game is against each other, so whichever side wins both their remaining matches will finish in first place.

Both Krasnodar and Rennes are unable to progress to the round of 16, and as they face off against one another on December 2, whoever wins will qualify for the Europa League.

Group F 

Dortmund will progress to the knockouts should they win or draw against Lazio, or if Club Brugge fail to beat Zenit.

Lazio will progress should they defeat Dortmund, or if Zenit win against Brugge - or if both games end in a tie.

If both games end in a tie, Brugge cannot finish in the top two and will end up in the Europa League.

Zenit can only qualify for the Europa League if they win against Brugge on December 2.

Group G 

Barcelona and Juventus have both progressed to the knockout stages.

Barcelona will finish in first place if they win against Ferencvaros and Juve don't win against Dynamo. They can also finish in first if they draw and Juventus lose, though their fates can also be decided on the final matchday when they face off against each other.

Dynamo and Ferencvaros are unable to reach the round of 16, while third place will not be decided until the final matchday.

Group H

Manchester United will progress to the last 16 with just a point against PSG. The Red Devils will finish first if they win against PSG and Leipzig do not win - a draw will be enough for the Old Trafford side should Leipzig lose.

Istanbul Basaksehir can only reach the round of 16 if they beat Leipzig. They will finish fourth should they lose and if PSG draw or win against Man Utd - or if Basaksehir draw and PSG defeat Man Utd.

PSG and Leipzig's fates will only be decided on the final matchday. If they both finish with the same number of points, PSG will progress due to the away goals in the head-to-head.

Fernandinho believes Gabriel Jesus' pace and passion can give Manchester City's attack the cutting edge they have lacked this season.

Jesus came off the bench during the second half of City's 0-0 draw at Porto on Tuesday, a result that sealed top spot in Champions League Group C.

It was a frustrating outing in front of goal for Pep Guardiola's side, something that has become familiar during a stuttering start that sees them lying 11th in a compressed Premier League table, and City's 18 attempts were their most without scoring in a Champions League match.

Jesus looked to have ended their frustration 10 minutes from time, beating inspired Porto goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin at the second attempt before a VAR review showed Joao Cancelo was offside before delivering the cross to set him up.

The Brazil striker has three goals from seven appearances in an injury-interrupted campaign and his compatriot Fernandinho believes Jesus gives another dimension to a City forward line that is still without Sergio Aguero after his latest knee setback.

"A striker always should be alert in the box and he showed his quality," the veteran midfielder told BT Sport.  "Unfortunately, it was offside but I'm glad for him. He changed the game with his passion and his pace.

"It was a good point for us and we’re glad to finish top of the group."

Fernandinho made his first start since suffering an injury during the initial encounter with Porto in Manchester six weeks ago.

He was in the thick of a frequently combative affair - contesting 10 duels, making three interceptions and committing five fouls, while also winning a pair of free-kicks.

"It's important to get one point away from home. Especially against a tough team like they are," the 35-year-old said. "They fought the whole game to get the point and go through as well.

"I think we tried to win the game since the beginning. We tried to play our game since the first minute."

City have qualified for the Champions League knock-outs in first place with a game to spare, making it to the round of 16 for the eighth year in a row.

Nigerian wonderkid Karim Adeyemi broke a Champions League record for Red Bull Salzburg on Tuesday, when he netted in their 3-1 victory at Lokomotiv Moscow.

Adeyemi added Salzburg’s third in the 81st minute away at the RZD Arena, finally killing off the contest after Anton Miranchuk had pulled one back for Lokomotiv two minutes beforehand following a first-half double from the visitors’ Mergim Berisha.

In finding the net, Adeyemi becomes—at the age of 18 years and 318 days—the youngest player ever to score in the Champions League for RB Salzburg.

His goal capped off an excellent outing for the Austrian champions, as they finally ended a run of five UCL games without a victory—losing four and drawing one match during that spell.

Surprisingly, their goalscoring has been impressive even if they haven’t been able to pick up victories, with only Bayern Munich scoring more goals per game across the last two UCL campaigns out of the clubs to feature in both editions of the tournament.

While the impressive Berisha will hog the headlines, the goal was a landmark moment for Adeyemi who is continuing to rebuild his career after leaving Bayern Munich amidst a cloud after disciplinary issues overshadowed his immense potential.

He was an Austrian champion with the club last season, and has one league goal in six T-Mobile Bundesliga outings so far this season.

The youngster, who was born in Munich, has represented Germany up to U-17 level, but is yet to progress further up the national-team ranks.

He’s eligible for Nigeria through his father, but could also turn out for Romania—currently ranked 37th in the world—via his mother.

Despite the victory—ending a run of three consecutive UCL defeats—Salzburg are up against it as they look to qualify for the knockout stages after being drawn into Group A alongside Bayern and Atletico Madrid.

The two heavyweights are currently in place to reach the Last 16—on 13 and six points respectively—but Salzburg could leapfrop Atleti into second if they defeat them in Austria in a winner-takes-all showdown in gameweek six on December 9.

Former West Ham and QPR defender Anton Ferdinand has released a new documentary titled: "Anton Ferdinand: Football, Racism and Me" on the BBC, which explores his personal experiences with racism in professional football.

Ferdinand was involved in a high-profile incident involving ex-Chelsea captain John Terry and in the documentary, Ferdinand speaks about the exchange for the first time since 2011.

During a Premier League meeting between Chelsea and QPR on October 23, 2011, Terry was alleged to have aimed a racist slur at Ferdinand in the second half.

It is alleged that Terry called Ferdinand a "f*cking black c***" after the two were embroiled in a heated verbal exchange.

Terry mouthing the words was caught on camera, but after the match, the former England captain stated that he said them in response after being accused of using them.

He said: "I've seen that there's a lot of comments on the internet with regards to some video footage of me in today's game.

"I'm disappointed that people have leapt to the wrong conclusions about the context of what I was seen to be saying to Anton Ferdinand.

"I thought Anton was accusing me of using a racist slur against him. I responded aggressively, saying that I never used that term. I would never say such a thing, and I'm saddened that people would think so."

Terry was later not found guilty by an FA independent regulatory commission, with the court stating that while “there is no doubt that John Terry uttered the words “f*cking black c***” at Anton Ferdinand,” it was deemed “impossible” to understand the context of the exchange.

Terry was handed a four-match ban and a fine of £220,000 and was later stripped of the England armband.

Ferdinand revisited the infamous incident in his new BBC documentary, "Anton Ferdinand: Football, Racism and Me", released on November 30.

In the documentary, Ferdinand spoke of the racist abuse he experienced from social media in the aftermath of the incident.

Because he was told not to comment on the incident in public, he was prevented from speaking out about racism in sport - something that he regrets to this day.

"I still carry a feeling of letting people down for not speaking up," Ferdinand said in the documentary.

"I still feel guilt and it eats away at me more than anything and I don't know how to get rid of it.

"At the time I was angry more than anything and I knew that because I was angry, if I spoke out about it then I would have become a stereotype of a young black man who fires from the hip and shouts his mouth off."

Ferdinand's older brother, former England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, contributed to the documentary and also spoke of his dismay of not being able to be more supportive of his brother when the event unfolded - describing himself as feeling "powerless".

He and Terry were both in the England squad as team-mates at the time.

"The incident was probably the catalyst for the downturn of his career," Ferdinand said of his younger brother.

"Who knows how I would have reacted if at every stadium I went to people were making you feel like you were the instigator and aggressor in the situation when you were really the victim.

"Shouting obscenities all the time regarding the case so you can never get away from it.

"I was confused and disappointed with the way it unravelled and we never really spoke about it - I don't know why we never did in depth.

"Everyone was saying, bar a few close friends, family, mum especially and dad, were telling us to say nothing - let the lawyers deal with it and let it go to court and it will be sorted out.

"And I feel guilty because all I kept thinking was - how is this happening to my brother? I should have spoken out but I just felt powerless."

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has once again come to the rescue of Gor Mahia after they gave them Sh3million to help prepare the team for their Caf Champions League match.

The Kenyans champions are set to host APR of Rwanda in the return leg clash set for Nyayo Stadium with K’Ogalo seeking to reverse the 2-1 defeat suffered in the first leg battle staged at Nyamirambo Stadium in Kigali last weekend.

Olivier Niyonzima had given the hosts an early lead in the ninth minute before Kenneth Muguna cancelled it out with an accurate taken free-kick in the 28th minute, only for defender Andrew Juma to score in his own net.

A source within FKF has confirmed to Goal the federation will give the club Sh3million to prepare for the return leg.

“Gor Mahia appealed for help from FKF and we have agreed to assist them with Sh3million to aid their preparations for Caf Champions League match against APR on Saturday,” the source, who did not want to be named, told Goal.

Asked whether they have given out the cash yet, the source said: “We will give them, we are working on that, and they will have the money, maybe even tomorrow [Wednesday].”

It is the second time the FKF is bailing out Gor Mahia, as before they departed for Kigali they kitted the team with Harambee Stars tracksuits.

Despite losing 2-1, Gor Mahia stand-in coach Sammy Omollo is confident they will reverse the result and qualify to the next stage of the competition come Saturday.

“Despite the loss, the boys played well in that game, and they stuck to our game plan," Omollo told Goal on Monday. “A 2-1 [loss] is not a bad result for us; the important thing is that we scored the important away goal.

“The one goal we scored will be very crucial for us in the return leg because now we just need one goal, or even two if possible, to advance.”

On his part, APR coach Adil Errade Mohamed has cautioned his players not to underrate Gor Mahia as they did in the first leg contest.

“I am told that local media reported extensively about the financial difficulties that our opponents are going through and how it had affected their morale because some players had threatened not to play,” Mohamed is quoted by New Times.

“This might have made our players become a little bit complacent but I don’t want to see that attitude in the return leg, we must be very cautious against them and make sure we don’t crack.”

Gor Mahia have been in the competition in the last four seasons but have always found it hard to advance further and their last attempt, in 2019, was ended by Algeria’s USM Alger.

The Algerian outfit picked up two victories against K’Ogalo and the two defeats came at a time Gor Mahia were strained financially as they operated without a sponsor.

Real Madrid are in danger of a dramatic Champions League group-stage exit after they fell to a 2-0 away defeat against Shakhtar Donetsk.

If Borussia Monchengladbach defeat Inter later on Tuesday, 13-time winners Madrid will not have their Group B fate in their own hands.

Shakhtar defeated Madrid in Spain on matchday one and earned another upset victory courtesy of second-half strikes from substitutes Dentinho and Manor Solomon.

Madrid are now third in the pool, behind Shakhtar due to their head-to-head record and a point behind Borussia Monchengladbach, who host Inter later on Tuesday.

Gladbach will be out of reach for the Spanish champions should they prevail against the winless Nerazzurri.

Madrid, who next face the Bundesliga side, would then have to better Shakhtar's result against Inter on matchday six to progress.
 

Mumbai City FC thrashed East Bengal 3-0 in the Indian Super League clash at GMC Stadium in Bambolim to climb to the top of the table.

Sergio Lobera's side played attacking football as they created ample chances in front of the goal and outclassed their opponents. 

The combination of Ahmed Jahouh, Hugo Boumous and Adam Le Fondre worked wonders for Lobera. Boumous provided an assist to Fondre to open the scoring for Mumbai City in the 20th minute. Lober, however, refused to single out players for praise. 

"I don't like to speak about individuals. I think the most important thing is to work as a team and when you're working well as a team, it's possible to shine. Obviously, Boumous is a very good player but I have a very good squad and this is the most important thing for me," Sergio Lobera said after the game.

"If you want to win games you can have a very good first eleven. But if you want to win the league you need a very good squad and I have a very good squad. Every day the best first eleven is not the same," he added. 

Lobera started with Le Fondre ahead of Bartholomew Ogbeche and the decision turned out to be a good one as the English forward struck twice in the gqme. The 43-year-old is happy with his balanced squad and the problem of having plenty of options to choose from. 

"It's an amazing problem. I have a very good squad," Lobera said.

The table-toppers will now take on Odisha on Sunday. 

East Bengal were outplayed by Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League fixture as they lost 0-3 at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim on Tuesday. It was the second consecutive loss for Robbie Fowler and his boy after they registered defeat against traditional rivals ATK Mohun Bagan in their inaugural match. 

East Bengal looked sloppy throughout the match as they failed to match their opponent's tempo. The Fowler-managed side also displayed individual lapses which resulted into a heavy defeat for them. Congolese midfielder Jacques Maghoma was the only silver lining in the all-round failure for the Kolkata giants as he looked to create plenty of chances through his quick runs in front of the goal. 

The former Liverpool striker was critical about some of his Indian players, without mentioning their name, as he suggested that it looks like they have never been coached. Fowler also mentioned that he will look to train the Indian players to make them better.  

"We played two great teams and when you commit mistakes they will punish you. We will learn from that and we will soldier on. There is a little bit of work to do on the training park," Fowler said in the post-match interview. 

"We will coach the players because in all fairness few of them have probably never been coached before and that is what we are doing. We will try and make our Indian players better and that takes good coaching and I don't think they had had that in the years gone by," the Englishman added.

East Bengal were dealt with a major blow as they lost their star defender Daniel Fox in the seventh minute of the play owing to an injury. Fowler suggested that it changed the tempo of the game for his side and highlighted that they need to work on concentration. The 45-year-old, however, mentioned that he has no clue on the injury status of Fox and if need be then he might change the formation for the upcoming match.   

"We looked ok. I mean when you have got the team and the type of football we are looking to play and when you lose your captain and one of the main players early in the game. I think the quality was at times ok. I think indvidual lapses cost us. We have to do better in terms of concentration. Concentration level in football is huge. I think we need to learn quick at that," Fowler said in the post-match interview. 

"I haven't got a clue. We will access Danny. I'm not sure to full extent. It's fairly obvious that there might be a few changes in terms of personnel. We will work on a few things"