Some of the results were maybe unexpected, other games were lacking excitement, we saw only 17 goals in 8 matches. Let’s see the quick recaps.
Astana vs. Atletico Madrid 0:0
The afternoon game was played in Kazakhstan and Atletico fairly disappointed. Astana looked well organized at the back and Griezmann, Torres and later Martinez, have failed to score and take the three points. The home team deserved a draw.
Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Juventus 1:1
Borussia started the game strong and after Chiellini’s mistake in the box, Fabian Johnson scored for the home team’s lead. Juve managed to level the match right before the half time with great Lichtsteiner’s volley. It was a great moment for a Swiss footballer after a lifesaving heart surgery he had the last month. Hernanes received a red card for a silly challenge in the 53rd minute and from that moment Borussia was the better team, but failed to snatch a win. It was a pretty decent game.
Benfica vs. Galatasaray 2:1
Benfica was a better team in the first half but didn’t have the luck to score. The second half gave us better football and the home team took the lead after 52nd minute following confusion in the Galata’s penalty box. Jonas was at the right place and scored for 1:0. Lukas Podolski got the equalizer six minutes later, and Luisao found himself in front of the goal after a corner and scored a winner with cool finish. Nico Gaitan was sent off five minutes before the end, but Benfica managed to record a win and get back to the top of the group.
Manchester United vs. CSKA Moscow 1:0
United needed this win badly, and they didn’t have luck in the first half. They’ve missed a lot of chances and almost were punished in the second part of the game when Doumbia broke through two defenders, but De Gea stopped his attempt, and Smalling blocked the rebound. Finally, Wayne Rooney scored a winner which ended United’s scoring drought that lasted over 400 minutes. It was a fully deserved win for the Red Devils.
PSV vs. Wolfsburg 2:0
Many people expected a better showing from the visitors, but PSV won this game fairly easily. The first half wasn’t very interesting, and it was mainly played between two penalty boxes. Locadia opened the scoring for the hosts in the 55th minute after a nice combination with Luuk de Jong. De Jong managed to get to the score sheet as well with an excellent lob four minutes before the last whistle. PSV was the better side and deserved a win. Everything is still open in this group.
Real Madrid vs. PSG 1:0
The first game in Paris was complete disappointment and this one in Madrid has to be a better one. The visitors started very well and were close to taking a lead on a few occasions in the first half, but Keylor Navas was magnificent. Veratti and Marcelo suffered injuries and the latter’s substitution, Nacho, scored the only goal of the game after a strange error from Kevin Trapp. Nacho followed up the rebound and punished the undecided keeper with excellent finish. PSG played better than in Paris, but Navas kept the clean sheet once again. Di Maria tried everything to score against former employers. He’s the last attempt was from free-kick, but the crossbar saved the home team. Real qualified for the knockout stage.
Sevilla vs. Manchester City 1:3
The City is the second team that qualified for the next round with stellar performance at Sevilla. The win was evident after only 11 minutes. Raheem Sterling was an unsolved enigma for the home team and scored for a lead eight minutes from the start. The same player was again the key to the next City’s goal; Fernandinho followed the whole action and scored from a rebound. Sevilla’s defense looked terrible. Tremoulinas managed to claw one back, but Bony settled the final score after Jesus Navas’ pass on the 36th minute. The visitors destroyed the Spanish team and deserved their place in top 16.
Shakhtar vs. Malmo 4:0
The most uninteresting game was played in Ukraine where Shakhtar dismantled Malmo. The home team was dominant from the beginning, and they needed 30 minutes to break the visitors. Gladkyj, Srna, Alves and Alex Teixeira scored in a big win.
