Champions League News – Real Stunned at Home, Bayern Survives Amsterdam

It was the last day of the group stage in this year’s Champions League. After this round, we know all the 16 participants of the first knockout round, and 8 who are heading to Europa League.

Real Madrid suffered a hard defeat at their Santiago Bernabeu. CSKA Moscow smashed them with 0-3, and became one of the few teams who managed to defeat the Madridians in both legs of the Champions League group stage. Still, the Russian team finished last in Group G, because of the result from another game played in the Czech Republic. Viktoria Plzen was better than AS Roma, 2-1, and they Czechs secured the third place and Europa League spot. It is hard to believe that a club who didn’t allow a single goal against Real in two contests, isn’t continuing its European campaign. But that is soccer, sometimes beautiful, sometimes unfair.

Manchester United dropped a huge chance to win Group H, and secure the home ground advantage in the round of 16. Juventus lost in Switzerland to Young Boys with 2-1, which opened a possibility for the English team to reach the top spot and make its life a lot easier. However, Mourinho and his troops got beaten 2-1 against Valencia, and Phil Jones became a laughing stock after a horrifying reaction he made which resulted in own goal. The Red Devils travel to Liverpool this Sunday to face their biggest enemy, and we are quite sure that this isn’t the perfect intro for that one. The Spanish team continues its international season in the EL.

https://twitter.com/tomtannerr/status/1072961825245986817

Bayern Munich survived Amsterdam and Ajax, 3-3. This meeting had six goals, two penalties, two red cards, two injury-time goals, everything that soccer can offer. Sixty thousand fans were stunned with the development in the last 10 minutes when we saw two lead changes and finally, Ajax’s equalizer in the fifth minute of the injury time. In the end, with this point, Bayern preserved the first place in the Group E, while the Dutch team finished second. The other match between Benfica Lisboa and AEK Athens ended with 1-0 for the hosts. The Eagles from Portugal go to the Europa League while the Greeks finish their international season. We are pretty sure that this will be the last in the next few years after all the problems their fans cause , as UEFA still investigates all those incidents.

Así convirtió Tagliafico el 3-3 final ante Bayern Munich en la última jugada del partido.

Fue el 5to gol del ex #Independiente en el Ajax, que jugará los 8avos de final de la Champions League. pic.twitter.com/GuvVDPDQDN

— ADN CAI (@adnCAI) December 12, 2018

Manchester City and Hoffenheim repeated the scenario from Germany. The Citizens were losing at the beginning, but managed to equalize until the halftime, and eventually turn the game upside down, winning with 2-1. They clinched the No.1 place in Group F, bouncing back after last week’s defeat against Chelsea. In the only contest which had to decide a passenger to the knockout stage, Shakhtar Donetsk and Lyon played 1-1. It was more suitable for the French team, who in the end finished behind City. Though, the hosts from Ukraine drew the first blood but were unable to keep that lead. Nabil Fekir, Lyon’s best player was the one who leveled the score, pushing his team into the next stage. On the other side, Shakhtar goes to Europa League, which is no doubt a huge disappointment for them, after a chance like this.