It’s been another big week in the Champions League with some of Europe’s biggest clubs going into week five on the brink of going out of the competition. The tense atmosphere resulted in just 22 goals from 16 group games and you can watch them all again online in our special highlights programme. Click here to watch... and if you don’t want to know the scores beforehand, make sure you don’t read ahead.
Liverpool and Barcelona’s fate was in the balance going into Tuesday night’s round of games. Results went the correct way for Pep Guardiola’s team, but Rafa Benitez was powerless to stop his team – winners in 2005 – from exiting with a game still to play. Despite their win away to Debrecen, Fiorentina’s 1-0 home win over Olympique Lyonnais condemned the English side to the Europa League.
Also exiting on Tuesday night were Rangers, who lost 2-0 at home to Germans VfB Stuttgart. Their defeat – together with Unirea’s home win over Sevilla – put them out of the Champions League and also ended their hopes of a consolation spot in the Europa League.
Arsenal sealed their place in the last 16 with a 2-0 home win over Belgians Standard Liege in Group H, whilst Dutch champions AZ Alkmaar were knocked out in the same group after a 0-0 home draw with Greek team Olympiacos.
Another of Europe’s big names – Bayern Munich – were in a perilous position on Wednesday. They needed to defeat Israeli side Maccabi Haifa and hope French champions Bordeaux – who had already qualified for the first knockout round – could defeat Juventus.
It all worked out for the Germans on the night, but only just. Louis Van Gaal’s team were 1-0 home winners at the Allianz Arena, whilst Bordeaux kept their end of the bargain with a 2-0 win against the Italians. Just one point now seperates Juventus and Bayern in Group A, setting up a showpiece fixture between the two for a place in the last 16 in two weeks time.
Manchester United let their lead at the top of Group B slip with a surprise 1-0 home defeat to Turkish side Besiktas. United made a raft of changes to their team, giving starts to youngsters Federico Macheda, Danny Welbeck and Gabriel Obertan. But a deflected shot from Rodrigo Tello in the first half deceived Ben Foster and the youthful Red Devils couldn’t muster a response.
Nothing is final in Group C after matchday five. Real Madrid saw off Swiss side FC Zurich 1-0 at the Bernabeu to put them top, but Milan’s 1-1 draw in Marseille means that only Zurich’s fate is sealed – they are out of the competition.
Finally in Group D, Chelsea were 1-0 winners in Porto to secure top spot, with both teams already successfully through to the next round. Atletico Madrid needed a win in Cyprus to seal a Europa League space, but were held 1-1 and could yet be eliminated entirely from Europe in the final round of games.
Last updated: 26 November 2009, 17:12
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