ALREADY-QUALIFIED MANCHESTER City battled back from a 2-0 half-time deficit to beat RB Leipzig at home in the Champions League tonight, while they have been joined in the knockout phase by all of Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Lazio.
Phil Foden created two goals and scored another in City’s comeback win, while Erling Haaland also broke another record as City produced an emphatic response to Lois Openda’s first-half double at the Etihad Stadium.
Substitute Julian Alvarez came off the bench to wrap up the fightback and secure top spot in Group G for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Young Boys were 2-0 winners over Crvena Zvezda in the other game in the group, to go a long way to clinching third spot in the group behind second-placed Leipzig.
Barcelona came from behind to beat Porto 2-1 on Tuesday to reach the knock-out rounds for the first time in three seasons. Brazilian winger Pepe sent Porto ahead but Barcelona’s Portuguese duo Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix both netted to turn the game on its head.
The former Benfica pair pounced against their old club’s rivals to ensure Xavi Hernandez’s team would not face a humiliating group stage exit as they did in both of the last two seasons. Defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk in Hamburg in their previous European match made Barca nervous, with poor performances domestically adding to their jitters.
However despite conceding first, Cancelo quickly levelled and he set up Felix in the second half for the winner.
Porto are second, but level on points with Shakhtar Donetsk, who beat Royal Antwerp 1-0 in the earlier kick-off. The two sides play each other on the final matchday.
Atletico Madrid booked their place in the last-16 thanks to a sumptuous volley from defender Mario Hermoso and two catastrophic own goals, which sent them to a thrilling 3-1 win over Dutch champions Feyenoord.
The Group E result also meant Italy’s Lazio progressed to the knock-out phase after their own 2-0 win over Celtic, who were eliminated along with Feyenoord.
Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, qualified thanks to a 3-1 win away to AC Milan. Olivier Giroud missed an early penalty for Milan, and was punished minutes later as Marco Reus converted his own spot kick after Jamie Bynoe-Gittens was fouled by Davide Calabria.
Bynoe-Gittens then gave Dortmund the lead just before the hour mark, with Karim Adeyemi sealing the victory with a third goal 10 minutes later.
Champions League results
Group E
- Lazio 2-0 Celtic
- Feyenoord 1-3 Atletico Madrid
Group F
- AC Milan 1-3 Borussia Dortmund
- PSG 1-1 Newcastle
Group G
- Man City 3-2 RB Leipzig
- Young Boys 2-0 Crvena Zvezda
Group H
- Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 Royal Antwerp
- Barcelona 2-1 Porto
With reporting by – © AFP 2023
