Group A
Juventus had veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon to thank as they scraped into the Champions League knockout stage with a goalless draw at home to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. The stalemate also suited Atletico who were already qualified and guaranteed top spot in Group A. Juventus, who went out in the group stage last season, made sure of second place with 10 points, three behind Atletico.
Olympiacos failed to qualify for the Champions League last 16 despite a 4-2 Group A victory over Malmo at the Karaiskakis Stadium. The hosts finished one point behind second-placed Juventus in the table after the Italian giants drew 0-0 at home to group winners Atletico Madrid.
David Fuster, Alejandro Dominguez, Kostas Mitroglou and Ibrahim Afellay were on target for Olympiacos, while Simon Kroon and Markus Rosenberg netted for Malmo, who lost Enoch Adu to a late red card and finished bottom of the group with just three points.
Group B
Aside from the drama in Anfield where FC Basle's draw with Liverpool sent them through to the knock-out stages, Real Madrid made it six wins out of six in Champions League Group B.
Their win set a Spanish record for consecutive victories when a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty set them on the way to a 4-0 success at home to 10-man Ludogorets on Tuesday. Already through to the last 16 as group winners, holders Real romped to a 19th straight victory in all competitions, surpassing the record of 18 they jointly held with Barcelona
Group C
Aymen Abdennour and Fabinho’s second-half goals helped Monaco beat Zenit St Petersburg 2-0 at home and send the principality side into the last 16 of the
Champions
League on Tuesday. Centre back Abdennour headed home in the 64th minute and Fabinho doubled the tally with a low shot one minute from time as Monaco clinched top spot in Group C with 11 points from six games, although they managed a miserly four goals. Bayer Leverkusen, who were held to a goalless draw at Benfica, finished one point behind. Zenit will drop into the Europa
League round of 32. Monaco, who had only conceded one goal from their opening five games, started cautiously.
Group D
Dortmund earned some relief from their domestic woes on Tuesday as they qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League as group winners, but their 1-1 draw against Anderlecht told of a side still down on confidence and form. Ciro Immobile’s splendid 58th-minute goal had looked as if it would be enough to give the already qualified Germans, who had only climbed off the foot of the Bundesliga at the weekend, a victorious finale in Group D.
While Arsenal’s crushing victory in Galatasary secured second spot for them.
