UCL: Manchester City qualify, Barcelona beat PSG

Sport360 staff 04:46 11/12/2014
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  • Crucial result: Manchester City beat AS Roma 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico.

    Manchester City completed an incredible comeback in the Champions League group stages as they beat Roma 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico after a stunning performance from Samir Nasri.

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    Needing to win, or claim a scoring draw (while hoping CSKA Moscow lost), City struggled to create clear chances in the first-half with Edin Dzeko going the closest, although Joe Hart had to save well from Gervinho at the other end to stop Roma taking the lead.

    — Fernandinho (@fernaoficial) December 10, 2014

    On the hour mark, however, Nasri stepped up and hammered a rocket of a shot into the net via the post to give City a great chance.

    With two goals required for their own progress, Roma could not break through and City made the result safe with five minutes remaining as Nasri laid the ball on a plate in the box for Pablo Zabaleta to strike the second and seal the most unlikely of places in the knockout stages as runners-up.

    Thomas Muller helped Bayern Munich secure the lead against CSKA Moscow, scoring a first-half penalty.

    In the other game in Group E, Bayern Munich saw off CSKA Moscow 3-0 to knock out the Russian side and finish well clear at the top.

    Thomas Muller netted a first-half penalty after Franck Ribery was felled on the edge of the area and Bayern never looked like losing their stronghold on the game, despite making a number of changes to their lineup, as Sebastian Rode ran in at the back post to head home the second with seven minutes left and Mario Gotze scored in the final minute.

    CSKA now finish the group bottom with Roma qualifying for the Europa League.

    Barcelona duo Neymar and Luis Suarez both got on the score-sheet as they beat Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League

    In Group F, Barcelona finished as top seeds as they beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 at the Camp Nou.

    Both teams had already qualified, but top spot in the table was at stake and PSG seemed to take the advantage when Zlatan Ibrahimovic struck against his old club.

    However, Lionel Messi added to his Champions League goal tally by netting his 75th in the competition after an assist from Luis Suarez, and Neymar gave the Catalans the lead just before half-time with a well struck shot from distance into the bottom corner.

    Suarez then got himself on the scoresheet in the second half by converting a rebound as Neymar’s shot was saved.

    Ajax, meanwhile, pipped APOEL to the Europa League spot with a 4-0 win courtesy of three goals in eight minutes. A penalty in first-half stoppage time by Lasse Schone opened the scoring, before the same player doubled the lead soon into the second. Davy Klaassen then made it three before Arkadiusz Milik put the gloss on the win.

    Group G saw Chelsea ease past Sporting Lisbon 3-1 thanks to goals from Cesc Fabregas, Andre Schurrle and John Obi Mikel.

    Good win tonight:)) #cfc #happy pic.twitter.com/iMFxia1xMI

    The Blues were already guaranteed top spot, but cruised home as Fabregas slotted home a penalty and Schurrle made the most of a rare start to double the lead before half-time.

    Jonathan Silva got one back for the Portuguese side in the second half, but the result was never really in doubt as Mikel got the advantage back to two goals inside five minutes.

    The defeat put Sporting into the Europa League as Schalke beat minnows NK Maribor 1-0 with a second-half goal from Maximilian Meyer.

    Atheltic Bilbao celebrate after scoring against BATE Borisov in their final Champions League group fixture.

    In the final group, Athletic Bilbao beat BATE Borisov to claim the Europa League spot with a 2-0 win thanks to Mikel San Jose’s effort just after half-time and a late goal from Markel Susaeta.

    Porto, already guaranteed top spot, drew 1-1 with runners-up Shakhtar Donetsk as a Vincent Aboubakar strike cancelled out a goal from Taras Stepanenko.

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