Champions League round-up: Real blow two-goal lead to draw

Sport360 staff 02:08 03/11/2016
It was a busy Wednesday night of action.

Real Madrid blew a two-goal lead and the chance to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Legia Warsaw behind closed doors in the Polish capital.

Gareth Bale fired home Madrid’s fastest ever Champions League goal after just 55 seconds before teeing up Karim Benzema for Real’s second.

However, Legia launched a stunning fightback as goals from Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe, Miroslav Radovic and Thibault Moulin put the Polish champions on the verge of a famous victory.

Mateo Kovacic salvaged some pride and a now 27-game unbeaten run for the European champions when he slotted home five minutes from time.

A draw means Madrid now trail Borussia Dortmund by two points at the top of Group F with two games to play.

Dortmund qualified for the last 16 with a 1-0 win over Sporting Lisbon in the other game in the group.

In front of an empty stadium due to Legia’s sanction for violence and racist chanting in their 6-0 thrashing by Dortmund in September, Bale celebrated his new bumper six-year Madrid deal in style by rifling a volley into the top corner.

Leicester missed the chance to seal qualification to the knockout stages of the Champions League after a forgettable 0-0 draw in Copenhagen.

The Foxes never got going in Denmark and the hosts failed to take advantage to leave their own hopes of reaching the last 16 in doubt.

Kasper Schmeichel ensured the visitors escaped with a point when he produced a fine last-minute save from Andreas Cornelius, while Christian Fuchs cleared Benjamin Verbic’s effort off the line with Leicester yet to concede in the competition this season.

Porto’s 1-0 win over Club Brugge meant only a win would send the Foxes through but they lacked imagination in a sloppy, if gritty, performance as their 100 per cent record in Europe ended.

Claudio Ranieri’s side still top Group G by three points ahead of Porto and will be expected to qualify for the last 16 when they host rock bottom Brugge in three weeks.

Tottenham’s Wembley curse struck again as Mauricio Pochettino’s men slipped to a 1-0 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

Spurs have now won only once in seven matches at the national stadium and they paid the price for another sloppy display as Kevin Kampl’s second-half winner left their hopes of qualification hanging by a thread.

The defeat means Tottenham drop to third in Group E, two points behind Leverkusen and four adrift of Monaco, who they play in France later this month.

Another English club-record home attendance of 85,512 turned out to watch under the Wembley arch but, just as Spurs disappointed in their 2-1 loss to Monaco here in September, they failed to deliver again.

Gonzalo Higuain struck a first-half penalty but dominant Juventus failed to book their Champions League last 16 ticket after being stunned by Corentin Tolisso’s late leveller in a 1-1 draw with Lyon on Wednesday.

The Italian champions looked to be heading for a 1-0 win after Higuain stepped up to beat Anthony Lopes from the spot before the quarter hour.

But despite being outplayed for long periods, Lyon refused to give in and were finally rewarded when Tolisso bundled the ball past Gianluigi Buffon from a long free kick with six minutes left on the clock.

Sevilla’s win against Dinamo Zagreb means Juventus dropped to second place in Group H to sit two points behind the Spaniards and are now just four ahead of Lyon with two games remaining.

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