And so we say farewell to the group stages. It’s been emotional. The draw for the last 16 is on Monday. Thanks for reading. See you soon.
Full-time: Porto 1-1 Shakhtar Donetsk
The spoils are shared.
Full-time: Maribor 0-1 Schalke
Schalke’s victory ensures they will be thrashed in the last 16.
Full-time: Chelsea 3-1 Sporting Lisbon
A comfortable evening for Chelsea, who send Sporting tumbling into the Europa League.
Full-time: Barcelona 3-1 PSG
Barcelona come from behind to secure a win that sees them finish top of the group.
Full-time: Bayern Munich 3-0 CSKA Moscow
It was never in doubt for Bayern. CSKA are out.
Full-time: Roma 0-2 Manchester City
And so do Roma! Although they’re probably not happy about it. City are into the last 16 thanks to goals from Samir Nasri and Pablo Zabaleta.
Full-time: Ajax 4-0 Apoel
And so do Ajax.
Full-time: Athletic Bilbao 2-0 BATE Borisov
Athletic qualify for the Europa League.
GOAL! Bayern Munich 3-0 CSKA Moscow (Gotze, 90 min)
Mario Gotze has scored bigger goals than this. A good finish, though, and CSKA are done.
GOAL! Porto 1-1 Shakhtar Donetsk (Aboubakhar, 87 min)
A wonder strike from Aboubakhar looks to have saved a point for Porto! That was stunning, the ball soaring into the top corner from 25 yards!
GOAL! Athletic Bilbao 2-0 BATE Borisov (Suseta, 88 min)
The 24th goal BATE have conceded in six games. You have to hand it to them.
Will City’s fans be bothered about going through? I heard they hate the Champions League.
GOAL! Roma 0-2 Manchester City (Zabaleta, 86 min)
A wonderfully worked goal from Zabaleta has virtually assured City’s progress.
GOAL! Bayern Munich 2-0 CSKA Moscow (Rode, 84 min)
City are through unless Roma score twice in the last five minutes.
It’s still rising. Poor Dave.
David Luiz shoots from 30 yards. It’s still rising.
“Seriously, why does Rodgers dislike him so much?” says Patrick Crumlish. “No striker in the second half last night and him not even on the bench.”
He caught him calling him Bluto.
GOAL! Barcelona 3-1 PSG (Suarez, 77 min)
One for Messi, one for Neymar and now one for Suarez. Victory is surely Barcelona’s. Messi played a one-two with Xavi, who shifted it to Neymar on the left. He whipped a skimmer towards the far post and although Sirigu got a good hand to the ball, it came straight to Suarez, who made no mistake. Barcelona will be winning this group, then.
GOAL! Ajax 4-0 Apoel (Milik, 74 min)
Poor old Apoel.
“Two draws bump City,” says Peter Platt, my one reader.
CSKA have just missed a very good chance, Musa slicing wide then through on goal. City aren’t in the clear yet.
PSG are doing nothing. They can’t get into the game.
A lull. A lovely lull.
GOAL! Maribor 0-1 Schalke (Meyer, 62 min)
This is bad news for Sporting. Max Meyer gives Schalke the lead and that means they are heading for the last 16.
As it stands, CSKA would need to score twice to send City on their way. Or, of course, Roma could score twice.
GOAL! Porto 0-1 Shakhtar Donetsk (Stepanenko, 50 min)
It doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things, with the group already wrapped up for Porto, but Shakhtar have the lead in Portugal.
GOAL! Chelsea 3-1 Sporting (Mikel, 56 min)
Chelsea restore their two-goal lead as Mikel shows his renowned finishing prowess by blasting in from 0.0000000001 yards out after a cross was flicked on at the near post. Sporting were back in it for a matter of minutes but they can’t defend as badly as that and hope to get anything from the game.
Pedro wastes an excellent chance for Barcelona after a sparkling run from Messi, his cross drifting over the bar from the right. Back came PSG. On the right, the outstanding Lucas dances past Mathieu, who’s a fish out of water at left-back, but he can’t poke it past Ter Stegen from close range. The ball breaks to Cavani but he can’t force it in, despite an almighty scramble; it’s a whirl of arms and legs in there and eventually the balls squirts to the left to Matuidi, whose shot is blocked. Barca survive. Just.
GOAL! Ajax 3-0 Apoel (Klaassen, 53 min)
Klaass from Klaassen and Apoel are rocking.
Salah goes so close to extending Chelsea’s lead but his poked shot is brilliantly saved by Rui Patricio.
GOAL! Ajax 2-0 Apoel (Schone, 50 min)
Schone has his second of the night and the points are Ajax’s.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-1 Sporting Lisbon (Silva, 50 min)
Sporting are back in it! A cross from the right falls to Silva after a scramble and he smashes his shot past Cech from 12 yards. Game on!
“I still don’t quite see what Suárez brings to Barcelona,” says Charles Antaki. “Yes, a terrific assist for the first goal, but otherwise he seems basically to make a nuisance of himself and miscontrol the ball occasionally. They could have had Carlton Cole for a hundredth of the money.”
You have to ask why they didn’t sign Fabio Borini instead.
GOAL! Athletic Bilbao 1-0 BATE Borisov (Mikel San Jose, 47 min)
Athletic are heading for the Europa League. Good for them. It’s probably for the best that BATE are on their way out - that’s the 23rd goal they’ve conceded in the group.
The football has started again.
Half-time: Ajax 1-0 Apoel
Schone’s penalty is the difference so far.
Half-time: Maribor 0-0 Schalke
Schalke need a goal, else it’s the Europa League for them.
Half-time: Athletic Bilbao 0-0 BATE
If it stays like this, Athletic will qualify for the Europa League.
Half-time: Porto 0-0 Shakhtar
More could be happening.
Half-time: Bayern Munich 1-0 CSKA Moscow
Thomas Muller’s penalty separates the sides.
Half-time: Roma 0-0 Manchester City
As it stands, Roma are going through and City are going out, because...
Half-time: Chelsea 2-0 Sporting
Chelsea are cruising thanks to goals from Cesc Fabregas and Andre Schurrle but Sporting are still going through because Schalke aren’t winning against Slovenia.
GOAL! Ajax 1-0 Apoel (Schone pen, 45 min)
Ajax lead.
Messi has one. Neymar has one. Now we’re just waiting for Luis Suarez to get in on the act.
GOAL! Barcelona 2-1 PSG (Neymar, 41 min)
This is something else from Neymar. What a goal. Iniesta scooped a pass to him in the middle of the PSG half and he darted inside, dragging the ball along with him, as if it was glued to his right boot. He took a few touches and then, despite being surrounded by five PSG defenders, he let fly with a right-footed shot that was always arcing and swerving away from the despairing Sirigu and into the left corner. Barcelona have come from behind to lead and, as it stands, they will top the group.
Wonderful, silky football from Barcelona, all zappy one-touch passing on the edge of the PSG area that moved so quickly it was hard to keep your eyes on the ball, ends with Messi rapping a shot goalwards and Sirigu beating the ball away. Just think, if I had trouble keeping up with the ball’s journey, what were the PSG defenders supposed to do?
Suarez and Neymar take it in turns to lose the ball. Barcelona should have signed Diafra Sakho instead.
Bristol City have taken the lead against Coventry City, Derrick Williams with the goal. It’s not the Champions League but there hasn’t been a goal in that competition for a while.
Ibrahimovic breaks down the right, Barcelona letting him do as he pleases. Actully that’s not right, it’s more of a saunter, a regal stroll down the right. He waits for support and then pulls an inviting cross back to Cavani, who cracks a shot straight at Ter Stegen from 15 yards. He could have better, especially after that power amble from Ibrahimovic.
What a chance for Lucas Moura! Ibrahimovic found Matuidi on the left and his cross was a peach, curled perfectly into the six-yard box, but somehow Moura sidefooted wide!
Manchester City have a goal disallowed! Navas had the ball in the back of the net but the ball had blown for a foul against Dzeko.
Manuel Neuer has denied CSKA an equaliser, saving with his feet after they burst through the Bayern defence.
Looking at the Barcelona equaliser again, David Luiz had no idea where Messi was. It was a preventable goal but he was ball-watching. Meanwhile Chelsea are rampant at Stamford Bridge, Schurrle going close to his second and his side’s third.
GOAL! Bayern Munich 1-0 CSKA Moscow (Muller pen, 18 min)
Thomas Muller gives Bayern Munich the lead and that is excellent news for Manchester City.
GOAL! Barcelona 1-1 PSG (Messi, 19 min)
Well that didn’t take long. Luis Suarez steals behind the PSG defence on the left, running on to a lovely pass over the top from Mascherano, and he does brilliantly to control a cross-shot into the six-yard box, the ball reaching Messi at the far post and, being Lionel Messi, the equaliser duly follows.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Sporting Lisbon (Schurrle, 16 min)
Over to you, Schalke.
GOAL! Barcelona 0-1 PSG (Ibrahimovic, 15 min)
Ibrahimovic gives PSG the lead against his former club! This will probably be judged worthy of another chapter in his book. Lucas fired a low cross into the area to Matuidi, who laid it off for Ibrahimovic to Zlatan a snapshot past Ter Stergen. It’s fair to say he enjoyed that one.
Updated
Now Neymar is down for Barcelona. He’s feeling his left heel again.
Two former Premier League favourites, Luis Suarez and David Luiz, meet up on the right flank. Suarez drops a shoulder and momentarily looks like he’s got the better of Luiz but the PSG defender blocks the cross, wins the ball, charges up the touchline and then buys a cheap free-kick off Suarez. Ah, memories.
I haven’t seen much of Barcelona this season. Have they always played without a midfield?
I notice that Suarez has only scored one goal for Barcelona so far. He’s the new Balotelli/Lambert/Borini, only even worse.
Neymar is limping. You’d have to feel for Barcelona if he has to go off, leaving them with only Messi and Suarez up front.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Sporting Lisbon (Fabregas pen, 8 min)
In the absence of Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas steps up to take the penalty. He waits for Rui Patricio to move and, when he does, he just strokes the ball straight down the middle. This is grand news for Schalke.
PENALTY TO CHELSEA!
Filipe Luis goes down in the area under a clumsy challenge from Esgaio and the referee does not hesitate in pointing to the spot!
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Chelsea are making all the early running at Stamford Bridge, with Mohamed Salah prominently involved on the left. It’s a shame he’s been consigned to the bench since going there. He looked such a talent at Basel, especially when destroying, er, Chelsea last season, but his opportunities have been limited so far.
Is it possible to get a certificate in tactical expertise, by the way? If so, where do you get one from?
Pedro is playing high on the right for Barcelona. Is he a right-back? I’m not sure, a certified tactics expert will have to shine some light on the matter in a bit.
Updated
Peep! The games are underway! There have been no goals.
Here come all the teams. Here they all come! It’s Uefa Champions League Matchday Six, sponsored by some sponsors, and we’ve got eight matches on the way. Some matter, some don’t, and we’ve got all the bases covered. Probably.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek, 18, is on the bench for Chelsea. Jody Morris has just compared him to Yaya Toure and says he’s a “real nice kid, real, real nice”. Big things are expected from this kid and he could make his Chelsea debut tonight.
Where’s Ryan Dunne? Where is that little scamp?
“Lineup for Barca has Pedro as a FB?” says Mike MacKenzie. “Now that’s taking attack minded football a tad far ... and Mascherano is in midfield; how innovative!”
Well, I’m only going by what other people tell me. It took me by surprise but maybe it’s Bartra at right-back, Mascherano in the middle and Pedro where you’d usually expect to find him.
Tonight's teams
Roma v Man City
Roma: De Sanctis, Maicon, Manolas, Yanga-Mbiwa, Holebas, Ljajic, Nainggolan, Keita, Gervinho, Pjanic, Totti. Subs: Curci, Strootman, Iturbe, De Rossi, Destro, Astori, Florenzi.
Man City: Hart; Zabaleta, Demichelis, Mangala, Clichy; Navas, Fernandinho, Fernando, Milner, Nasri; Dzeko. Subs: Caballero, Sagna, Kolarov, Lampard, Silva, Jovetic, Boyata.
Referee: Milorad Mazic (Serbia)
Ajax v Apoel
Ajax: Cillessen, Van Rhijn, Veltman, Moisander, Viergever, Klaassen, Serero, Andersen, Schone, Milik, Kishna. Subs: Boer, van der Hoorn, Riedewald, El Ghazi, Denswil, Bazoer, Zivkovic.
Apoel Nicosia: Urko, Mario Sergio, Papazoglou, Carlao, Antoniades, Vinicius, Morais, Gomes, Efrem, Alexandrou, Sheridan. Subs: Chiotis, Artymatas, Sotiriou, Manduca, Ioannou, Aloneftis, Kaka.
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain)
FC Porto v Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Porto: Fernandez, Ricardo Pereira, Marcano, Maicon, Alex Sandro, Quintero, Ruben Neves, Evandro, Quaresma, Aboubakar, Adrian. Subs: Ricardo, Martins Indi, Martinez, Tello, Herrera, Kelvin, Torres.
Shakhtar Donetsk: Pyatov, Ilsinho, Kryvtsov, Rakitskiy, Shevchuk, Douglas Costa, Fred, Stepanenko, Bernard, Alex Teixeira, Gladkiy. Subs: Kanibolotskiy, Wellington Nem, Marlos, Fernando, Taison, Kovalenko, Dentinho.
Referee: Ruddy Buquet (France)
Barcelona v PSG
Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Pedro, Pique, Bartra, Mathieu, Busquets, Mascherano, Iniesta, Messi, Suarez, Neymar. Subs: Bravo, Rakitic, Xavi, Jordi Alba, Sergi Roberto, Adriano, Munir.
PSG: Sirigu, Van der Wiel, Luiz, Thiago Silva, Maxwell, Verratti, Thiago Motta, Matuidi, Lucas Moura, Ibrahimovic, Cavani. Subs: Douchez, Cabaye, Marquinhos, Digne, Rabiot,
Lavezzi, Pastore.
Referee: Martin Atkinson (England)
Bayern Munich v CSKA Moscow
Bayern Munich: Neuer, Boateng, Dante, Bernat, Hojbjerg, Rode, Schweinsteiger, Gaudino, Muller, Gotze, Ribery. Subs: Zingerle, Alonso, Lewandowski, Robben, Rafinha, Kurt, Weiser.
CSKA Moscow: Akinfeev, Mario Fernandes, Vasili Berezutski, Ignashevich, Nababkin, Wernbloom, Natcho, Dzagoev, Eremenko, Musa, Doumbia. Subs: Chepchugov, Tosic, Vitinho, Efremov, Cauna, Milanov, Chernov.
Referee: Olegario Benquerenca (Portugal)
Chelsea v Sporting
Chelsea: Cech, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Zouma, Luis, Fabregas, Mikel, Matic, Salah, Costa, Schurrle. Subs: Beeney, Ivanovic, Ramires, Oscar, Drogba, Remy, Loftus-Cheek.
Sporting: Rui Patricio, Ricardo Esgaio, Mauricio, Paulo Oliveira, Silva, Joao Mario, William Carvalho, Adrien Silva, Carrillo, Slimani, Diego Capel. Subs: Marcelo, Andre Martins, Montero, Rosell, Sarr, Carlos Mane, Andre Geraldes.
Referee: Svein Oddvar Moen (Norway)
Maribor v Schalke
Maribor: Handanovic, Stojanovic, Rajcevic, Arghus, Viler,
Sallalich, Mertelj, Filipovic, Bohar, Tavares, Ibraimi. Subs: Cotman, Suler, N’Diaye, Mejac, Zahovic, Mendy, Vrsic.
Schalke 04: Fahrmann, Uchida, Neustadter, Kirchhoff, Howedes, Fuchs, Barnetta, Aogo, Hoger, Choupo-Moting, Huntelaar. Subs: Giefer, Friedrich, Meyer, Clemens, Sane, Ayhan, Sobottka.
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland)
Athletic Bilbao v BATE Borisov
Athletic Bilbao: Iraizoz, Iraola, San Jose, Laporte, Balenziaga, Susaeta, Iturraspe, Mikel Rico, Ibai, De Marcos, Guillermo. Subs: Herrerin, Aurtenetxe, Moran, Muniain, Aduriz, Viguera, Lopez.
BATE: Soroko, Olekhnovich, Filipenko,Tubic, Khagush, Gordeichuk, Alyaksandr Valadzko, Yablonskiy, Maksim Valadzko, Karnitskiy, Rodionov. Subs: Chernik, Likhtarovich, Hayduchyk, Aleksiyevich, Signevich, Baha, Yakovlev.
Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italy)
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Preamble
Evening. As part of the Guardian’s notorious anti-Chelsea bias - mwahahahahahahah - we have decided to stick up two fingers up to Chelsea fans and not do a dedicated minute-by-minute on their match tonight. And there’s nothing you can do about it! We are untouchable! We are the Guardian and we’ll do what we want! Fear us. Fear our power. Cower, weaklings.
Ah, not really. It’s just that Chelsea are already through, having won the group with a game to spare on account of being very good at football, and are likely to rest a few players with Saturday’s match against Hull City in mind, although tonight’s not a dead rubber for Sporting Lisbon, who can guarantee their place in the next round with a draw. But if Luis Nani and company lose, then they’ll be relying on Maribor to do them a favour and beat Schalke, for whom only a win in Slovenia and a Sporting defeat in west London will do. It won’t be easy for Schalke - a win for Maribor would take them into the Europa League and they might get to play Liverpool there. Excited? Good.
The other English side in action tonight have much more to play for. Scott Murray has live coverage of Roma v Manchester City here, but I’ll keep an eye on Bayern Munich v CSKA Moscow and let you know if the Russians are on their way to a victory that would definitely see them go through at the expense of City and Roma. They won’t be winning, not at Bayern, they’ll be disconcerted about playing in front of a stadium with fans in it for a start, but it will be nice to make sure either way.
Over in Group F, there’s a meeting of two of the tournament favourites. Barcelona start the night a point behind Paris Saint-Germain and need a win to finish top of the group. PSG only need a draw. Barcelona have Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, yes, but they also have some cartoon clowns in defence. PSG have Zlatan Ibrahimovic, yes, but they have David Luiz in defence. There should be goals and the permutations are reassuringly simple, which is handy for me.
No need for any permutations in Group H. Porto have won it and Shakhtar Donetsk are through in second. It’s been a dismal showing from Athletic Bilbao and BATE Borisov. At least Athletic look like getting a Europa League spot, assuming they don’t lose to BATE tonight.
Permutations are confusing, my head hurts.
Our games kick-off at: 7.45pm.
