Will anyone stop Lionel Messi and Barcelona?
Lionel Messi doesn’t appear to have lost any sharpness after missing two months with a knee injury. After coming off the bench in the second half of the clásico – just so Real Madrid didn’t bother trying anything funny – he was back in Barcelona’s starting line-up on Tuesday night and played like a man who was making up for lost time against Roma. Messi scored twice, the first a delicious dink over Wojciech Szczesny at the end of a superb team move that was full of flicks, tricks and feints and there was more evidence that the best player in the world gets a buzz out of Neymar and Luis Suárez, laughing and joking with the other members of Barcelona’s front three as they trotted on to the pitch. What fun those three must have – how about that volley from Suárez? Barcelona’s 6-1 victory sealed first place in Group E and at the moment it looks like only a fully-fit Bayern Munich can stop them. Jacob Steinberg
Another forgettable night at Old Trafford
There was a moment in the second half at Old Trafford when Luuk De Jong took on Daley Blind on the edge of United’s penalty area, bought himself a little space and then, falling backwards, speared a shot high and wide of goal. It was the kind of incident that has no place on any self-respecting highlights package, and seeing it on ITV’s round-up show later in the evening was evidence of the kind of bullet those who decided not to watch the game live had dodged. In his match report for the Guardian Daniel Taylor describes “a perplexing lack of action”, all the more distressing if you’re in charge of picking out the best bits for broadcast. One person who enjoyed himself at Old Trafford, however, was the PSV coach Phillip Cocu. “I am very excited about this result,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed our tactical play, our attitude and our way of playing overall. I am very proud.” His team appeared to enjoy it too, performing link-armed fan-rushing group celebrations at the end of a kind that normally indicate at the very least heroic qualification for the quarter-finals, rather than a goalless draw and the mere possibility of progress to the round of 16 – reliant on this instance on them beating CSKA Moscow at home while United lose or draw at Wolfsburg (their apparent assumption that United are incapable of winning at the third-best side in the Bundesliga is something of an indictment of the English side’s current malaise). There was one notable moment in the match, though: towards the end Jesse Lingaard grappled with Santiago Arias, who after feeling some contact on his ear flung himself to the turf clutching his face and started rolling around. It was ludicrously overdramatic, but also perhaps fitting for a player called Arias to act like a diva. Simon Burnton
Mourinho will relish watching Casillas’s error again and again
Porto find themselves in a pickle after their unbeaten run came to an end in their 2-0 home defeat by Dynamo Kyiv, a result that leaves them needing to beat Chelsea in their final game to guarantee a place in the last 16. Although they are still top of Group G, Porto would plunge into the Europa League if they draw at Stamford Bridge and Dynamo beat Maccabi Tel-Aviv, who are pointless at the bottom of the group. Three teams would finish on 11 points in that scenario and a head-to-head mini-league that excludes results against Maccabi would be created to separate them, with goal difference used as the deciding factor. Chelsea only need a point because theirs is zero, but Dynamo are on plus one thanks to some horrific goalkeeping from Iker Casillas, whose farcical attempt to save Derlis González’s chip in the 64th minute means that Porto are on minus one. Once regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Casillas has become an obvious weak link and it will presumably not be lost on him that his mistake could help the man with whom he fell out so acrimoniously at Real Madrid. José Mourinho must have had a good laugh when he saw González’s goal and Chelsea’s manager will be targeting Casillas on 9 December. JS
Zlatan’s dream return more of a nightmare for Malmö
“I lived the dream tonight,” said Zlatan Ibrahimovic, after his longed-for return to Malmö – fully 5,343 days after he scored his final goal for the club – ended merrily for his Paris Saint-Germain side, for whom the Swede scored one in a 5-0 win. He has now scored in each of his last 11 competitive games on Swedish soil. “I’m very happy. Since the beginning, there’s been a great relationship between Malmö’s fans and me,” he added. And perhaps he did not want to endanger it, celebrating his goal in understated style while l’Equipe suggested that, although he scored one goal and played a part in two more, he had not given his all, playing “with a kind of restraint, as if he did not want to add to the humiliation”. PSG will finish second to Real Madrid in Group A while Malmö will finish fourth unless Shakhtar lose in Paris in their final game while the Swedes get an unlikely point or even unlikelier multiple points from Madrid. The Swedes could do with a young Ibrahimovic at the moment – last year’s champions finished a disappointing fifth in the Allsvenskan, although they did get to watch the champions being crowned on the final day of their domestic season, if only because they lost 2-0 to them at home (Norrköping, the team in question, had finished a distant 12th in 2014). Malmö’s only hope of European football next season is now to win the Svenska Cupen (the group stage draw is today) while their Norwegian coach, Ago Hareide, could be on his way out of the club (perhaps to take over the Danish national side). “We have a friendly against Molde soon and I intend to be here for that,” he said last night. “I have not taken any decision and will not do so until we’re finished.” SB
Real Madrid’s 11-minute defensive blunderfest
“Both teams have strong attacking instincts and this is why we saw so many goals tonight,” said Rafa Benítez after Real Madrid’s remarkable 4-3 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk, who trailed 0-4 with 13 minutes to play before launching a remarkable if ultimately futile comeback. In other words, there was no problem with our defence, the other lot were just great. “I think we should analyse all the goals we conceded but I am sure it is not due to the mistakes of our defenders, it is because Shakhtar’s players combined so well,” he continued, reinforcing that first message. And then: “Sometimes we lack concentration but more important is that we scored four goals in an away game. It may be an indication of the team’s revival.” In other words, we were defensively shambolic (and the marking when Dentinho scored Shakhtar’s second certainly didn’t suggest there was a lot of concentration going on) but at least we scored a lot. Real have now conceded 10 times in their last three games, after letting in four in their first 14 of the season. As indications of a team’s revival go, it is not the most convincing. Still, they are through as group winners, and at least they don’t still have Casillas in goal. SB
Gent are remarkably within touching distance of the last 16
There were no away supporters at Stade de Gerland because of security reasons, but Gent have made a habit of defying expectations this season and they are in control of their own destiny after their 2-1 victory over Lyon. The Belgians are the smallest side in Group H, yet there they are in second place, a point above Valencia, dreaming of reaching the last 16. Despite falling behind to a goal from Jordan Ferri in the seventh minute, Gent equalised thanks to a peach of a free-kick from Danijel Milicevic, before Kalifa Coulibaly snatched the points for the supposed whipping boys in the 95th minute. As for Lyon, defeat brought a miserable end to their European campaign. JS
Tata Astana
“Even if we had lost I would have been happy because the team showed they can play football at the highest European level,” said Stanimir Stoilov, the Astana coach, very much looking on the bright side given that his side, needing a win to extend their hopes of progression to the final group game, had surged into a 2-0 lead at home to Benfica only to draw 2-2 and go out. Still, they will end the group stage unbeaten – though also unvictorious – at home, having drawn 0-0 at Astana Arena with Atlético Madrid and 2-2 against Galatasaray. Away from home they have lost two, conceded six and scored none, with only a visit to Gala remaining for them to get some credit in the travelling bank. Astana have been praised here previously and have performed creditably – they have indeed shown they can play football at the highest European level, but not yet that they are better at it than anyone else. SB
Through: Real Madrid, Paris St-Germain, Benfica, Atlético, Juventus, Manchester City, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Zenit St Petersburg.
Out: Shakhtar Donetsk, Malmo, CSKA Moscow, Galatasaray, Astana, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Sevilla, Dinamo Zagreb, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Lyon.
Further reading
- Paul Wilson: Lingard asked to do too much for Manchester United
- Barney Ronay: Sánchez shows Arsenal there is no substitute for quality
- Fears for Joe Hart but Manchester City are still top dogs
- Wayne Rooney: ‘We can’t keep on saying it’s a learning curve’
- Suárez says Barcelona played ‘perfect game’ in 6-1 thrashing of Roma
- Mourinho and Costa made up with ‘kisses and cuddles’ after row
Stat time
27 - There were 27 passes ahead of Lionel Messi's goal vs AS Roma, a season-high in the Champions League. Smooth. pic.twitter.com/gi2PFIaVJ0
— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) November 24, 2015
6 - Willian has scored 6 times from 12 free-kick attempts this season in all comps; 4 of 5 in the Champions League. Specialist.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 24, 2015
Millennial goals in Champions League: 1000 Khokhlov 2000 Fernando Couto 3000 Trezeguet 4000 Crouch 5000 Luisao 6000 Ramos 7000 DI MARÍA
— MisterChip (English) (@MisterChiping) November 25, 2015
10 - Real Madrid have conceded 10 goals from their last 15 shots on target faced in the last three games (La Liga & #UCL). Wound.
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) November 25, 2015
Mesut Özil: Has now had a direct hand in a goal in 8 of his last 9 apps for Arsenal, scoring 3 goals and registering 8 assists in that time
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) November 24, 2015
16 - The games played by Dutch teams in European competition this season, ranked by possession. Blueprint. pic.twitter.com/czciasyj7K
— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) November 25, 2015
At least 2 UCL Group Stages played and NEVER have been eliminated: > Madrid: 24 of 24 > Leeds: 2 of 2 (Today Sevilla dropped off the list)
— MisterChip (English) (@MisterChiping) November 25, 2015
Messi (5-0) Scoring 2+ goals in most #UCL matches: 22 - MESSI 22 - Ronaldo
— Infostrada Sports (@InfostradaLive) November 24, 2015
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