The fifth match day in the Champions League has started. Manchester United and defending champions qualified for the 1/8th finals after beating Villarreal and Juventus. Aster Vranckx (Wolfsburg) crashed on the field of Sevilla, Barcelona did not get past the Benfica of Jan Vertonghen.
GROUP E
In this group, group leader Bayern Munich already won on the field of Dynamo Kiev earlier in the evening. The Germans were already qualified for the eighth finals. The battle for the second ticket was between Barcelona that received the Benfica from Jan Vertonghen and Roman Yaremchuk (ex-AA Gent). After the derby win against Espanyol, new-fangled coach Xavi wanted to draw the line before halftime, but that mainly led to sterile dominance without goals before half-time. Not much changed after the break. Barca wanted to but couldn’t, Benfica closed the gaps and held on. The decision on who will accompany Bayern to the 1/8th final will fall on the closing day when Barcelona must visit Bayern. Difficult, very difficult.
- Placed 1/8th Champions League: Bayern Munich, second ticket goes between Barcelona and Benfica.
- Europe League: Barcelona of Benfica
- Turned off: Dynamo Kiev
GROUP F
Ronaldo single-handedly averted the crisis at Manchester United. Were United good? No! Was there a team on the field? Definitely. And that paid off in the second half. After a good pressing from Fred, the ball came to Cristiano Ronaldo who beat the local goalkeeper with a brilliant lob just after Bruno Fernandes came on the field. Suddenly the machine turned. Rashford had another chance, but it was Jadon Sancho who decided the match in the ninetieth minute: 0-2, a relieved United and qualification for the next round.
In the second match, the Atalanta of ex-Genkies Maehle and Malinovsky, both at the kick-off, had to visit Young Boys from Bern. With a win, the Italians would jump to second place over Villarreal. Duvan Zapata had understood the message well and soon put the zero-one against the ropes after an assist from… Swiss Remo Freuler. Shortly before the break, everything had to be redone: Siebatcheu brought the Young Boys alongside. Atalanta realized the importance of a victory and immediately took the lead again after the break. What followed was a crazy final phase. The Swiss still ran out to 3-2, but Atalanta still scored the equalizer. Atalanta and Villarreal decide on the final match day who can go to the 1/8th final.
- Placed 1/8th Champions League: Manchester United. For the second ticket, it goes between Villarreal and Atalanta
- Europe League: Villareal, Atalanta of Young Boys
- Turned off: nobody yet
GROUP G
In group G everything was and is still open. Leader RB Salzburg had to visit the Lille of Jonathan David (ex-AA Gent), Wolfsburg without the corona infected Koen Casteels sought his luck on the field of Sevilla. Well in the base with the Germans: Aster Vranckx. For the 19-year-old former player of KV Mechelen, it was the third basic place at the championship ball. Vranckx could not avoid that Sevilla took the lead early through Jordan. In Lille, Jonathan David had also quickly given the home team the lead. Countryman Amadou Onana came in after the break, the score did not change. At Wolfsburg attacker Dodi Lukebakio replaced Vranckx but he too could not turn the tide. Sevilla scored the decisive 2-0 in injury time.
- Placed 1/8th Champions League: nobody yet
- Europe League: only group leader Lille is certain of at least a place in the Europe League
- Turned off: nobody yet
Group H
Finally, in group H, the already seeded Juventus had to play a game on the field of defending champion Chelsea, the number two in the group. Provided Chelsea win, with Lukaku on the bench, they too would be assured of a place in the 1/8th. The Italians, with 19-year-old Koni De Winter on the bench, agreed and left the initiative to the Blues from London. That led to Trevoh Chalobah’s opening goal halfway through the first half. Morata immediately equalized but Thiago Silva made a spectacular save. In the first ten minutes after the break, the pale Italians were finally counted out. First Reece James and a little later Hudson-Odoi ensured a reassuring lead and the qualification for the 1/8th final. Only striking fact at Juventus: the 19-year-old Koni De Winter was allowed to make his debut in the main force of Juventus ten minutes before the whistle. There are worse places to make your first minutes. Unfortunately, he could not prevent substitute Timo Werner to make it 4-0 in the final phase.
In the second match, the Swedish Malmö welcomed the Russian Zenith Sint-Petersberg. The Swedes scored their first goal of this campaign via Rieks. Zenith came alongside from the spot in the final phase despite one man less, a goal that gives them certainty about the Europe League. Malmö is definitively eliminated despite the first point.
- Placed 1/8th Champions League: Juventus and Chelsea
- Europe League: Zenith Sint-Petersburg
- Turned off: Malmö
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