Champions League
Salah hat-trick at Liverpool gala – Lewandowski saves
Mohamed Salah (r) was the outstanding player in Liverpool’s victory in Glasgow. photo
© Andrew Milligan/PA Wire/dpa
Jürgen Klopp is about to reach the last 16 of the Champions League with Liverpool. The English won 7-1 (1-1) at Glasgow Rangers.
Jürgen Klopp is about to reach the last 16 of the Champions League with Liverpool. The English won 7-1 (1-1) at Glasgow Rangers.
Roberto Firmino (24th minute, 55th) scored twice for the Reds after Scott Arfield (17th) gave the Scottish record champions the lead. Darwin Núñez (66′) increased before substitute Mohamed Salah (75′, 80′, 81′) made it all clear with a hat-trick. It was the fastest hat-trick in Champions League history. Harvey Elliott (87th) scored the final score.
Behind SSC Napoli (12 points), who have already qualified for the round of 16, Liverpool (9) have the best chance of progressing in Group A with two games left. Rangers (0) are only fighting for third place, Ajax Amsterdam (3) still have a small theoretical chance of second place.
Lewandowski saves Barcelona at the last minute
Star striker Robert Lewandowski initially saved FC Barcelona from the first major disappointment of the season. The 34-year-old scored late against Inter Milan to make it 3-3 (1-0) – in a home defeat, the Catalans would have been eliminated from Group C early. Former Dortmund player Ousmane Dembelé (40′) had put Barcelona ahead but Inter turned the game around in the second half after goals from Nicolo Barrella (50′) and Lautaro Martinez (63′). Lewandowski’s equalizer to make it 2-2 (82′) only lasted briefly because Robin Gosens (87′) scored. However, Lewandowski headed the score (90+2), goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen saved the important point with a world-class save.
FC Brugge for the first time in the round of 16
FC Brugge and SSC Napoli are in the round of 16 early. In the Bayer Leverkusen group, a 0-0 draw at Atlético Madrid was enough for the Belgian soccer champions Bruges to make it into the top 16 for the first time in the club’s history.
In Group A, Napoli won 4-2 (2-0) against Ajax Amsterdam at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. With their fourth win in four games, coach Luciano Spalletti’s team qualified early for the round of 16.