Champions League Roundup: Maccabi dent Juventus' hopes as 10-man City draw in Denmark
Maccabi Haifa - Juventus 2-0
Maccabi Haifa recorded their first Champions League win since 2002 as they stunned Juventus with a famous victory at the Sammy Ofer Stadium, denting the visitors’ hopes of a ninth-straight appearance in the UCL round of 16.
Despite coming into the contest with three defeats from their opening three UCL matches, the hosts started positively as Frantzdy Pierrot saw a close-range header palmed away by Wojciech Szczesny within the first five minutes.
Having survived that close escape, Juventus’ lacklustre start was deservedly punished a couple of minutes later, when Pierre Cornud’s inviting delivery was glanced into the far corner by Omer Atzili.
Buoyed by the early breakthrough, Maccabi continued to dominate the early exchanges and came within inches of doubling their advantage when Tjarron Chery struck the top of the crossbar with an angled free-kick.
Juventus desperately searched for an equaliser after a dreadful opening half-hour but found themselves further behind three minutes before halftime as Pierrot picked out Atzili, who curled a superb strike into the top corner beyond Szczesny.
Faced with a two-goal deficit, the visitors looked to control the early exchanges of the second half, but Josh Cohen stood firm in the Maccabi goal to deny efforts from Daniele Rugani and Dusan Vlahovic.
Having failed to record an away victory since April, Juventus flattered to deceive against a resolute Maccabi rearguard, with Arkadiusz Milik seeing his side’s best opportunity comfortably held by Cohen.
As time ticked into the final few minutes, Juventus seemed resigned to defeat, and the hosts eased through stoppage time to secure a famous victory. The result sees Maccabi draw level with Juventus on three points in Group H, with both sides looking to bridge the four-point gap to Benfica and PSG at the top of the table with just two matches remaining.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Omer Atzili (Maccabi Haifa)
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FC Copenhagen - Manchester City 0-0
Manchester City all but sealed their passage to the Champions League knockout rounds after an incident-laden 0-0 draw at FC Copenhagen.
A much-changed City side were put through the emotional wringer in the first half. Referee Artur Soares Dias was centre stage as the pitchside monitor was visited on three separate occasions, starting with a disallowed goal for the visitors.
Rodri thought he had netted his first UCL goal after sending a rocket into the top corner, but a Riyad Mahrez handball in the build-up cruelly denied him.
Following a long-range Lukas Lerager effort at the other end, VAR was in the thick of it again, this time awarding a penalty for a Nicolai Boilesen handball. Mahrez stepped up to take the spot-kick, but Kamil Grabara was equal to it, firmly pushing the ball away from danger.
Just five minutes later, City’s tribulations continued when Sergio Gomez was sent off for hauling down Hakon Arnar Haraldsson when through on goal. The unfortunate Mahrez made way to accommodate for the dismissal, as Pep Guardiola was left with plenty to ponder at the break.
Looking to make the most of their numerical advantage and spurred on by a thunderous home crowd, Copenhagen started the second period confidently. Perhaps unsurprisingly, City remained largely in control of possession, but clear-cut chances were proving hard to come by for either side.
With the final quarter-hour approaching, Victor Kristiansen’s dangerous delivery almost found a sliding Isak Bergmann Johannesson at the back post, as the search for the game’s first goal continued.
The contest remained in the balance as the full-time whistle approached, despite Joao Cancelo and Marko Stamenic coming close for their respective sides, ultimately ending the visitors’ 100% group stage record.
As for Copenhagen, a point likely shuts the door on progression, but the path to the Europa League remains open ahead of a pivotal fixture with Sevilla.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Kamil Grabara (FC Copenhagen)