Barcelona secured their place in the Champions League knockout stage on Tuesday with a 1-1 draw away to Inter Milan. Talisman Lionel Messi was still missing for Barcelona at the San Siro, and it was substitute Malcom who came off the bench to give the Spanish champions a late lead.
But Inter hit back to earn a point thanks to Mauro Icardi’s 87th-minute leveller, keeping the three-time former winners on course to join Barca in qualifying for the last 16 from Group B. Tottenham remain in the hunt, however, after Harry Kane’s late brace secured a 2-1 win over PSV Eindhoven. The Dutch side had got off to a superb start at Wembley, taking the lead when Luuk de Jong headed home in the second minute.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team were starting to get desperate when skipper Kane equalised with 12 minutes left, and he headed home in the 89th minute with the help of two deflections as Spurs got their first win of the campaign. Milan Pavkov scored twice in seven first-half minutes, heading in the opener and then beating Alisson with a powerful strike from range, as Red Star Belgrade shocked Liverpool. The defeat exposes the Anfield club to the threat of an early elimination in Group C, with Napoli coming from behind to draw 1-1 at home to Paris Saint-Germain in the night’s other game.
Kylian Mbappe set up Juan Bernat to put Paris ahead just before the break, but Lorenzo Insigne beat Gianluigi Buffon from the penalty spot in the second half as these sides played out a draw for the second time in a fortnight.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid gained revenge for a 4-0 defeat away to Borussia Dortmund last month as Diego Simeone’s side defeated the Germans 2-0 in Spain, Saul Niguez and Antoine Griezmann scoring the goals. Elsewhere in Group A, Club Brugge claimed a stunning 4-0 win at Monaco – their first Champions League win since 2005 – to pile the misery on Thierry Henry.
Porto are on the brink of qualification from Group D after a 4-1 win at home to Lokomotiv Moscow leaves them two points ahead of Schalke, who defeated Galatasaray 2-0 in Gelsenkirchen.
Source: News agencies
