Manchester United’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage of the Champions League were dealt a blow as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Galatasaray at the Turk Telekom Stadium on Tuesday. Arsenal, meanwhile, secured their place in the last 16 with a 3-1 win over PSV Eindhoven at the Emirates Stadium.
United conceded a late equalizer after Casemiro’s red card
United, who had lost their previous two games in Group A, took the lead in the 18th minute when Rasmus Hojlund headed in a cross from Bruno Fernandes. The Danish striker doubled his tally in the 36th minute with a low shot from the edge of the box, giving United a comfortable 2-0 lead at half-time.
However, Galatasaray, who had beaten United 3-2 at Old Trafford in October, staged a comeback in the second half. Former United winger Wilfried Zaha pulled one back in the 57th minute with a curling shot from the left flank, before Kerem Akturkoglu leveled the score in the 82nd minute with a volley from close range.
United’s chances of holding on to a point were further reduced when Casemiro was sent off in the 86th minute for a second yellow card, following a foul on Mauro Icardi. The Brazilian midfielder had earlier been booked for a challenge on Zaha.
The result left United in third place in the group, two points behind Galatasaray and four behind leaders Bayern Munich, who had already qualified for the next round. United will need to beat FC Copenhagen at home and hope that Galatasaray loses to Bayern in the final round of matches to progress.
Arsenal cruised past PSV to book their spot in the knockouts
Arsenal, who had won their first four games in Group B, confirmed their status as group winners with a convincing 3-1 victory over PSV at the Emirates. The Gunners took the lead in the 12th minute when Bukayo Saka scored with a low shot from the right side of the box, after a clever pass from Emile Smith Rowe.
PSV equalized in the 28th minute when Cody Gakpo headed in a cross from Denzel Dumfries, but Arsenal restored their advantage in the 41st minute when Alexandre Lacazette converted a penalty after Saka was brought down by Olivier Boscagli.
Arsenal sealed the win in the 68th minute when Gabriel Martinelli scored with a header from a cross by Kieran Tierney, capping off a fine performance by the young Brazilian forward.
The win took Arsenal to 15 points in the group, six ahead of second-placed Sevilla, who also qualified for the last 16 with a 2-0 win over RC Lens. PSV finished third with six points, while Lens was bottom with zero points.
Other results and standings
In Group C, Napoli and Real Madrid joined Braga and Union Berlin in the last 16, after both teams won their respective matches. Napoli beat Braga 2-1 in Portugal, thanks to goals from Lorenzo Insigne and Victor Osimhen, while Real Madrid thrashed Union Berlin 4-0 in Germany, with Karim Benzema scoring a hat-trick and Vinicius Junior adding a fourth.
In Group D, Benfica and Inter Milan secured their places in the knockouts, after both teams drew their respective matches. Benfica drew 1-1 with FC Salzburg in Austria, with Darwin Nunez scoring a late equalizer for the Portuguese side, while Inter Milan drew 0-0 with Real Sociedad in Spain, in a game that saw both teams miss a penalty.
In Group E, Feyenoord and Atletico Madrid advanced to the last 16, after both teams won their respective matches. Feyenoord beat Lazio 3-2 in Italy, with Steven Berghuis scoring a brace and Luis Sinisterra adding a third, while Atletico Madrid beat Celtic 2-0 in Scotland, with Luis Suarez and Joao Felix scoring the goals.
In Group F, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund qualified for the knockouts, after both teams won their respective matches. PSG beat AC Milan 3-1 in France, with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice and Neymar adding a third, while Dortmund beat Newcastle 2-0 in England, with Erling Haaland and Marco Reus scoring the goals.
In Group G, Manchester City and RB Leipzig progressed to the last 16, after both teams won their respective matches. City beat Red Star Belgrade 4-0 in Serbia, with Phil Foden scoring a hat-trick and Raheem Sterling adding a fourth, while Leipzig beat Young Boys 3-1 in Switzerland, with Christopher Nkunku scoring twice and Marcel Sabitzer adding a third.
In Group H, Barcelona and FC Porto advanced to the knockouts, after both teams won their respective matches. Barcelona beat Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0 in Ukraine, with Ansu Fati scoring twice and Memphis Depay adding a third, while Porto beat Royal Antwerp 2-1 in Belgium, with Sergio Oliveira and Mehdi Taremi scoring the goals.
The final round of matches in the group stage will take place on December 6 and 7, with the draw for the last 16 scheduled for December 13.
