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EPL Wrap: Ange claims back-to-back wins | 02:53
Alphonso Davies scrambled the ball in with seconds left to give Bayern a 3-2 aggregate victory over Celtic and a place in the last 16 of the Champions League.
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Bayern started the playoff second leg leading 2-1 from the first game in Glasgow but the visitors cancelled out that lead after 63 minutes.
Nicolas Kuhn, a former Bayern reserve team player, pounced on an error by Kim Min-jae to sweep the ball home.
Bayern dominated and peppered the Celtic goal but could not beat Kasper Schmeichel, until, with regular time almost up, the goalie could only parry Leon Goretzka’s header to substitute Davies. The ball bounced in off the Canadian’s shin to give Bayern a 1-1 draw in the match.
– Feyenoord advance as Hernandez lets down AC Milan –
Feyenoord reached the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday after taking advantage of Theo Hernandez’s damaging sending off to draw 1-1 at AC Milan and go through 2-1 on aggregate.
Julian Carranza thumped home the winning header in the 73rd minute at a frigid San Siro, sending around 5,000 away fans wild at the same ground where Feyenoord won the old European Cup in 1970.
Argentine attacker Carranza, who told reporters he was too sick with fever to start the match, cancelled out Santiago Gimenez’s first-minute opener for the seven-time European champions Milan and sent the Dutch through to meet either Inter Milan or Arsenal in the next round.
The only sour note for Feyenoord was right-back Givairo Read being sent off after the final whistle as tempers flared on the touchline between both sets of players.
“The 25 minutes that I played, or 30, I was not feeling great and I think everyone could see it, because after every single sprint there was coughing,” said Carranza.
“It’s the most important goal I’ve ever scored so I’m really happy for that.” Carranza struck for Feyenoord shortly after coming on as substitute as the away side pushed to reach the next round following Hernandez’s red card five minutes after half-time.
Already on a booking for a needless foul on Anis Hadj-Moussa just before half-time, Hernandez was ruled by referee Szymon Marciniak to have dived in the penalty box when under pressure from Read.
– Hernandez horror show –
The France full-back, who went close to putting Milan ahead in the 23rd minute when he crashed a close-range effort off the post, was dismissed, leaving Milan on the back foot after having dominated up to that point.
Hernandez’s sending off and Carranza’s tie-winning header ruined what looked to be Gimenez’s night when he nodded home the opener against his old team after just 36 seconds.
Mexico forward Gimenez, who transferred to Milan from Feyenoord during the winter transfer window, pushed the ball home from practically on the line after Malick Thiaw did brilliantly to keep in Christian Pulisic’s cross.
“Yes, today Theo was sent off but that could happen to anyone. That’s football,” said Gimenez to Sky.
“We all have great respect for Theo and we ask that he is supported because he always gives everything for Milan and is one of the best full-backs in the world “Now we can’t look back, we have to look forward. We’re still in the (Italian) cup and have work to do in the league so all we can do is keep our heads down and work hard.”
The 23-year-old Gimenez has already scored three times for Milan since signing from Feyenoord but his sixth goal in the Champions League this season was also his last.
Milan coach Sergio Conceicao was quick to deflect blame away from Hernandez. “You can talk about whether Theo was touched or not but we need to be stronger emotionally and mentally,” said Conceicao.
“This elimination is down to me, not Theo or anyone else. I’m the one who’s responsible. Theo has given a lot to Milan.” Milan are by no means assured of a spot in next year’s tournament as they sit seventh in Serie A, five points off the top four with a game in hand.
And their season has been greatly compromised by the dismal way they lost the first leg in Rotterdam and Hernandez’s poor discipline which led to Tuesday’s painful elimination.
– Benfica hold off Monaco –
Benfica snatched a nailbiting 3-3 draw against Monaco on Tuesday to reach the Champions League last 16 with a 4-3 aggregate victory in the play-off round.
Monaco twice led on the night and came close to forcing extra-time but Orkun Kokcu’s 84th minute equaliser helped Benfica scrape through in Lisbon, with Barcelona or Liverpool awaiting in the next round.
Kerem Akturkoglu put the hosts ahead against the run of play, with Takumi Minamino levelling for Monaco after 32 minutes.
Eliesse Ben Seghir fired the visitors ahead but Vangelis Pavlidis struck from the spot to keep the score tied on the night.
French youngster George Ilenikhena netted in the 81st minute for Monaco but Kokcu prodded home to send Benfica through.
“It was a tough night, we knew Monaco would put pressure on us from the start and we felt it, we didn’t play our best game,” Kokcu told SportTV.
“Still, we’re happy to have progressed to the last 16, I’m happy to have contributed to the result.”
Monaco hammered Nantes 7-1 on Saturday in the French top flight, sharpening their pencils ahead of their crucial exam at the Estadio da Luz.
Both sides were without key players through injury and suspension, with Benfica missing Angel Di Maria among others, while Monaco started with just one recognised midfielder.
Wingers Maghnes Akliouche and Ben Seghir played more centrally than usual and both shone in Lisbon, despite ending up on the losing side.
Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin made a good save to deny Monaco’s Krepin Diatta early on, as the Ligue 1 side looked to get back on level terms in the tie and had the better of the first half.
However it was the hosts who took the lead after superb work by Benfica striker Pavlidis.
The Greek attacker, who netted a hat-trick against Barcelona in the group stage, turned provider on this occasion and, after darting into the area, crossed to the back post for Akturkoglu to turn home.
Swiss international Breel Embolo almost levelled for Monaco but his header hit the post, although the visitors netted less than a minute later.
Embolo did well to hold off veteran defender Nicolas Otamendi, allowing former Liverpool attacker Minamino room for a shot and he drilled home at the near post.
Monaco should have taken the lead just before half-time but Embolo fired a glorious chance high over the crossbar after the impressive Akliouche surged through the middle and teed him up.
– ‘A lot of fight’ –
The Moroccan winger produced a deadly accurate first-time finish inside the near post after Akliouche cut the ball back to him from the right.
Bruno Lage’s side struggled to find a foothold in the match but Thilo Kehrer handed the hosts a lifeline when he went to clear the ball but arrived late and kicked Fredrik Aursnes in the box.
Pavlidis, who netted the only goal of the first leg, powered home from the spot for his seventh of the tournament.
Ilenikhena put Monaco back ahead on the night mere seconds after coming on from the bench, with Trubin unable to keep his low rifled effort out despite getting a hand to it.
Adi Hutter’s side could not hold on for more than three minutes, with Alvaro Carreras firing in a dangerous cross which Benfica midfielder Kokcu flicked home.
Benfica were awarded another penalty in stoppage time when Diatta seemed to bring down Samuel Dahl, but the referee changed his mind after a VAR review.
“What made the difference today was 100 percent the team’s spirit, with a lot of fight,” said Dahl.
“The game had its ups and downs, they attacked, we attacked… in the end, we scored three goals.
“We also conceded three, but we advanced, which was the main objective.”
– Club Brugge knock Atalanta out –
Club Brugge of Belgium claimed a shock 3-1 win over Atalanta in Italy on Tuesday to win their Champions League play-off tie 5-2 on aggregate and progress to the last 16.
Leading 2-1 from last week’s first leg, Club Brugge scored three times in the first half with Chemsdine Talbi netting twice and Ferran Jutgla once.
Ademola Lookman pulled one back for Atalanta but the Belgians go through to play either Lille or Aston Villa next.
