MADRID, Spain
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich were among the clubs to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League with two group games to spare on Wednesday, while Manchester United's poor form continued as they slipped to a stunning 4-3 defeat against FC Copenhagen.
Last season's runners-up Inter
Milan and Real Sociedad also secured their tickets for the knockout phase,
joining holders Manchester City and RB Leipzig in advancing to the last 16.
Madrid, the record 14-time
European champions, made sure of their progress from Group C with a 3-0 home
win over Braga after surviving an injury setback just before kick-off.
Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga
pulled out hurt in the warm-up, but his replacement Andriy Lunin excelled by
saving Alvaro Djalo's sixth-minute penalty.
With Jude Bellingham rested,
Brahim Diaz gave Real a 27th-minute lead before Brazilian duo Vinicius Junior
and Rodrygo both scored in the second half.
Napoli are poised to go
through from the group alongside Real despite being held to a 1-1 draw at home
by Union Berlin.
Matteo Politano put Napoli
ahead late in the first half but David Datro Fofana, on loan from Chelsea,
equalised soon after the restart.
The result allowed Union to
end a 12-game losing run but they cannot now qualify for the last 16.
Their Bundesliga rivals Bayern
qualified with a 2-1 victory at home to Galatasaray, their 17th consecutive win
in the Champions League group stage.
Thomas Tuchel's side saw
Galatasaray have a goal disallowed for offside before Harry Kane headed in the
opener with just 10 minutes left.
Kane then added another, his
19th goal already for Bayern in just 15 appearances, before Cedric Bakambu
pulled one back in stoppage time for Galatasaray.
"He's a phenomenon and
we're proud that he's playing in the team," Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer
told broadcaster DAZN of Kane.
Galatasaray still stand every
chance of going through from Group A after United lost in a remarkable game in
Denmark.
Erik ten Hag's team appeared
to be cruising thanks to two goals in the first half an hour by their Danish
striker Rasmus Hojlund.
Yet they suffered a blow when
Marcus Rashford was controversially sent off in the 42nd minute for a foul on
Elias Jelert, and Copenhagen took full advantage to haul themselves level by
the break.
Mohamed Elyounoussi pulled one
back before Diogo Goncalves equalised from the spot in the ninth minute of
stoppage time.
Still United got back in front via a Bruno Fernandes penalty midway through the second half, but Lukas Lerager made it 3-3 seven minutes from time and Roony Bardghji, the 17-year-old Kuwait-born Swedish Under-21 international, got Copenhagen's winner in the 87th minute.
Ten Hag's team have now lost
three of their four Champions League matches this season and have been beaten
in nine of their 17 games in all competitions.
"I think first we played
very good until the red card. The red card changed everything. Then it becomes
a different game," Ten Hag told broadcaster TNT Sports.
"I saw lots of positives,
but in the end we lose some focus. It's hard when you play so long with 10
men."
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