Juventus 2-0 Manchester City
Second-half strikes from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie propelled Juventus to a 2-0 victory over Manchester City in Turin, leaving Pep Guardiola’s side teetering on the brink of early Champions League elimination. Despite dominating possession in a cagey first half, City struggled to threaten, managing only one shot on target.
Juventus broke the deadlock eight minutes into the second half when Kenan Yildiz lofted a ball to the back post for Vlahovic, who powered a header past Ederson. The hosts sealed the win through a stunning volley from McKennie, who capitalized on Timothy Weah’s persistence down the left flank to put the game beyond City’s reach.
Borussia Dortmund 2-3 Barcelona
Barcelona secured a crucial 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park, edging closer to an automatic Round of 16 berth in this season’s UEFA Champions League. Following a quiet first half, the match burst into life in the second, with Ferran Torres coming off the bench to score twice and seal Barça’s fifth consecutive League Phase win, lifting them to second in the standings with two games remaining.
Arsenal 3-0 Monaco
Although Monaco threatened, Arsenal sealed the victory when a mistake from goalkeeper Majecki under pressure from Martin Ødegaard gifted Saka his second goal. Substitute Kai Havertz added a late strike to complete the scoreline. The Gunners climbed to third in the standings and could secure qualification with a win against Dinamo Zagreb on January 22.
AC Milan 2-1 Red Star Belgrade
AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca criticized his players for a lackluster performance despite their 2-1 Champions League victory over Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday. Tammy Abraham secured the win with an 87th-minute strike after Rafael Leão’s opener was canceled out by Nemanja Radonjić’s spectacular goal.
The Rossoneri controlled much of the game at the San Siro, boasting an expected goals (xG) tally of 2.13 from 20 attempts compared to Red Star’s 0.48. The win marked Milan’s fourth consecutive Champions League triumph, a feat they last achieved with five straight victories between February and April 2005.
Feyenoord 4-2 Sparta Praha
Feyenoord edged closer to securing a Champions League knockout stage spot with a lively 4-2 victory over Sparta Prague. Early dominance saw the Dutch side net twice within the opening 10 minutes, establishing a lead they held firmly. However, a late own goal by Thomas Beelen added tension in the closing stages as Sparta Prague pushed for an improbable comeback.
Midfielder Quinten Timber praised the team’s strong first-half display but acknowledged they were holding on defensively in the closing moments.
Stuttgart 5-1 Young Boys
Stuttgart rallied from an early setback to thrash winless Young Boys 5-1, keeping their Champions League knockout stage hopes alive. Despite sitting 26th, the Bundesliga side is now just a point away from the play-off places, with crucial matches against Slovan Bratislava and Paris Saint-Germain ahead.
Lukasz Lakomy opened the scoring in the sixth minute, dedicating his goal to teammate Meschak Elia, who suffered a tragic personal loss earlier this week. Stuttgart equalized through Angelo Stiller, capitalizing on a Joshua Vagnoman assist.
Enzo Millot gave Stuttgart the lead in the 53rd minute after a prolonged VAR review confirmed his goal. Vagnoman then extended the advantage shortly after the hour mark, followed by Yannik Keitel’s first goal for the club in the 75th minute. Fabian Rieder shone with a historic hat-trick of assists, becoming the first Swiss and Stuttgart player to achieve this feat in a Champions League match.
Atletico Madrid 3-1 ŠK Slovan Bratislava
Antoine Griezmann netted a brace to secure Atletico Madrid a 3-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League on Wednesday, marking their third consecutive win in the competition and extending their unbeaten run to 10 matches across all competitions. Julian Alvarez gave Atleti the lead with a stunning strike in the 16th minute, and Griezmann doubled the advantage just before half-time, converting a Marcos Llorente cross with a header in the 42nd minute.
Slovan Bratislava briefly fought back after being awarded a penalty, which David Strelec converted in the 51st minute. However, Griezmann quickly restored Atletico’s two-goal cushion, completing his brace just six minutes later to put the game beyond Bratislava’s reach.
Benfica 0-0 Bologna
Benfica believed they had taken an early lead when Vangelis Pavlidis found the net in the second minute, but his effort was ruled offside after a VAR review. Despite dominating possession and creating more chances, with 15 shots compared to Bologna’s six, Benfica could not break the deadlock.
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Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
