Deciding drama: The best of matchday six
Friday, December 12, 2014
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The final last-16 spots were taken by Manchester City FC, AS Monaco FC, FC Schalke 04, FC Basel 1893 and Juventus, and we salute them along with Real Madrid CF.
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The last five places in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 were claimed by Manchester City FC, AS Monaco FC, FC Schalke 04, FC Basel 1893 and Juventus – and we salute all five, along with holders Real Madrid CF, whose title defence rolls on and on. UEFA.com picks the best of the action with commentary highlights from our radio show Matchday Live.
Team: Manchester City FC
City made it through their group for the first time in three attempts last season with a modest 12-point margin, but this year it was a bit tighter. After four games they had just two points and only the drama a fortnight ago of PFC CSKA Moskva's comeback against AS Roma and their own recovery to beat FC Bayern München left them travelling to the Stadio Olimpico with a chance of progress.
Once Bayern went ahead against CSKA, a City side without matchday five hat-trick hero Sergio Agüero knew they needed a win or a score draw at Roma to pip their hosts to the Group E runners-up slot. That meant a goal, and it arrived through a blistering strike from Samir Nasri on the hour, with Pablo Zabaleta clinching a 2-0 victory late on. "I think we did it the hard way and it's a kind of a miracle as well," Nasri said.
Player: Aymen Abdennour (AS Monaco FC)
The Tunisia centre-back, 25, has been sidelined for most of this season, but Layvin Kurzawa's injury and Ricardo Carvalho's suspension left Abdennour with a crucial role against FC Zenit on Tuesday. Monaco required a draw and not only was Abdennour magnificent in defence with a string of crucial tackles and interceptions, he headed in on 63 minutes to set his club on the way to a 2-0 success and qualification as Group C winners. Abdennour, now Monaco's joint-top scorer in the competition this term, said: "We're not top by chance."
Quote: "I haven't been happy like tonight for a long time"
Roberto Di Matteo, who won the UEFA Champions League less than three years ago lest we forget, celebrates Schalke's advance to the round of 16 after overcoming NK Maribor 1-0 in Group G, aided by his old muckers Chelsea FC dispatching Sporting Clube de Portugal.
Moment: Final whistle at Anfield
Basel have a decent recent record against English sides, knocking Tottenham Hotspur FC out of the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League, beating Chelsea twice in last season's UEFA Champions League group stage and seeing off Liverpool FC 1-0 on matchday two this term. However, the stakes were higher still on Tuesday as they went to Anfield needing to avoid defeat, and although Fabian Frei gave them a first-half lead, Steven Gerrard's 81st-minute free-kick preceded an onslaught that evoked Liverpool's late qualification ten years ago against Olympiacos FC.
Basel held on, though, to eliminate Liverpool just as they did in 2002/03. Marco Streller said: "We've done it so many times in England and this team have an amazing character." Gerrard admitted: "I don't think we deserved better."
Number: 75
Lionel Messi became the first player to reach 75 UEFA Champions League goals with his strike in FC Barcelona's Group F-clinching 3-1 victory against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. Indeed, had Luis Suárez not got in ahead of Messi to grab the third, the Argentina forward might have equalled Cristiano Ronaldo and Luiz Adriano's record of nine group stage goals while moving level with Raúl González's haul of 77 strikes in UEFA club competition. That mark, just possibly, is under threat in the knockout phase ...
Perfection: Real Madrid CF
The ten-times winners are looking to become the first team to triumph in two consecutive UEFA Champions Leagues and they are off to an ominous start. They won all six group games – the sixth time that has happened, with Madrid the first club to do so twice, emulating their 2011/12 feat. Their winning margin of 11 points is also a joint record, though they will hope to go further than FC Spartak Moskva in 1995/96 and Barcelona seven years later, both of whom lost in the quarter-finals.
Photo: Juventus celebrate going through
Goal: YOUR CHOICE!
Aaron Ramsey, Alejandro Domínguez, Gerrard, Neymar or Nasri: it's your pick in our Goal of the Week poll.