The sixth and remaining Match Day of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League group stage kicked off on Tuesday with six matches throughout the continent and simply 4 spots within the knockout stage nonetheless to play for earlier than the motion started.
Here are the most important takeaways from Tuesday’s video games:
Manchester United can not help itself, loses to Bayern Munich
It was no secret that Man United wanted a win and a few assist Tuesday to have any likelihood of reaching the second spherical. In the tip, the Red Devils could not even assist themselves.
In entrance of 75,000 of their very own followers at Old Trafford, Man United did not do even the naked minimal and beat a Bayern staff with nothing to play to at the least give their supporters hope that different outcomes may go their manner, shedding — deservedly so — on to the German titan on Kingsley Coman’s second half purpose:
The hosts hardly threatened Manuel Neuer’s purpose on Tuesday, however porous defending was the principle cause the three-time European champs did not advance; United set a file this fall by changing into the primary staff to attain three targets in three group stage video games and misplaced all of them.
Even worse, the defeat to Bayern mixed with FC Copenhagen’s win over Galatasaray ensures that Erik ten Hag’s staff will not have a mushy touchdown within the Europa League, both.
It additionally capped a depressing few months for United. Sitting sixth in England’s Premier League, there’s work to be accomplished even to get again to the Champions League subsequent season. That work will most likely be accomplished below somebody aside from Ten Hag. Calls for the Dutchman’s head have been already deafening after final weekend’s 3-0 residence loss to lowly Bournemouth. His imminent dismissal now feels assured.
Real Madrid finishes good, however barely
For a lot of Tuesday’s sport in opposition to already-eliminated Union Berlin within the German capital, Real Madrid’s good group stage file was in severe jeopardy. Kevin Holland had given the hosts a 1-0 in first half stoppage time earlier than two fast Joselu targets within the second put Carlo Ancelotti’s staff on high. But Alex Král put Union made it 2-2 with 5 minutes to go, and with solely three factors sufficient to present the Champions League debutant any hope of constant their European journey within the Europa League, the house aspect pressed ahead for the victory.
But as they at all times appear to in a contest it is received a file 14 instances, Real ended the day triumphant as a substitute, due to Dani Ceballos’s 89th-minute sport winner:
The Spaniards completed Group C with six wins from six video games. The solely different staff nonetheless with an ideal file is defending champ Manchester City, which can go for its sixth consecutive first spherical win Wednesday in Belgrade in opposition to Red Star.
USMNT’s Ricardo Pepi, Malik Tillman assist PSV tie Arsenal
The Gunners sealed the highest spot in Group B final month by beating Lens of France — a outcome that, mixed with Ricardo Pepi’s game-winning purpose for PSV Eindhoven at Sevilla, ensured that PSV would advance and eradicated the Spaniards — rendering Tuesday’s contest within the Netherlands largely inconsequential.
It meant one thing for Pepi, although, the 20-year-old U.S. striker who made his first profession begin not simply on the earth’s most prestigious membership competitors but in addition for PSV. Pepi went all 90 minutes for the hosts. And he helped them end the primary spherical with a well-earned level in opposition to an Arsenal staff that could be a real contender for each the European and English titles this season.
Eddie Nketiah gave the Gunners the lead simply earlier than halftime. But PSV pulled stage once more quickly after the break by way of Belgian winger Yorbe Vertessen. The USMNT’s Malik Tillman began the sequence will a surging run out of midfield. Tillman sprung Pepi into area with a protracted move, and the rangy Texan put the ball on a platter for Vertessen to complete with a slick no-look dish:
A 3rd U.S. participant, attacking fullback Sergiño Dest, got here on later as PSV manger Peter Bosz went for the win. He did not get it, however his squad will nonetheless go into the knockout part afraid of no opponent.
Napoli breezes previous Braga to advance
The Scudetto holders knew forward of Tuesday’s contest in Naples that even a one-goal defeat to the Portuguese could be sufficient to see them by way of to the enterprise finish of the match for the second yr working.
But Napoli clearly had no intention of backing into the do-or-die portion of the competitors, dispatching the guests with ease at Diego Maradona Stadium on an early personal purpose by Braga defender Serdar Saatçı and a strike by Victor Osimhen, who on Monday was named African Footballer of the yr forward of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint-Germain.
It was a medical end by Osimhen, however Brazilian fullback Natan did many of the work in setting it up:
Doug McIntyre is a soccer author for FOX Sports. Before becoming a member of FOX Sports in 2021, he was a employees author with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has coated United States males’s and girls’s nationwide groups at a number of FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
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