A couple of takeaways from Tuesday’s Champions League matches. First, happy or not, Kylian Mbappe continues to score goals for Paris Saint-Germain. Second, Manchester City just aren’t the same without Erling Haaland.
Still, City — despite a 0-0 draw at FC Copenhagen — joined holders Real Madrid on Tuesday as the first teams to advance to the knockout phase of the tournament.
On a day when reports emerged that Mbappe is frustrated at PSG and wants to leave during the January transfer window, the France striker converted a penalty in a 1-1 draw with Benfica. PSG are now level on points with Benfica atop Group H.
It was Mbappe’s record 31st goal for PSG in the competition, passing Edinson Cavani for the club record.
Mbappe had been close to joining Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer but finally agreed to stay at PSG for two more years with an option for an extra season.
The 23-year-old Frenchman celebrated by holding his arms out wide and rushing toward the stands at Parc de Princes — with no outward sign of discontent. Mbappe also found the net with a bicycle kick four minutes from fulltime but his effort was ruled out for offside.
City frustrated
With Haaland rested, 10-man City were held to a 0-0 draw at FC Copenhagen, a team languishing in the bottom half of the Danish league. Copenhagen became the first team to stop City from scoring this season in a match overshadowed by early video-review decisions. One of those resulted in a red card for City left-back Sergio Gomez in the 30th minute for pulling back Hakon Arnar Haraldsson as the last man, harming the visitors’ attacking ambitions at the atmospheric Parken Stadium.
Rudiger rescues Real
A last-gasp header by defender Antonio Rudiger earned Real Madrid a 1-1 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk and secured their place in the knockout stage, after the Ukrainian side had taken the lead.
Real hold a four-point lead in Group F over second-placed RB Leipzig, who won 2-0 at Celtic. Shakhtar slipped one place down to third. In the last round of games, Shakhtar host Leipzig, which means that despite the draw, Real cannot finish lower than second, and will thus advance to the last-16 ahead of their next group game at Leipzig on October 25.
The goal came with repercussions, however, as the German defender sustained a cut that covered his shirt in blood. In a tweet, Rudiger later reassured fans he was okay. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I am okay — thanks for all your messages.” He also uploaded an Instagram story saying “We alive” with a picture of his bandaged face and eye. “We found a goal that put us through to the next stage... But we didn’t play well,” coach Carlo Ancelotti told Movistar Plus.
Chelsea surge
Chelsea were at the bottom of Group E but two straight victories over Serie A champions AC Milan have seen them move into pole position. Chelsea moved to the top of the group with a 2-0 win at Milan, who played most of the match with 10 men after defender Fikayo Tomori was sent off in the 18th minute after also giving away a penalty. Jorginho converted the spot kick and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang doubled the visitors’ advantage in the 34th.
Bellingham shines
At 19, England midfielder Jude Bellingham has scored in all four of Dortmund’s Champions League games this season. Young players took centrestage as Sevilla took the lead with a header from 20-yearold defender Tanguy Nianzou before Bellingham knocked in Thomas Meunier’s low cross for a 1-1 draw. Bellingham also become the highest-scoring English teenager in a single Champions League season, overtaking Wayne Rooney’s record of three goals in 2004-05.
