Manchester City extended their problems with a 2-0 against Juventus that complicates their progression in the Champions League, while Arsenal beat Monaco (3-0) to cling to a tight ‘Top 8’ of the league phase where Lille entered.
With two rounds left in this first phase of the new Champions League, Pep Guardiola’s team is 22nd, just two places above the last placed team to be at least in the round of 32. One more round that would undoubtedly be signed by a City that does not have it all, in the midst of a crisis of play and results.
The Premier champion deflated in the second half against a Juventus that wanted to hit the table in the middle of an irregular season. Erling Haaland had the clearest chance for the English, in a saving hand from goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio before the break, but then errors came behind a City lacking confidence and far from their best version.
Dusan Vlahovic made it 1-0 after Federico Gatti had it and, in the 75th minute, Weston McKennie scored the second with a great shot although without opposition. The direct duel between European greats seeking to improve their future went to the Turin team, to add 11 points to the 8 of a City that has one victory in its last ten games.
Meanwhile, Arsenal had a much happier night at the Emirates to add 13 points, third in the table although tied with the other five teams that are in the ‘Top 8’ that will go directly to the round of 16. Mikel Arteta’s men were forgiving, especially Gabriel Jesus and Odegaard with two one-on-ones with the rival goalkeeper, but a double from Bukayo Saka punished Monaco.
Arteta’s team found the facilities that the visiting team gave behind and, with a goal in each part of the English forward, added the three points, although the second came in the 78th minute and the final 3-0 by Kai Havertz in the minute 88. After two consecutive defeats, Monaco is left with 10 points in sixteenth position, the same points as a Feyenoord that beat Sparta Prague (4-2) and a Benfica that could not (0-0) with Bologna.
Meanwhile, AC Milan continued its upward trajectory, fourth consecutive victory and 12 points, with a 2-1 win over Red Star. An eventful duel, where the Serbs were able to take the lead, and with injuries in the first half to Álvaro Morata and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. In the midst of uncertainty at San Siro, Rafael Leao scored a great goal to make it 1-0.
However, those from Belgrade deservedly pulled one back through Nemanja Radonjic and it was not until the 87th minute when Tammy Abraham gave the Italians, Girona’s next rival, the victory, knocking on the door of the high zone. There, closing the train of 13 points, Lille sneaked in and beat Sturm Graz (3-2).
Below, Young Boys confirmed their mathematical elimination with another defeat, a 5-1 against Stuttgart that was triggered after 2-1 at the start of the second half, where the Swiss claimed a ball that crossed the baseline and which the assistant had pointed out by raising the flag and then lowering it.
