French veteran Olivier Giroud has split Group F open with the AC Milan striker nodding his side to a 2-1 victory over PSG at the San Siro.
The Parisians had taken the lead through Milan Skriniar early on, but were pegged back by Rafael Leao almost immediately before Giroud’s intervention in the second half.
The result, along with Borussia Dortmund’s 2-0 win at home over Newcastle United, leaves the Group of Death nicely poised going into the final two matchdays, with just one win separating BVB at the top and the Magpies at the bottom.
Dortmund pressed from the start at home to Newcastle, and Germany striker Niklas Fullkrug opened the scoring in the 26th minute off Marcel Sabitzer for his first goal in the UCL.
Joelinton headed wide in Newcastle’s best chance early in the second half, before Julian Brandt wrapped up matters in the 79th.
“We weren’t at our best today,” said Newcastle manager Eddie Howe.
“The intensity and quality of our normal game was missing. We still had our moments and Joelinton’s header is probably the key moment in the game from our perspective. He would back himself to score that if it came in again.”
The game was also subject to a stoppage as fake gold bars and other objects were thrown onto the pitch from the Dortmund fans in the ‘Yellow Wall’. It was a protest against UEFA’s proposed Champions League reforms, with one banner reading ‘You don’t care about the sport – all you care about is money.’
Dortmund top the group with seven points from Paris Saint-Germain, who take six into their date with AC Milan.
Newcastle are in trouble now, having only four points and having, significantly, lost the head-to-head against Dortmund, having been beaten by the Bundesliga side in the reverse fixture as well.
Things are much simpler in Group G, where both Manchester City and RB Leipzig have advanced with two games to space following wins over Young Boys and Red Star Belgrade respectively.
Erling Haaland, who left City’s Premier League stroll against Bournemouth early on Saturday, scored twice in a 3-0 win, while in Serbia, Xavi Simons and Luis Openda lead the German side to a 2-1 win.
Scottish champions Celtic were on the wrong side of a 6-0 thrashing in Madrid, with Atletico taking advantage of a first half red card for Japanese winger Daizen Maeda to run up the score.
Celtic are now out but Lazio’s 1-0 home win over Feyenoord leaves the rest of the group well set up, with Atleti on 8, the Romans on 7 and the Rotterdamers on 6.
Elsewhere, Barcelona have crashed 1-0 against Shakhtar Donetsk and have been forced to wait to qualify for their first Champions League last-16 berth in three years.
Danylo Sikan’s looping 40th-minute header into the right corner off Giorgi Gocholeishvili’s cross from the right made the difference on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT) in Hamburg, the German venue where Shakhtar are playing their home games this season owing to the war in Ukraine.
The hosts contained Robert Lewandowski and company well and only allowed them a few efforts from a distance which all went off target.
Shakhtar had a late a second goal disallowed because teenager Newerton was narrowly offside before firing into the far corner.
A draw would have been enough for five-time winners Barca to progress to the knock-outs for the first time since the 2020-21 season, but defeat, after wins in the opening three games, leaves them on nine points and under pressure again.
Porto can draw level with victory against bottom side Antwerp in one of the late kick-offs, and Shakhtar are also back in the frame with six points.
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