Chelsea sealed their progress to the UEFA Champions League knockout stage on Tuesday with two games to spare in Group E with a 2-1 victory at Rennes.
Frank Lampard’s side dominated the first half of the game in France, with Callum Hudson-Odoi’s opener in the 22nd minute, after he had been sent clear by a pinpoint pass from Mason Mount, being the perfect reward for such a strong start.
But despite making a couple of good saves against his former club, Chelsea goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy, was beaten by a Serhou Guirassy header for the hosts in the 85th minute to level the scores.
Substitute Olivier Giroud’s late header, however, secured victory for the Blues and passage into the round of 16 of Europe’s elite club football competition.
Italian champions, Juventus also qualified for the knockout stage of the competition following a 2-1 win against Ferencvaros in Hungary.
The Hungarian champions took a deserved lead when Myrto Uzuni got across his marker and poked home from nine yards in the 19th minute.
Portuguese forward, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 749th career goal, as his left-foot drive from 20 yards found the bottom corner to level the score for Juventus in the 35th minute.
Alvaro Morata scored a stoppage-time winner for the Old Lady.
Andrea Pirlo’s side sit second in Group C, and remain three points behind Barcelona after Ronald Koeman’s side won 4-0 against Dynamo Kiev.
Despite resting Lionel Messi for the trip to Ukraine, Barcelona confirmed their qualification for the knockout stage of the competition with second-half goals by new recruit, Sergio Dest, in the 52nd minute; Martin Braithwaite goals (a 57th-minute goal and a 70th-minute penalty), and a late effort by Antoine Griezmann.
Manchester United edge closer to qualifying for the knockout phase after a 4-1 win over Istanbul Basaksehir in their Group H fixture at Old Trafford.
Bruno Fernandes, the Portuguese maestro, drove a half-volley into the net from the edge of the area to give Man United an early lead in the seventh minute.
The midfielder doubled his tally and that of the club in the 19th minute when Basaksehir goalkeeper, Mert Gunok, dropped a routine cross at the midfielder’s feet.
Marcus Rashford scored a penalty in the 35th minute, giving Man United a comfortable 3-0 lead heading into the break.
The visitors pulled one back through Deniz Turuc’s curling free-kick in the 75th minute, and an Edin Visca shot that cannoned off the bar 10 minutes from time brought cries of “wake up” from United keeper, David de Gea.
But there was no repeat of their shambolic defending in defeat in Turkey three weeks ago and Daniel James completed the scoring in stoppage time when he tapped home Mason Greenwood’s cross for his first goal since March.
The win means United are top of Group H and need just a point from their remaining two group games to qualify for the knockout stage.
In the same group, Neymar’s first-half penalty helped ease the pressure on boss Thomas Tuchel as Paris-St Germain leapfrogged RB Leipzig into the second position on the log.
The Brazilian scored his first goal in six matches in the competition via a penalty in the 11th minute after winger Angel di Maria had been fouled.
Julian Nagelsmann’s Leipzig side rallied but some wasteful finishing prevented them from equalising.
Leipzig drop to third in the group and are three points behind leaders Manchester United with two games left.
Tuchel’s side face group leaders, Man United, at Old Trafford in their next group game.
Erling Braut Haaland scored twice, and became the fastest player to net 15 Champions League goals, as Borussia Dortmund brushed aside Club Bruges 3-0 in a Group F fixture.
Haaland latched on to a Jadon Sancho pass to slot home in the 18th minute, reaching the landmark in his 12th game – seven fewer than the previous record held by Ruud van Nistelrooy and Roberto Soldado.
England winger Sancho made it 2-0 with a curling, 20-yard free-kick in the 45th minute.
Haaland, 20, swept home his second after the ball broke loose in the area in the 60th minute.
Dortmund now need a point from their final two group games to advance to the last-16, while a win against Lazio in their penultimate match next Wednesday would see them claim top spot in Group F.
