Chelsea Stay Top While Reds Defeat Sunderland

Game-week 13 was to be a lucky one for some and unlucky one for others with a nine goal thriller the highlight of the weekend.

Saturday's opening game saw Burnley host Manchester City at Turf Moor and the Clarets took a surprise early lead on 14 minutes through Dean Marney. 

City levelled on 36 minutes through Sergio Aguero and the Argentine struck the winner for the visitors on the hour mark for 2-1.

Hull City looked to move out of the bottom three as they hosted West Bromwich Albion at the KCOM Stadium.

The Baggies opened the scoring on 35 minutes through Gareth McAuley before being pegged back on 75 minutes as Michael Dawson salvaged a point at 1-1.

Leicester City and Middlesbrough both looked to move clear of the drop zone when they met at the King Power Stadium.'Boro took an early lead as Alvaro Negredo netted for the first time since the opening week of the season on 13 minutes.

Riyad Mahrez equalised with a penalty on 34 minutes before Negredo restored 'Boro's lead midway through the second half. They would have to settle for a point though as Islam Slimani made it 2-2 late on.

Liverpool had the chance to regain top spot as they welcomed struggling Sunderland to Anfield.

The Reds found it hard to break down a resolute Sunderland defence that held firm long after the hour mark but was finally carved open as Divock Origi fired the hosts ahead on 75 minutes. Sunderland fought to draw level but the defeat was confirmed in added time as James Milner slotted in a penalty for 2-0.

Swansea looked to move off the bottom as they hosted Crystal Palace at the Liberty Stadium and the two sides played their part in a nine-goal thriller. Wilfried Zaha put the Eagles ahead in the 18th minute before Gylfi Sigurdsson levelled before the interval.

A rapid brace from Leroy Fer gave the Swans a 3-1 lead but a three goal spree in nine minutes from Palace saw them lead 4-3 with James Tomkins and Christian Benteke striking either side of a Jack Cork own goal.

The Swans were not to be outdone though as Fernando Llorente levelled in the 90th minute before sealing a 5-4 win in added time.

Chelsea hoped to regain top spot as they hosted fierce London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge. The Blues were stunned by an early opener as Christian Eriksen struck in the 11th minute. However, the hosts were level into the interval as Pedro fired in for 1-1 in added time. The winning goal came just six minutes after the restart as Victor Moses struck for 2-1.

Sunday's action began at Vicarage Road as Watford hosted Stoke City. The Potters were gifted the win as Heurelho Gomes deflected an effort into his own net on 29 minutes.

A bad day for the Hornets was completed by the late dismissal of Miguel Britos as the slipped to a 1-0 loss.

Arsenal hoped to cut the gap to the leaders as they hosed Bournemouth at the Emirates.The Gunners led early on after Alexis Sanchez's 12th minute strike but a penalty from Callum Wilson drew the Cherries level on 23 minutes.

Theo Walcott restored the hosts' lead on 53 minutes which saw him celebrate in tribute to his newborn son and the win was confirmed late on as Sanchez struck in added time for 3-1.

Ahead of a midweek meeting in the EFL Cup, Manchester United hosted West Ham United at Old Trafford. The Hammers made a perfect start as Diafra Sakho fired them in front inside two minutes. The hosts drew level with Zlatan Ibrahimovic's effort on 21 minutes but neither side was able to score a winner in the 1-1 draw.

Southampton welcomed Everton and former manager Ronald Koeman to St Marys and they made a superb start as Charlie Austin opened the scoring inside the first minute. The early strike proved to be enough to secure a 1-0 win and a miserable reunion for Koeman. 

Europa League Matchday Five Review

The penultimate round of matches in the Champions League group stage saw a number of the places in the next stage wrapped up while others saw an early exit from the competition confirmed.

A - Fenerbache remain top of the group after a 2-0 win over eliminated Zorya Luhansk. The Turks opened the scoring just before the hour mark through Stoch before Kjaer confirmed the win eight minutes later. A miserable night for Zorya was completed late on by the dismissal of Sobol.

Manchester United edged towards securing a spot in knockout stage with a 4-0 routing of Feyernoord. The hosts went ahead on 35 minutes with an opener from Wayne Rooney before Juan Mata doubled the lead on 69 minutes.

Feyernoord were out of the contest by their own doing on 75 minutes due to a Brad Jones own goal which was followed late on by Jesse Lingard's effort.

B -Apoel Nicosia remain top of the group and with a place in the next stage despite a 2-1 loss to eliminate FC Astana. The visitors opened the scoring on 31 minutes via Efrem before having Astiz dismissed a minute or so later. The hosts levelled just before the hour mark through Anicic before securing the win six minutes from the end through Despotovic.

Olympiakos confirmed their advancement to the next stage with a 1-1 draw at home to Young Boys. After a tightly contested first half, the Greeks took the lead three minutes after the interval through Fortounis but were denied the win by a leveller from Hoarau on 58 minutes.


C - Anderlecht sit top of the group after advancing to the next stage with a 3-1 win over FK Qabala who are still without a win. The Belgians opened the scoring inside ten minutes through Tielemans before being pegged back five minutes later by Ferreira Silva's penalty. The hosts suffered trilogy of blows late on with the dismissal of Eyyubon followed by goals from Bruno and Teodorczyk.

Saint Etienne secured a spot in the next stage as they shared the points in a 0-0 draw with Mainz 05.

D-Zenit Saint Petersburg secured top spot in the group as they moved one win away from a perfect campaign with a 2-0 win over Maccabi Tel-Aviv.  The Russians struck an opener just before the interval through Kokorin with the points wrapped up late on by Kerzhakov.

Dundalk and AZ Alkmaar remain in the hunt to reach the next stage with the visitors currently occupying second spot in the group after a 1-0 win. The crucial strike came early on as Weghorst struck inside the opening nine minutes.

E-Astra Giurgiu and Austria Vienna both remain in the hunt to reach the next stage with the former in pole position after a 2-1 victory. The Austrians went ahead on 57 minutes with an opener from Rotpuller before they were reduced to ten men with the dismissal of Grunwald on 65 minutes.

The man advantage paid off for Astra as they drew level through Florea on 79 minutes before Budescu secured the win with an 88th minute penalty.

AS Roma advance as group winners after a comfortable 4-1 win over Viktoria Plzen who remain without a win. An opener after just 11 minutes for the hosts saw Edin Dzeko strike before the visitors hit back through Zeman. Dzeko regained the lead on 61 minutes ahead of completing his hat-trick on 88 minutes after an own goal from Mateju. 


F- Athletic Bilbao secured a spot in the next stage after coming out winners in a five-goal thriller with Sassuolo. The Italians were gifted the lead inside two minutes after a Balenziaga own goal before Garcia levelled in the tenth minute. Aduriz continued his scoring spree in the competition to put the hosts ahead just before the hour mark with Martinez extending the lead to 3-1 on 79 minutes. There would be a tense finish after Ragusa narrowed the gap to 3-2 but the visitors were unable to complete the comeback.

Genk also secured a spot in the next stage and sit top of the group after a 1-0 win over Rapid Vienna. The crucial goal came after just 11 minutes as Karelis' effort secured the points for the Belgians.

G-Ajax wrapped up top spot as they extended their unbeaten run with a 2-0 win over eliminated Panathinaikos. The Dutch side opened the scoring after 39 minutes through Schone before Tete confirmed the win with an effort on 50 minutes.

Celta Vigo and Standard Liege both remain in the hunt to reach the next stage after sharing the points in a 1-1 draw that saw a late show from both sides. An early opener from Iago Aspas saw Celta lead after just eight minutes but their hopes of a win were denied nine minutes from the end by a leveller from Laifis with Aspas dismissed late on.

H- Gent and Sporting Braga both remain in the hunt to reach the next stage after sharing the points in a 2-2 draw. The visitors struck first with an opener from Stojiljkovic on 14 minutes only to be pegged back by a leveller from Coulibaly on 32 minutes. The visitors took just four minutes to regain the lead as Hassan struck but the sides were level again before the interval as Milicevic struck for 2-2.

Shakthar Donetsk moved to just one win away from a perfect campaign with a comfortable 4-0 win that eliminated Konyaspor. The Turks gifted their hosts the lead with an own goal from Bardacki inside ten minutes before Bonfim doubled the lead ahead of the interval. The rout was completed by two second half strikes as Eduardo and Bernard registered efforts.

I- Schalke 04 advance as group winners as they moved to one win away from a perfect campaign with a 2-0 victory over eliminated OGC Nice. Yevhen Konoplyanka fired the hosts ahead in the 14th minute before an Aogo penalty ten minutes from the end confirmed the win for the hosts who had Terpetzy dismissed late on.

Krasnodar secured a spot in the next stage as they left it late to salvage a 1-1 draw that eliminated opponents Red Bull Salzburg. The visitors took the lead on 37 minutes with a strike from Dabbur but were denied the win by a leveller from Smolov with five minutes left.

J- Fiorentina remain top of the group but after a 3-2 defeat to PAOK Salonika will have to wait to qualify for the next stage. PAOK struck an early lead as Shakov opened the scoring inside five minutes before Campos doubled the lead on 26 minutes.The hosts hit back through Bernardeschi on 33 minutes before drawing level through Babacar in the 50th minute.

Slovan Liberec denied Qarabag's chance to edge closer to the next stage with a 3-0 win that keeps them in contention. An early opener from Vuch was followed by a rapid double from Komlichennko who struck a 57th minute penalty before firing in a second and Liberec's third on 63 minutes.


K- Hapoel Beer Sheva kept up their hopes of reaching the next stage as they eliminated Inter Milan in a five-goal thriller. The Italians raced into a 2-0 lead with a 12th minute opener from Icardi followed up by Brozovic's effort.

The hosts cut the gap through Soares just before the hour mark and were given a boost as the visitors were reduced to ten with the dismissal of Handanovic. The resulting penalty saw Nwakeme level at 2-2 before a late strike from Sahar secured a 3-2 win.

Sparta Prague secured top spot in the group with a 1-0 win over Southampton. The crucial strike came after just 11 minutes through Costa Nhamoinesu. 

L- FC Zurich and Villarreal remain in the hunt to reach the next stage after a 1-1 draw which saw the hosts strike late on to deny the Spanish side the win. The visitors led early on after Soriano's  14th minute opener but were pegged back with three minutes to go by Rodriguez's penalty.

Steaua Bucharest also remain in the hunt after they prevented Osmanlispor from securing a spot in the next stage with a 2-1 win. The visitors opened the scoring on the half hour mark through NDiaye but were hit by a second half double from the hosts as Momlilovic levelled on 68 minutes before Tamas secured the point four minutes from the end. 

Champions League Matchday Five Review

The penultimate round of matches in the Champions League group stage saw a number of the places in the next stage wrapped up while others saw an early exit from the competition confirmed.

E- CSKA Moscow hosted Bayer Leverkusen knowing anything but a win would see them eliminated.

The visitors opened up an early lead through Volland after just 16 minutes and their lead looked to be enough to secure all three points until they were pegged back in the second half.

An equalising penalty from Natcho on 75 minutes ensured a share of the points and a 1-1 draw but meant that while Leverkusen advanced to the knockout stage, CSKA had a Europa League spot to battle for.

Tottenham will also battle for a Europa League spot after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Monaco who as a result win the group.

The French side opened the scoring three minutes after half time through Sidibe before Harry Kane levelled with a penalty on 52 minutes. The equality lasted barely a minute as Lemar sealed the winning strike for Monaco.


F- A record breaking 12 goal thriller between Borussia Dortmund and Legia Warsaw lit up the group with the Germans securing a place in the next stage.

The visitors took a surprise lead inside ten minutes through Prijovic before a two-minute brace from Shinji Kagawa was swiftly followed by a Nuri Sahin strike for 3-1 on 20 minutes.

Prijovic struck his second for 3-2 before efforts from Dembele and Marco Reus gave the hosts a 5-2 lead with just 32 minutes played. A second for Reus on 52 minutes was followed by Legia's third from Kucharczyk just before the hour mark.

The record breaking scoreline came in the final eight minutes as Passlack made it 7-3 to the hosts ahead of a deficit cutter from Nikolic two minutes later. The final strike was an unfortunate one for the Poles as Rzeznicak hit into his own net for 8-4.

Already qualified Real Madrid left it late to keep up their hopes of winning the group as they eliminated Sporting Lisbon with a 2-1 success.

Real took the lead on 29 minutes with Varane striking the opener and the hosts were left with an even harder task to comeback as they went down to ten with the dismissal of Pereira on 64 minutes. The numerical disadvantage didn't affect them from levelling with Silva slotting in a penalty on 80 minutes but Real secured the win three minutes from the end with a Karim Benzema effort.

G- FC Copenhagen and FC Porto remain in the fight for a spot in the next stage after sharing the points in a hard fought 0-0 draw.

Leicester City extended their unbeaten record and in turn advance as group winners after a 2-1 win over Club Brugge who are eliminated.

An early opener from Shinji Okazaki saw the Foxes ahead inside just five minutes before Riyad Mahrez doubled the lead with a penalty on the half hour mark. Brugge pulled one back through Izquierdo on 52 minutes but it proved to be only a consolation.


H- Olympique Lyonnais remain in the hunt for a spot in the next stage as they secured a 1-0 win away at Dinamo Zagreb who are eliminated.

The crucial strike came in the 72nd minute as Lacazette secured the three points for the French side.

A battle for qualification saw Juventus move top of the group and claim a spot in the next stage as they defeated Sevilla 2-1.

The Spanish side who will battle fellow challengers Lyon in the final game took an early lead inside nine minutes as Pareja struck.

They went down to ten men with the 35th minute dismissal of Vazquez and Juventus utilised their numerical advantage just before the interval as Marchisio levelled for 1-1. The Italians left it late to wrap up the win as a six minute double from Bonucci and Mario Mandzukic confirmed a 3-1 victory.

A- Arsenal and Paris Saint Germain wrapped up qualification in a 2-2 draw that left top spot up for grabs into the final round of games.

Edinson Cavani put the visitors ahead on 19 minutes but the Gunners went into the interval level after a penalty from Olivier Giroud. 

The hosts completed the comeback just before the hour mark as Marco Verratti scored an own goal but a second own goal saw PSG salvage a point as Alex Iwobi struck on 77 minutes.


Ludogorets Razgrad and FC Basel remain with out a win between them after sharing the points in a 0-0 draw with the hosts retaining third spot in the group as the battle for the Europa League spot goes to the final round of games.



B-Besiktas and Benfica remain in the hunt to both advance to the next stage after sharing the points in a six-goal thriller.

The visitors raced into a 3-0 advantage inside 31 minutes with an opener on ten minutes from Guedes followed by efforts from Semedo and Fesja.

The hosts cut the gap as Tosun struck just before the hour mark before a two goals in the final seven minutes saw them secure a 3-3 draw. Ricardo Quaresma slotted in a penalty before Aboubakar levelled in the 89th minute.

Napoli missed the chance to confirm a spot in the next stage as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Dynamo Kiev who needed a win to avoid elimination.

C- Manchester City secured a place in the next stage as they came from behind to salvage a 1-1 draw at Borussia Monchengladbach.

Gladbach led after 23 minutes through Araujo's opener before David Silva drew City level just before the interval for 1-1.

Both sides ended the evening with ten men after Lars Stindl was dismissed for the hosts on 51 minutes and Fernandinho for City on 63 minutes.


Already qualified Barcelona claimed top spot in the group with a 2-0 win away to Celtic who will finish bottom of the group. Lionel Messi struck both goals with a 24th minute opener from the penalty spot followed up by his second on 55 minutes.



D- FC Rostov secured a surprise 3-2 win against already qualified Bayern Munich to move into third spot in the group.

Douglas Costa fired the Germans ahead on 35 minutes before Azmoun levelled for the hosts just before half-time. A penalty from Poloz put the hosts 2-1 ahead before a rapid reply saw Bernat level at 2-2. The win was sealed for the Russians by a Noboa strike on 66 minutes.

Atletico Madrid kept up their hopes of a perfect campaign as they made it five wins from five games with a 2-0 win at home to PSV Eindhoven. Kevin Gameiro fired hosts ahead on 55 minutes before Antoine Griezmann secured the win on 66 minutes.

Chelsea Go Top As Saints Hold Reds

After the final International break of the year, Premier League action returned with game-week 12 which saw changes at both the top and bottom of the standings.

Saturday's opening game saw a clash at Old Trafford between Manchester United and Arsenal with Arsene Wenger looking to end his hoodoo against Jose Mourinho.

A goalless first hour between the sides saw a breakthrough come seven minutes later as United struck through Juan Mata for a 1-0 lead.

The win looked to be on the cards for the hosts as the game entered the final stages but a a clever move from the Gunners saw Olivier Giroud salvage a point in a 1-1 draw.

Manchester City had the chance to move top of the table as they visited Crystal Palace who looked to boost their poor year to date.

City led at the interval as a strike from forgotten star Yaya Touré put them 1-0 ahead on 38 minutes but they were pegged back just after the hour mark by a superb score from Connor Wickham. The points would go to City though as Touré struck his second seven minutes from the end to secure a 2-1 win and put City level at the top.

Swansea City visited Everton at Goodison Park looking to cut the gap to safety and give Bob Bradley a first win in charge.

They opened the scoring three minutes before half time with a penalty from Gylfi Sigurdsson but were denied a win by a late leveller from the Toffees.

Seamus Coleman struck from close range in the 89th minute to salvage a point in a 1-1 draw that left Swansea bottom of the table due to other results.

Liverpool had the chance to go clear at the top of the table as they visited Southampton at St Mary's.

The Reds missed the chance though as they wasted numerous chances in a 0-0 stalemate which saw them remain top but by way of goal difference from Manchester City.

Stoke City hosted a Bournemouth side who were looking to move up into the top half with victory at the Bet365 Stadium.

The game was settled by a single goal as the Cherries claimed a 1-0 win with a 26th minute winner from Nathan Aké.

Sunderland looked to move off the bottom with a second win in a row as they hosted Hull City.

An opener from Jermain Defoe on 34 minutes saw the hosts lead 1-0 into the interval before Victor Anichebe doubled the lead just after the hour mark.

The former Everton striker secured his first league brace with Sunderland's third goal of the game with seven minutes remaining and despite the late dismissal of Papy Djilobodji, the Mackems secured a 3-0 win and moved off the bottom of the table.

Leicester City looked to move clear of the danger zone as they visited Watford at Vicarage Road.

A perfect start for the hosts saw Etienne Capoue score inside 40 seconds with Roberto Pereyra doubling the lead with just 12 minutes played.

Riyad Mahrez cut the deficit within three minutes with a penalty but the Foxes were unable to avoid a 2-1 loss.

The evening kick-off saw a five goal London derby thriller between Tottenham and West Ham.

Michail Antonio put the Hammers ahead on 24 minutes before a debut strike from Harry Winks saw Spurs level on 51 minutes.

The Hammers regained the lead with a 68th minute penalty from Manuel Lanzini who's strike looked to be enough to secure a 2-1 win as the game entered the final stages. However, Spurs had other ideas as Harry Kane levelled on 89 minutes before completing the comeback with a penalty in added time for 3-2. West Ham's downfall ended with a second booking in as many minutes for Winston Reid who was sent off.

Chelsea had the chance to leapfrog Liverpool at the top as they visited Middlesbrough on Sunday afternoon.

The Blues sealed all three points with a solitary strike three minutes before half time as Diego Costa extended his scoring spree to seal a 1-0 success.

The week's action came to an end on Monday night as West Bromwich Albion hosted Burnley with both looking to move into the top half.

A rapid start from the Baggies saw Matt Phillips open the scoring inside four minutes before James Morrison doubled the lead after just 16 minutes.

Darren Fletcher extended the advantage to 3-0 eight minutes before the interval and a miserable evening for the Clarets was completed just after the hour mark as Salomon Rondon wrapped up a 4-0 rout.

Reds On Top After Hornets Demolition

Ahead of the International break, a new name appeared atop the Premier League after game-week 11.

Saturday's opening game on the fixture list saw Bournemouth hosting Sunderland with the visitors looking to claim their first win.

The Cherries opened the scoring inside 12 minutes through Dan Gosling before Victor Anichebe levelled on 33 minutes. The visitors were dealt a blow just before the hour mark as Steven Pienaar was sent off but the ten men secured all the points with a 79th minute winner as Jermain Defoe struck a penalty for 2-1.

Burnley came out on top in a five goal thriller as they defeated Crystal Palace 3-2. A perfect start for the Clarets saw Sam Vokes fire them ahead inside two minutes with Johann Gudmundsson doubling the lead after just 14 minutes.

Palace fought back with a strike on the hour mark from Connor Wickham before a penalty eight minutes from the end from Christian Benteke looked to have salvaged a point for the Eagles. Burnley had other ideas though as Ashley Barnes sealed the win in added time.

Manchester City looked to retain top spot as they hosted Middlesbrough at the Etihad Stadium.

Sergio Aguero put the hosts in front just before the interval but his effort and City's hopes of going clear at the top were cancelled out late on by Marten De Roon's equaliser who sealed a point in a 1-1 draw.

West Ham United looked to move away from the danger zone as they hosted Stoke City.

The Hammers were gifted the lead on 65 minutes through a Glenn Whelan own goal but were denied the win by a 76th minute leveller from Bojan Krkic. 

The evening kick-off saw Chelsea host Everton with the hosts looking to take top spot.

A rapid double from Eden Hazard and Marcos Alonso put the Blues 2-0 up inside 20 minutes before Diego Costa ensured a three goal lead into the interval.

The Toffees hopes of securing a comeback were scuppered within an hour as Hazard struck for a second time for 4-0. The rout was completed on 66 minutes by Pedro for 5-0.

Sunday's action began with the North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham. The sides shared the points in a 1-1 draw which saw an unfortunate own goal from Kevin Wimmer give the Gunners the lead at the interval. Spurs secured a point as Harry Kane slotted in a penalty in the 50th minute.

Hull City looked to cut the gap to safety as they hosted Southampton. The Saints started superbly as Charlie Austin slotted in a penalty after six minutes before the hosts staged a superb two minute comeback to secure a 2-1 win.

Robert Snodgrass levelled on 61 minutes before Michael Dawson sealed the points on 63 minutes.

Liverpool hosted Watford with the chance to go top of the table for the first time since May 2014.

Sadio Mané fired the Reds ahead on 27 minutes with Philippe Coutinho swiftly adding a second on the half hour mark for 2-0. Emre Can ensured a three goal advantage before the interval before Roberto Firmino made it 4-0 ahead of Mané's second just before the hour mark.

Watford ended the Reds' spree with a strike from Daryl Janmaat on 75 minutes before Georginio Wijnaldum completed a 6-1 rout in added time.



Swansea City hoped to cut the gap to safety as they hosted Manchester United at the Liberty Stadium.

United opened the scoring after just 16 minute with a clever effort from Paul Pogba before a brace from Zlatan Ibrahimovic made it 3-0 to the visitors on 34 minutes.

Swansea got off the mark in the 69th minute through Mike van der Hoorn but it was to be only a consolation in a 3-1 loss.


Leicester City looked to boost their mixed season as they hosted West Bromwich Albion. The visitors opened the scoring through James Morrison on 53 minutes before a rapid reply saw Islam Slimani level the for the Foxes within two minutes. The points were sealed for the Baggies on 72 minutes as Matt Phillips struck the winner for 2-1. 

Europa League Matchday Four Review

The business end of the Europa League group stage began in matchday four with a number of teams sealing a spot in the knockout stages at the earliest opportunity.

A -Fenerbache sit top of the group after a 2-1 win over Manchester United. A perfect start for the hosts saw them lead inside two minutes with a stunning overhead effort from Sow.

Jeremain Lens doubled the lead just before the hour mark with a clever free-kick with Wayne Rooney setting up a tense finale with an 88th minute strike. The Turks held on to secure the victory.

Feyernoord moved to second in the group with a 1-1 draw at Zorya Luhansk. Jorgensen put the visitors ahead in the 15th minute before they went down to ten men with the dismissal of Botteghin on 43 minutes. The result was an equaliser from Forster for 1-1 which saw a share of the points.

B- FC Astana await their first win after being held 1-1 by Olympiakos. Despotovic put the hosts in front after just eight minutes only for Couto Junior to level on 29 minutes.

Apoel sit two points clear at the top of the group after a narrow 1-0 win over Young Boys with the crucial strike coming on 69 minutes from Soteriou as the Cypriots took advantage of Mbabu's dismissal two minutes earlier.



C- FK Qabala sit rock bottom of the group without a point after suffering a 2-1 loss to Saint Etienne.

The hosts went ahead with a Gurbanov strike six minutes before half time before being pegged back by Tannane's 45th minute equaliser. The win was sealed just eight minutes later for the visitors via a Beric effort.

Anderlecht sit top of the group after a 6-1 demolition of Mainz. The Belgians took the lead after nine minutes through Stanciu but were soon pegged back by De Blasis' leveller on 15 minutes.

Stanciu struck for a second time to regain the lead on 41 minutes before Tielemans made it 3-1. A late rally saw a quick brace from Teodorczyk strike before adding a penalty in added time after Bruno had made it 5-1.

D-AZ Alkmaar await their first win after sharing the points in a 0-0 draw away to Maccabi Tel-Aviv.

Zenit Saint Petersburg secured qualification to the next stage with a 2-1 win over Dundalk who remain second behind the Russians. De Paula put the hosts ahead three minutes for half time but the visitors took just seven minutes of the second half to draw level through Horgan. The win was sealed with 12 minutes left as De Paula struck his second on 78 minutes.

E -Viktoria Plzen await their first win after coming from behind to draw 1-1 with Astra Giurgiu. The hosts led after 19 minutes after Stan opened the scoring but an equaliser came on 25 minutes from Krmencik to salvage a point.

Roma sit top of the group after coming out on top in a six goal thriller with a 4-2 win. Kayode gave the Austrians the lead inside two minutes with Edin Dzeko levelling in the fourth minute.

De Rossi put the Italians ahead on 18 minutes before Dzeko scored his second on 65 minutes for 3-1.The win was sealed on 78 minutes by Nainggolan's effort with the hosts having the last say with Grunwald's 89th minute strike.

F- Genk remain top of the group despite being on the wrong side of an eight goal thriller which saw Athletic Bilbao win 5-3. Aritz Aduriz gave the hosts the led inside eight minutes before adding a penalty on 24 minutes for 2-0.

Bailey pulled one back for the Belgians before Aduriz completed his hat-trick with a second penalty just before halftime. Ndidi made it 3-2 six minutes after the interval before a fourth from Aduriz on 74 minutes was swiftly followed by Susic's 79th minute strike for 4-3. The win was sealed late on as Aduriz secured a unique record with his fifth goal as he completed a hat-trick of penalties.

Sassuolo and Rapid Vienna shared the points in a 2-2 draw which saw the hosts lead after 34 minutes via a Defrei strike. Pellegrini doubled the lead just before half time and as the game entered the final ten minutes, the win looked safe for the hosts. However, Rapid had other ideas as they secured a point with two late strikes from Jelic and Kvilitaia.


G - Ajax secured qualification to the next stage with a 3-2 win over Celta Vigo. The hosts led 1-0 at half time after Dolberg's 41st minute opener.

Ziyech doubled the lead on 67 minutes before Younes made it 3-0 to the hosts on 71 minutes. Celta staged a comeback with a 79th minute effort from Guidetti followed by Iago Aspas' strike for 3-2 on 86 minutes but the illusive leveller evaded them.

Panathinaikos await their first win after falling to a 3-0 loss to Standard Liege. The Belgians took the lead just after the hour mark through Cisse before Belfodil doubled the lead on 75 minutes.

The hosts went down to ten men two minutes later with the dismissal of M'Poku before a second from Belfodil confirmed the win late on.

H - Shakthar Donetsk sealed a spot in the next stage as they continued their 100% record with a 5-3 win over Gent.

The hosts started superbly with Coulibaly scoring in the first minute, the visitors levelled with a penalty from Bonfim on 36 minutes before two goals in four minutes before the interval saw Taison and Stepanenko made it 3-1. Fred extended the lead to 4-1 on 67 minutes before Perbet made it 4-2 with seven minutes to go. Ferreyra confirmed the win three minutes from the end but the last say went to the hosts as Milicevic made it 5-3 in added time.

Konyaspor remain without a win after 3-1 loss at Sporting Braga with the visitors opening the scoring through Sangelov on 30 minutes before Maldonado levelled four minutes later for 1-1. The hosts went down to ten men with the dismissal of Sousa before Eduardo put them ahead into half time. The sides were both down to ten with the dismissal of Skubic for the visitors on 55 minutes with the win confirmed for the hosts late on via Horta's strike.

I- Schalke 04 qualified for the next stage as they continued their 100% record with a 2-0 win over Krasnodar.

The hosts opened the scoring on 24 minutes through Junior Caicara before Nabil Bentaleb doubled the lead just four minutes later. The two goal advantage proved to be enough to reach the next stage.

Red Bull Salzburg secured their first win with a 2-0 victory over OGC Nice. The points were sealed by two goals in as many minutes as Hwang struck in the 72nd and 73rd minutes.

J - Fiorentina edged toward qualification for the next stage with a comfortable 3-0 win over Slovan Liberec who await their first win.

A penalty on the half hour mark from Ilicic saw the hosts open the scoring before Kalinic doubled the lead just before half time. The win was sealed in 73rd minute by Cristoforo's strike.

FK Qarabag moved to second in the group with a narrow 1-0 win over PAOK Salonica with the crucial strike coming in the 69th minute from Madera.



K-Southampton moved to second in the group after coming from behind to win 2-1 against Inter Milan.

The Italians opened the scoring on 33 minutes through Mauro Icardi before Handanovic saved a penalty from Dusan Tadic to preserve the lead. The hosts did draw level on 64 minutes though as Virgil van Dijk made it 1-1. The win was sealed by an unfortunate own goal for Nagatomo on 70 minutes.

Sparta Prague sit top of the group after a 2-0 win over Hapoel Beer Sheva. The Czechs lead after a Bitton own goal on 23 minutes before Lafata doubled the lead on 38 minutes.

L - Steaua Bucharest await their first win after drawing 0-0 at FC Zurich.

Osmanlispor sit atop the group after a 2-1 win at Villarreal. The visitors opened the scoring inside eight minutes through Webo before being pegged back by Cascante's equaliser three minutes after half time.

The win was sealed on 75 minutes as Rusescu struck to extending his superb scoring run. 

Champions League Matchday Four Review

The Champions League group stage reached the business end in matchday four with the a number of teams confirming their place in the knockout stages at the earliest opportunity.

A
Paris Saint Germain secured qualification for the next stage as they defeated a Basel side who remain without a win.

Blaise Matuidi put the visitors ahead before Zuffi drew the hosts level on 76 minutes only for them to go down to ten men with the dismissal of Serey Die with six minutes to go. The visitors sealed the points and a 2-1 win with a late effort from Meunier. 

Arsenal sit top of the group as they also qualified for the next stage against winless Ludogorets.

The hosts raced into a surprise 2-0 lead inside 16 minutes as Barbosa and Keseru struck. The Gunners pulled one back four minutes later through Granit Xhaka before Olivier Giroud equalised to send the sides into the interval level at 2-2. The crucial strike for the visitors came with 87 minutes on the clock as Mesut Ozil sealed a 3-2 victory with an excellent effort.


B
Napoli sit top of the group after salvaging a point away to Besiktas. The Turks took the lead in the tightly run game on 79 minutes through Ricardo Quaresma but were pegged back within three minutes as Marek Hamsik levelled for 1-1 to ensure a share of the points.

Benfica sit second on goal difference after they secured a narrow 1-0 win over Dynamo Kiev.

The vital strike came just before half time as Salvio slotted in a penalty.

C
Borussia Monchengladbach and Celtic remain in the hunt to reach the next stage after they shared the points in a 1-1 draw.

The hosts opened the scoring on 33 minutes through Lars Stindl,the lead continued deep into the second half until a double blow for the Germans. Korb was sent off with Dembele
converting the resulting penalty to salvage a point.

Barcelona missed the chance to secure qualification to the next stage as they suffered a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City.

The Catalan side opened the scoring on 21 minutes through Lionel Messi but were pegged back six minutes before half time by Ilkay Gundogan's equaliser for 1-1. Kevin De Bruyne put City ahead just seven minutes after the interval before Gundogan's second effort secured a 3-1 win for the hosts as Pep Guardiola defeated his former side.


D
Atletico Madrid extended their 100% record to secure qualification with a 2-1 win over FC Rostov.

Antoine Griezmann put the hosts ahead on 27 minutes only to have his effort cancelled out by an equaliser within three minutes from Azmoun. However, the points were sealed for the hosts in the final minutes as Griezmann scored his second to secure a 2-1 win.

Bayern Munich also secured qualification for the next stage as they came from behind to win 2-1 at PSV Eindhoven.

The hosts opened the scoring inside 14 minutes through Arias before being pegged back by Robert Lewandowski's 34th minute penalty. Lewandowski sealed the win and qualification for the Germans with his second strike on 73 minutes.

E
Monaco sit top of the group after they claimed a 3-0 win over a CSKA Moscow side whose 'keeper Igor Akinfeev reached a record 41st consecutive game without a clean sheet.

An early opener from Germain inside 12 minutes was followed by a strike from Radamel Falcao on 28 minutes. The win was sealed before half time as Falcao struck his second goal five minutes before the interval.

Bayer Leverkusen acquired their first win of the group stage with a narrow 1-0 win over Tottenham whose Wembley woes continued.

The crucial strike came on 65 minutes as Kampl gave the Germans all three points.



F
Borussia Dortmund became the fifth team and last side to qualify for the next stage in matchday four as they claimed a 1-0 win over Sporting Lisbon.

The narrow win was secured early on as a 13th minute strike from Ramos proved to be enough to secure the points and extend the German's unbeaten run.

Real Madrid will have to wait to confirm a spot in the next stage after the came from behind to deny a famous win for Legia Warsaw.

The visitors made a perfect start as Gareth Bale fired them in front inside the first minute and with Karim Benzema doubling the lead on 35 minutes they looked comfortable. However, Legia had other ideas as Odjidja-Ofoe made it 2-1 into the interval before Radovic levelled at 2-2 just before the hour mark. The hosts looked to have secured a stunning win with an 83rd minute lead coming from Moulin but Madrid salvaged a 3-3 draw a minute later with Kovacic's leveller.

G
Leicester City missed the chance to secure a spot in the next stage as their 100% start ended with a 0-0 draw at FC Copenhagen.

Despite the draw, the Foxes claimed a famous record in becoming first side to open their debut campaign with four clean sheets.

FC Porto moved into second spot with a narrow 1-0 win over Club Brugge who are yet to claim a single point in the group. The winning goal came eight minutes before the interval as Silva struck for the hosts.

H
Juventus missed the chance to move top of the group as they were held 1-1 at home to Lyon.

The hosts led early on after Higuain's 13th minute opener from the penalty spot but were denied the win as Tolliso salvaged a point for the visitors on 85 minutes.

Sevilla sit two point clear atop the group after a comfortable 4-0 rout over Dinamo Zagreb.

Vietto got the hosts off the mark on 31 minutes before the visitors suffered a blow just before the interval with the dismissal of Stojanovic.

Escudero doubled the lead for the hosts on 66 minutes before Steven N'Zonzi sealed the win ten minutes from the end. The gloss on the win came three minutes from time as Ben Yedder struck.