Spurs secure Champions League progress in dramatic style
Tottenham progressed to the Champions League knockout stage as group winners after Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s stoppage-time goal snatched a 2-1 win in Marseille.
Hojbjerg slammed home Spurs’ winner in the fifth minute of added time after Clement Lenglet had cancelled out Chancel Mbemba’s opener for Marseille.
A draw for Antonio Conte’s side would have been enough to reach the last 16 on a dramatic night, which saw all four sides in Group D occupy the top two places at some stage during the final round of matches.
What a way to win the group!
Tottenham secure their spot in the round of 16 with the final kick of the game 🤯#UCL pic.twitter.com/O22f0KfliC
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 1, 2022
Eintracht Frankfurt pipped Sporting Lisbon to second place after coming from behind to beat them 2-1 in Portugal.
Sporting were on course to progress after Arthur Gomes gave them a half-time lead, but Daichi Kamada’s penalty and Randal Kolo Muani sent the Germans through.
In Group A, Liverpool halted Napoli’s unbeaten start to the season in all competitions with a 2-0 win at Anfield.
Both clubs had already booked their place in the last 16, while Napoli were bidding to go through with a 100 per cent record.
Moving level at the top of our European goalscoring charts ✨
Superb, @MoSalah 👑 pic.twitter.com/mZt2xYEcWw
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 1, 2022
But Mohamed Salah struck for Liverpool with five minutes to go to equal Steven Gerrard’s record of 41 European goals for the club and Darwin Nunez added a second deep in time added on.
Rangers slumped to a sixth defeat from as many group matches – 3-1 at home to Ajax – to finish with the worst-ever Champions League group-stage record.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side ended with no points and a -20 goal difference to take the mantle from Dinamo Zagreb, who lost all six games with a goal difference of -19 in 2011-12.
Ajax, whose third-placed finish secured them a place in the Europa League play-offs, led 2-0 at half-time through Steven Berghuis and Mohammed Kudus.
James Tavernier pulled one back for Rangers with a late penalty after Edson Alvarez’s foul on Rabbi Matondo, but Francisco Conceicao restored Ajax’s two-goal advantage.
Porto clinched top spot in Group B with a 2-1 home win against Atletico Madrid, who finished bottom and missed out on the Europa League play-offs.
Portuguese champions Porto, who had already qualified for the round of 16, led 2-0 at half-time through Mehdi Taremi and Stephen Eustaquio, while Ivan Marcano’s stoppage-time own goal was scant consolation for Atletico.
Bayer Leverkusen edged out Diego Simeone’s side on head-to-head points after a goalless home draw against Bruges, who finished second in the group.
𝐖𝐖𝐖𝐖𝐖𝐖ould you look at that 😍#MiaSanMia #UCL pic.twitter.com/hQuTlerVL0
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) November 1, 2022
Bayern Munich finished with a 100 per cent record in Group C after a 2-0 home win against Inter Milan.
Inter, who had already qualified for the knockout phase in second place behind Bayern, conceded goals in either half from Benjamin Pavard and Eric Choupo-Moting.
Group rivals Barcelona, whose third-placed finish was confirmed last week when they lost 3-0 at home to Bayern, closed with a 4-2 win on the road against bottom club Viktoria Plzen.