UEFA Champions League roundup: Liverpool into last 16

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Mohamed Salah's delightful first-half strike gave Liverpool a 1-0 win over Napoli that sent them into the Champions League's last 16 and the Italian side crashing out at a tension-filled Anfield on Tuesday.

Liverpool knew that a 1-0 win, or a victory by two goals or more, would be enough to seal a top-two spot in Group C, and Salah was again the hero for the hosts, scoring what proved to be the winner with a magical individual burst in the 34th minute.

Napoli pressed for a leveler in the second half, with Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson denying Arkadiusz Milik in stoppage time with a superb save, but the home side's resolute defense stood firm to the intense relief of the home fans.

Paris St Germain's 4-1 victory at Red Star Belgrade meant they finished top with 11 points while Napoli, who started the day leading the way, exited the competition as Liverpool snatched second spot on goals scored after both teams finished with nine points.

Napoli's Allan (L) vies for possession with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah during the UEFA Champions League Group C match between Liverpool and SSC Napoli at Anfield in Liverpool, United Kingdom, December 11, 2018. /VCG Photo

"I'm still full of good feeling,” Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said. "This game was just amazing, outstanding, and unbelievable. The boys played with their whole heart on the pitch."

"Napoli have gone very close but not quite far enough," Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti said.

"We have no regrets really. The players have done well in such a very difficult group. It would have been a wonderful achievement to qualify. Lots of people did not even think we would take it this far."

PSG trash Red Star

The visitors PSG dominated the first half in Belgrade, and Cavani fired them ahead with a 10th-minute tap-in from close range after Kylian Mbappe raced clear of his marker and squared the ball back to the Uruguay striker.

Kylian Mbappe (C) of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is congratulated by PSG's coach Thomas Tuchel (L) at the end of the European Champions League football match against Crvena Zvezda Belgrade at Rajko-Mitic stadium in Belgarde, Serbia, December 11, 2018. /VCG Photo

Neymar doubled Paris St Germain's lead in the 40th minute with a brilliant individual goal as his shimmies and lightning footwork left several markers flat-footed before the Brazil forward stroked the ball past goalkeeper Milan Borjan.

Roared on by a 55,000 home crowd, Red Star came out with renewed purpose in the second half and pulled one back when defender Marko Gobeljic unleashed a sumptuous volley after a fine cross from the left by full back Milan Rodic.

But PSG weathered the storm and put the game beyond Red Star's reach as Brazilian midfielder Marquinhos buried an unstoppable header past Borjan in the 74th minute and Mbappe completed the rout with a clinical stoppage-time finish.

Guerreiro doubles

For Group A, Borussia Dortmund started the final match day two points behind Atletico Madrid, but by beating Monaco 2-0 away ended tied on 13 points with the Spanish club and took top place based on the head-to-head scores between them.

Raphael Guerreiro of Dortmund runs with the ball during the UEFA Champions League Group A match between AS Monaco and Borussia Dortmund at Stade Louis II in Monaco, December 11, 2018. /VCG Photo

An under-strength BVB deepened AS Monaco's season-long misery with a brace made by Raphael Guerreiro, the first when he tapped in following a fine counter-attack with a quarter of an hour gone and the second two minutes from time when he curled a shot into the top corner from around 10 meters out.

Bruges finished third in the group standings after drawing goalless with the visitors Atletico and will play in the Europa League in the new year.

Other matches

Tottenham Hotspur made it into the last 16 of the Champions League by coming from behind to grab a 1-1 draw at Barcelona on Tuesday which saw them finish second in Group B. Ousmane Dembélé of Barcelona scored the opener at the 7th minute and Lucas Moura of Hotspur saved a point in the last five minutes of normal time.

Same group's Inter Milan didn't have good luck as Icardi helped Italy's side to equalize with PSV Eindhoven 1-1 but still failed into the last 16.

Bundesliga this season's unfortunate Schalke 04 beat Lokomotiv Moscow 1-0 to advance in the next step, while Porto handed host Galatasaray 3-2 to seal the top of Group D.

For the fixtures on Wednesday, there are Ajax vs. Bayern Munich, Benfica vs. AEK, Manchester City vs. Hoffenheim, Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Lyon, Viktoria Plzen vs. Roma, Real Madrid vs. CSKA Moscow, Yong Boys vs. Juventus, and Valencia vs. Manchester United. Except for Lyon, all the other teams of the last 16 stage already came out.

Source(s): Reuters