Leicester City’s transformation in to a top flight club continued last night as they defied the odds to qualify for the knockout stage of the Champions League with a game in hand. They brushed aside Club Brugge last night winning 2-1 at the King Power stadium thanks to goals from Ozaki and Mahrez, and the three points guaranteed their status as Group G winners on 13 points. They still have Porto to play on the 7th December but, the Portuguese club are their nearest rivals on eight points and they need to win against Leicester or hope that FC Copenhagen on six points fail to beat Club Brugge if they are going to qualify for the knockout stage as group runners up.
Spurs were knocked out of the Champions League last night as they lost 2-1 at Group E leaders Monaco, who now top the group on 11 points ahead of Bayern Leverkusen on seven points and Spurs on four points. The German clubs earlier 1-1 draw at CSK Moscow was enough to guarantee their qualification in second place regardless of the final Group stage match results on the 6th and 7th December, and all Spurs can hope for now is Europa League qualification as long as they finish third in their group.
Elsewhere the match of the night from an entertainment perspective was in Group F between Borussia Dortmund and Legia Warsaw, which produced a 12 goal thriller and an 8-4 win in the end for Dortmund, who now top the group on 13 points ahead of Real Madrid on 11 points. The two giants of European football will now face each other on the 7th December at the Westfalenstadion to determine who wins Group F and who will be the runner up.
Juventus guaranteed their qualification from Group H after a battling come from behind 3-1win at Sevilla and the Italian giants now top the group on 11 points, a point ahead of Sevilla. Juventus should have no trouble winning their last group game against Zagreb at home on the 7th December, while Sevilla face a tough trip to Lyon the same day in a straight forward shoot out for who will finish second and qualify for the knockout stage. A draw would be enough for Sevilla while a win for Lyon will put them level on 10 points and it will then come down to goal difference as they would have an identical record of W3 D1 L2.
Tonight’s Champions League action involves home hopes Arsenal, who have already qualified for the knockout stage along with PSG and Manchester City, who can guarantee their qualification tonight from Group C. Arsenal face PSG at the Emirates in a straight forward shout out to determine who wins Group A and City travel to Germany to face Borussia Monchengladbach.
