Barcelona claim Champions League last-16 spot, but its the playoffs for PSG

Barcelona leap into Champions League automatic qualifying positions with triumph successful Copenhagen, but PSG look playoffs.

Barcelona stormed ‌back successful the 2nd fractional to assertion a 4-1 triumph implicit Copenhagen astatine the Camp ‍Nou, sealing ‍a top-eight decorativeness and nonstop qualification for the past 16 of the Champions League.

Goals from Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Marcus Rashford connected Wednesday ensured the Catalans finished 5th successful the standings connected 16 points, level with Manchester City, Chelsea and Sporting but up connected extremity difference.

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Copenhagen shocked ⁠the hosts aboriginal erstwhile 17-year-old Viktor Dadason slotted the opener past Joan Garcia successful the 4th minute, but ​the 2nd fractional began with a Barcelona fightback.

Yamal acceptable up Lewandowski to equalise successful ‍the 48th minute, earlier scoring himself successful the 60th with a deflected effort that near Copenhagen keeper Dominik Kotarski helpless. Raphinha made it 3-1 from the punishment spot aft Lewandowski was fouled, and Rashford added a 4th with a escaped footwear ‍in the 85th minute.

“We ⁠all came present contiguous reasoning astir getting into the apical eight. We’re precise blessed with the win,” 18-year-old Yamal told Movistar Plus.

“When you concede a extremity successful the Champions League, it’s precise hard to travel back, but the squad was precise resilient and managed to crook it around. With the fig of matches we play successful a season, having 2 less matches leaves you feeling overmuch better.”

Despite the comfy last result, Barcelona endured a frustrating archetypal half, during which Copenhagen took ​a daze lead.

Dadason stunned the location assemblage aft Mohamed Elyounoussi delivered a ‌defence-splitting pass, allowing Dadason to outrun Barca’s precocious antiaircraft enactment earlier rifling a debased changeable past keeper Garcia.

Clearly unsettled, Barcelona were wasteful successful onslaught during the opening 45 minutes. Raphinha and Lewandowski spurned opportunities to equalise, portion Eric Garcia came closest to levelling ‌when his driven effort struck the crossbar successful the 33rd minute.

The 2nd half, however, saw a wholly transformed Barcelona.

Barely 3 minutes aft the restart, Yamal burst guardant ‌on a counterattack, darting past Copenhagen defenders earlier unselfishly squaring the ⁠ball for Lewandowski to slot into an bare net.

The hosts seized power and upped the tempo, pinning Copenhagen heavy wrong their ain half, and Barca took the pb connected the hr people done Yamal, whose deflected changeable from wrong the container looped implicit a ‌stranded Kotarski and nestled into the acold corner.

Raphinha made it 3-1 from the punishment spot successful the 69th infinitesimal aft Lewandowski was brought down wrong the country portion attempting to shoot, and substitute Rashford wrapped up ‍the scoring.

Although Barcelona delivered a objective attacking display, questions stay astir their antiaircraft organisation. They completed the league signifier without a cleanable expanse and finished with the worst defence among the apical 13 teams.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele has his punishment saved by Newcastle United’s Nick Pope [Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters]

Dembele’s punishment miss costs PSG successful 1-1 gully with Newcastle

Ballon d’Or victor Ousmane Dembele had a nighttime to forget, missing an aboriginal punishment and a aureate accidental from adjacent scope arsenic defending champion Paris Saint-Germain drew 1-1 with Newcastle successful the Champions League.

The gully meant some sides finished retired of the apical 8 places successful the league array and failed to suffice automatically for the past 16. They volition participate the playoffs instead.

PSG was awarded an aboriginal punishment erstwhile Bradley Barcola got down the defence down the near helping with little than 1 infinitesimal played. The shot deed Barcola’s limb pursuing a tackle from a defender coming across, and past flew onto the limb of Lewis Miley close down him.

Miley seemed unsighted, and the handball appeared accidental, but referee Slavko Vincic awarded the spot footwear pursuing a abbreviated video review.

Dembele aimed for the bottommost close corner, but goalkeeper Nick Pope made a superb save. Pope was beaten successful the eighth infinitesimal erstwhile Vitinha curled a changeable into the aforesaid country aft being acceptable up by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia connected the borderline of the punishment area.

Dembele, who scored 35 goals wide past season, scooped the shot good implicit the crossbar from 10 metres retired successful the 40th infinitesimal erstwhile gathering a transverse from the left.

Joe Willock equalised for the visitors successful first-half stoppage time, and substitute Harvey Barnes missed a accidental to triumph it for the visitors with moments left.