Champions League Group C update: Match day 5

Barcelona and Manchester City go through to Last 16 in Group C

Celtic and Borussia Mönchengladbach were knocked out of Champions League Group C on Wednesday as Barca and City go through to the Last 16.

Match report

Celtic 0-2 FC Barcelona
Barcelona: Lionel Messi 24, Lionel Messi 56 Pen

Lionel Messi scored both of Barcelona’s goals in their 2-0 win over an inspired Celtic on Wednesday, November 23 at Parkhead, knocking Celtic out of the competition as Barca goes on to compete in the Champions League Round of 16. Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic side fell victim to a fit Barca and an on target Lionel Messi who made sure his titan Spanish La Liga club secured a spot in the Last 16. Rodgers will now continue to try to improve his team without the inspiring challenge provided by the titan clubs playing in the Champions League. The Europa League is denied to his side.

“This was a very difficult section,” said Barcelona coach, Luis Enrique. “It is great to come first with a game to spare.” Barcelona qualified for the Champions League last 16 as group C winners. The draw between Borussia Mönchengladbach and Manchester City determined that Borussia Mönchengladbach is also knocked out of the Champions League this season, and that Man City go through along with Barcelona after David Silva scored the equalizer. Celtic will travel to Manchester City for Group C match-day six. Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers saw improvement in his side in Wednesday’s performance since their loss to Barcelona in September, and he said the experience of playing a titan club was invaluable.

Before the match with Luís Enrique’s Barcelona, Celtic manager Rodgers declared that his players must produce “the game of their lives”, after Barcelona’s 7-0 demolition of Celtic in September. “The team deserves great credit,” said Rodgers. “We weren’t fearful tonight. As a coach you look for improvement. I think this team has made significant improvement. This experience was always going to be invaluable for us.” Lionel Messi was out sick and missed Barca’s draw with Málaga last weekend. Argentinian superstar striker Messi returned for this game after recovering from a stomach bug to score a brace and send Celtic crashing out of Europe. Messi’s opening goal was a gift from a Neymar pass in the 24th minute. Barcelona captain Messi clipped Neymar’s perfect pass home.

Brilliance from Scotland goalie Craig Gordon kept Barça’s advantage at one as he denied Luis Suárez at point-blank range. Celtic lost an injured Scott Sinclair at half time. Sinclair’s replacement James Forrest forged a 53rd-minute chance for Celtic to equalize. Forrest’s cross found the head of Moussa Dembélé, who missed as Marc-André ter Stegen earned a clean sheet with his straightforward save. “Hopefully as time goes on, we learn to take the chances as they come,” Rodgers said after the match. In Barcelona’s next attack Suárez was hauled to the ground in the Celtic area by Emilio Izaguirre with a penalty awarded. Messi stepped forward to take the penalty and missed an opportunity for a hat-trick. “Handbags,” was the Luis Enrique assessment after the match.

Squads

Barcelona
Ter Stegen, Sergi, Mascherano, Pique, Alba, Gomes, Busquets, Rakitic, Messi, Suarez, Neymar. Subs: Cillessen, Arda, Rafinha, Paco, Denis, Digne, Marlon

Celtic
Gordon, Lustig, Izaguirre, Simunovic, Sviatchenko, Brown, Armstrong, Rogic, McGregor, Sinclair, Dembele. Subs: De Vries, Bitton, Toure, Gamboa, Roberts, Forrest, Henderson

Match report

Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-1 Man City
Borussia Mönchengladbach: De Araujo Raffael 23
Manchester City: David Silva 45 +0:15

An impressive Manchester City defeated the German Bundesliga 13th-placed side to go through to the Champions League knockout stage in February and March 2017 with a match to spare after David Silva scored an equalizer right at half-time to earn a draw at Borussia Park after an opening period dominated by Borussia Mönchengladbach on their home turf. Man City boss Pep Guardiola’s side earned a spot in the Last 16 in an somewhat uneventful hard-fought battle against a Borussia Mönchengladbach side reduced to 10 men despite a lack of ruthlessness that Pep had previously identified as a weakness.

“We have qualified with one game left and it’s a big compliment for the team,” said Guardiola. “The sending-off of Fernandinho changed the situation, but we drew and we’re in the next round. These players are so new in Europe and every time we play a game like this we improve. But we are so, so happy tonight.” City’s prospective opponents in the knock-out stage to date include Atlético Madrid, Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Sevilla, Napoli, Benfica, Besiktas, Real Madrid, and Borussia Dortmund.

“All the teams will be really tough,” said Guardiola. “Bayern Munich is like us, in second position. Four years ago the first round of the Champions League was a little bit easier. Today all the teams are so strong and anything can happen. We are going to see. Mönchengladbach’s goal meant City has failed to record a clean sheet in their last 10 Champions League away games. Fernandinho’s foul was committed inside the Mönchengladbach half and with no apparent cause for it, but another second yellow card was shownand the match continued 10 against 10 as Fernandinho was sent off.

Squads

Borussia Mönchengladbach
Sommer, Elvedi, Christensen, Jantschke, Wendt, Dahoud, Strobl, Traore, Stindl, Johnson, Raffael. Subs: Sippel, Vestergaard, Schulz, Benes, Hofmann, Hahn, Rutten.

Manchester City
Bravo, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Stones, Kolarov, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Silva, Jesus Navas, Aguero, Sterling. Subs: Caballero, Sagna, Fernando, Nolito, Sane, Clichy, Iheanacho.

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