Liverpool and Ajax on Wednesday extended their perfect winning records in the UEFA Champions League to advance into the round of 16, which is starting to take a 1970s throwback look.
Liverpool cruised past Atletico Madrid 2-0 at Anfield, while Ajax hit 10-man Borussia Dortmund with late goals in a 3-1 come-from-behind win in Germany.
The four teams with four straight wins — after Bayern Munich and Juventus sealed their places on Tuesday — have already given the knockout lineup a nostalgic feel.
Photo: AP
Ajax, Bayern and Liverpool combined to win all eight European Cup titles from 1971 to 1978.
Liverpool had never opened a Champions League group stage with four wins, although they were rarely troubled against Atletico in Group B after Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane scored in the first 21 minutes.
Atletico dropped to third in the group behind Porto, who were held to a 1-1 draw against AC Milan.
Photo: AP
Ajax are having a standout Champions League campaign after being ignored by the Super League founders from England, Italy and Spain when they lined up their ill-fated project several months ago.
The Dutch champions made it back-to-back wins over Dortmund, who had veteran defender Mats Hummels sent off in the first half.
Dortmund trail Ajax by six points in Group C with two rounds left, level on points with Portugal’s Sporting, who routed Besiktas 4-0 and host the German side next on Nov. 24.
Photo: Reuters
Real Madrid and Inter — two of the 12 Super League clubs — have taken control of Group D from upstart Sheriff Tiraspol after important wins.
Karim Benzema’s goals ensured Madrid beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 and lead the standings by two points from Inter.
The Italian champions made it two straight wins over Sheriff, 3-1 away against the champions of Moldova.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Manchester City overpowered Club Brugge 4-1 and were rewarded with top spot in Group A after late drama in the game between RB Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain that ended in a 2-2 draw.
A PSG team missing the injured Lionel Messi rallied from an early Leipzig surge to lead at halftime through two goals by Georgino Wijnaldum, but dropped points after a stoppage-time penalty by Leipzig substitute Dominik Szoboszlai.
City took a one-point lead over PSG before they meet in Manchester in three weeks’ time.
Raheem Sterling ended his scoring drought as Manchester City netted three second-half goals.
Phil Foden gave Pep Guardiola’s side an early lead in the Group A game at the Etihad Stadium, but a bizarre own-goal from John Stones pulled the visitors level in the 17th minute.
City then pulled away after the break through goals from Riyad Mahrez, Sterling and Gabriel Jesus to go top of the group.
The result meant City, who reached the final last year, only need a point from their final two group games to return to the knockout stages.
The hosts controlled most of the possession and Foden and Bernardo Silva both had early chances.
City then took the lead after Joao Cancelo hit the post with a neat effort and Foden was also denied.
City kept the ball alive and eventually broke through when Cancelo was played through by Mahrez and his cross was tapped in by Foden.
Brugge replied quickly as Hans Vanaken forced a fine save from Ederson from the edge of the area. The ball was quickly crossed back in and Silva’s hasty clearance caught Stones in the face and rebounded into his own goal.
However, City remained the stronger side. Ilkay Gundogan went close in the latter stages of the first half and they increased the tempo in the second period.
Cancelo fired narrowly over the bar and Stones headed at former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
De Ketelaere threatened again for Brugge, but City made their next chance count as Mahrez headed home from a Cancelo cross in the 54th minute.
Gundogan then controlled and shot just over before providing the cross for Sterling to tap in City’s third in the 72nd minute.
The England forward did not celebrate his first goal City goal since August, perhaps out of relief after a difficult spell in and out of the side, but was congratulated by all of his outfield teammates.
Jesus then completed the scoring with the last kick of the game.
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