UEFA Champions League groups A to D concluded on Wednesday morning Australian time. In group D, first-placed Borussia Dortmund and second-placed Real Madrid made the round of 16.
Despite losing 4-1 to Madrid on the final match day, Ajax Amsterdam will proceed to the Europa League. Manchester City lost 1-0 to Dortmund and find themselves in last position.
For the final round of matches Ajax travelled to Real Madrid while Manchester City travelled to Borussia Dortmund, with both travelling teams fighting for a position in the Europa League.
Madrid’s manager Mourinho and Dortmund’s Klopp rested some key players from their squads. Ajax played their strongest eleven, unchanged from their 3-1 league victory over PSV.
City left top scorer Sergio Aguero on the bench with his position filled by Scott Sinclair at the start of the mach.
Madrid were denied goals in the seventh and tenth minute by the linesman’s flag and the goal post respectively.
Ronaldo was not to be denied in the 13th minute, however, when Benzema ran behind the Ajax defenders to pick out a cross from Modric. Benzema squared the ball across to Ronaldo, who fired the ball into the back of the net.
Madrid added a second goal in the 28th minute after Modric sent a long ball through for Callejon who tapped in the shot off the right post.
While Madrid dominated their match from early on, Dortmund and City’s match started more evenly. Slowly Dortmund seemed to take control of the match, and had a number of shots on goal.
Dortmund’s best chance was Marco Reus’ 36th minute shot that rebounded off the post, but Reus and Dortmund failed to convert their chances, and ended the first half 0-0.
In the first half Ajax did not defend efficiently enough against Madrid, and had trouble connecting their midfield and forwards together for an affective attack. City was having better possession that Dortmund, but was also struggling in attack.
As the results stood at half time both City and Ajax would find themselves with four points. With a better head to head against City thanks to their victory and draw, Ajax would proceed through to the Europa League.
Madrid’s domination continued at the start of the second half, as Kaka powered a 49th minute shot straight past the unmoving Vermeer in the Ajax goals.
As Manchester City attempted to win their game, Manicini substituted Aguero on in the 57th minute. Unfortunately for the Citizens, Julian Schieber scored for Dortmund seconds later.
A cross from substitute Blaszczykowski found the sliding Schieber, who found the back of Joe Hart’s net.
Ajax managed a goal themselves in the 59th minute when the Madrid keeper came off his line to punch a header away. The ball fell to the feet of Derk Boerrigter who knocked the ball into the open goal.
Madrid added a fourth in the 88th minute when the head of unmarked Callejon was found by a Morata cross, and the ball found itself once again in the back of Vermeer’s goal.
Dortmund continued to pressure City as they had a number of good chances before the final whistle, but the score was to remain at 1-0.
Ajax is now the only Dutch club left in European competition as they continue their campaign in the Europa League.
In the other matches PSG defeated Porto 2-1 to place first in group A. The Parisians will be joined by the Portuguese in the round-of-16. Dinamo Zagreb drew 1-1 at home to Dynamo Kyiv to earn their first point of the group, and Kyiv will continue in the Europa League.
Schalke won top spot in group B with a 1-1 draw away to Montpellier. Arsenal was already through to the round-of-16, but lost 2-1 away to Olympiacos. The Greeks place third and go through to the Europa League.
Zenit defeated AC Milan 0-1 at the San Siro to earn a Europa League place. Despite drawing 2-2 with Anderlecht, Malaga topped group C and will continue through in the Champions League with Milan.
Groups E to H will conclude on Thursday morning. In group E Chelsea and Juventus will be playing for second position when they face Nordsjaelland and Shakhtar respectively.
Benfica and Celtic will be fighting for the same in group G when they verse Barcelona and Spartak Moscow.
Freddie
Guest
So? We live in a more globalised world today. Fans of major clubs don't really care where players come from so long as they win. Liverpool won the European Cup with an all-British side. Inter won it with only one Italian. Ppl here are way too hung up on nationality. Even Barcelona had seven players who were non-Spanish in their squad of 18 for the 2011 UCL Final v ManU
David V.
Guest
A few years ago, Liverpool had more Spaniards starting than Real Madrid. Sure enough, movement of players across the globe existed but never as it is now. And when Real Madrid won their 6th in 1966, it was an all-homegrown side, the next generation mentored successfully by Puskas, Di Stefano, Santamaria etc.
Freddie
Guest
It concerns me as much as it concerns you. I'm no fan of billionaire owners either. My only point here is that English clubs (especially City and Chelsea) cop all the flak for the modern trend. I'm just trying to illustrate that other clubs around Europe do it just as much, but don't get half the bad publicity. Real Madrid spent millions on galacticos as long as a decade ago, yet no-one batted an eyelid. Does that make their buying up of all the worlds top talent right? Not in my book. And they've been doing it for decades. If anything, Chelsea and City's template shows that at least clubs from outside the elite can find a way to compete. We may not like the process, but it has stopped the Champions League from becoming a procession of the same old clubs sharing the trophy around. Final point - if the big clubs such as Real, United etc hadn't got so rich on the back of the Champions League millions in the first place, then clubs like City and Chelsea wouldn't have necessarily had to go out and find a sugar daddy to compete. UEFA should look at a fairer redistribution of their own vast wealth earned via the UCL rather than penalising middling clubs who are trying to compete from an unfair starting point.
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
I could never enjoy Chelsea winning anything,i was happy to see Man City win the league last season the last day of the premiership was one the greatest sporting moments in history.The influx of billionares into football concerns me though,if it doesn't concern you thats fine.Maybe the cowboys that were at the helm at Liverpool a few years back has tarnished my view on that somewhat.
Freddie
Guest
Good. You're learning!
Freddie
Guest
The chip is yours my friend - the size of a brick. If you enjoy smaller clubs beating bigger ones, then you must have loved Chelsea defeating Bayern, because according to your logic, small clubs like Chelsea are only competitive due to money.
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
Chelsea had won one league title before Roman came on the scene and how many had Man City won again?.Get that chip off your shoulder about Australian football fans disliking English football,i've supported Liverpool since i was six years old(though my local side Perth Glory takes more importance now).I take great glee in seeing big clubs knocked off by the smaller clubs doesn't matter if those big clubs are from England,Spain or Italy.
Justin Cormick
Roar Guru
Its good because I'm an Ajax fan
Freddie
Guest
Why is it good Justin? Who's to say what is right and wrong policy? Pro football is not just about developng players, as worthy as that may be perceived to be. In the hard-nosed world of European football, fans demand success. Ask Chelsea fans if they'd swap the European Cup last year for a pat on the back for producing a good young English player? That's the problem with a lot of ppl here in Australia, they don't understand the tribalism and intensity of supporting a club. They prefer to sit on the sidelines and complain about youth development, cultures and philosophies, thinking they are somehow taking some sort of moral high ground.
Freddie
Guest
Yes Brick Tamlin, they did. All the way back to the 1960s, when strangely enough, Real Madrid bought players form overseas to help them win the Champions Cup. Look at their team in the early days of the competition. In the famous 1960 final (v Eintracht) they had five foreigners! And what has having English parentage to do with being Anglophobic? Many people here just swallow this stuff about English football because its preached on a regular basis by some in the media. English clubs like City and Chelsea spend big for sure. But do you honestly think Spanish/Italian clubs don't do it too? Inter had only one Italian (Materazzi) in their UCL winning team a year or two back.
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
btw Freddie i think Real Madrid had already left a massive footprint in the world of football loooong before people were buying titles,not so sure about Chelsea and Man City.
Justin Cormick
Roar Guru
Yeah it is good to see a club that spends millions of dollars in building a squad knocked out of Europe, while Ajax, a club famous for its youth system will continue, even if it is only in the Europa league.
k77sujith
Guest
Mancini has a poor track record in Europe..and despie having a good set of players, he continues to crack the code in Europe...
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
My Fathers English and my Mothers Australian so Anglophobic i am not.
Freddie
Guest
But racking up debts (like the Spanish clubs do) equivalent to a 3rd world country's GDP is just fine? A team of Galacticos is ok so long as its Madrid and not Manchester? Some of you need to get the Anglophobic blinkers off. (And the Russian billionaire dollars DID actually help win the Champions League last season - well worth it, just to see the misery on Platini's face.)
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
And Russian Billionare dollars to boot.
AndyMack
Guest
Happy to see that Middle-East petro-dollars doesn't equate to world success (or at least Euro-Success).....