Nuno Mendes on Wednesday scored the winning goal within moments of coming on as a second-half substitute as Paris Saint-Germain beat Juventus 2-1 in Turin, but they missed out on top spot in Group H of the UEFA Champions League in dramatic fashion to a rampant SL Benfica.
PSG and Benfica were both through to the last 16 before their final group games and sat level on points having drawn both of their meetings 1-1.
However, PSG’s goal-difference was superior by four, meaning victory in Italy against an already-eliminated Juventus looked set to be enough to secure a theoretically easier tie in Monday’s last-16 draw.
Photo: AFP
Mendes duly netted the decisive goal midway through the second half after Kylian Mbappe’s stunning opener had been canceled out by Leonardo Bonucci.
Yet the biggest drama was unfolding in Israel, where Benfica scored five second-half goals to beat Maccabi Haifa 6-1.
A Goncalo Ramos headed opener for the Portuguese side was canceled out by a Tjaronn Chery penalty in the 26th minute, but Petar Musa put Benfica back ahead just before the hour.
Photo: Reuters
Alex Grimaldo, from a free-kick, and Rafa Silva added further goals before Henrique Araujo made it five in the 88th minute, then Joao Mario sealed a sensational win in the second added minute.
That goal proved crucial — Benfica and PSG finished tied on points, head to head, goal-difference and goals scored.
Benfica topped the group thanks to their greater number of goals scored away from home.
“We have qualified, and we did the job to finish first. It wasn’t to be, but that’s football,” Mbappe told broadcaster Canal Plus. “The last 16 is not for a long time and lots of things can happen between now and then.”
Nevertheless, a PSG side beaten by Real Madrid in the last 16 last season are now exposed to the likes of Bayern Munich, Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City in the draw for the next round.
Meanwhile, Benfica could still face Liverpool, who knocked them out in the quarter-finals last season.
“Congratulations to Benfica for scoring more goals away from home than us,” PSG coach Christophe Galtier said. “We often say that there is nothing rational about the Champions League and we have seen that tonight.”
“There is still a draw to come,” Galtier said. “To go all the way, you need to beat the biggest teams, so we will see what it throws up.”
Galtier gesticulated to his players to push forward in stoppage-time as news filtered through of Benfica’s scoring feats, but it was too late.
Missing the suspended Neymar, they had gone ahead in the 13th minute when Lionel Messi fed Mbappe, who kept going despite having his shirt pulled by Federico Gatti before crashing in a shot from outside the area.
Juve equalized six minutes before the interval when PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma got a fingertip to Juan Cuadrado’s header, but the ball fell for Bonucci to slide in and score.
Portugal fullback Mendes came on for Juan Bernat in the 68th minute and put PSG back in front a minute later, flying down the left to latch onto Mbappe’s pass before firing low into the far corner.
Federico Chiesa then came on for Juventus to make his return after a long spell out with a knee injury, but it was a disappointing night for the two-time European champions.
Manuel Locatelli had a late effort disallowed for offside as Juve took third above Maccabi Haifa on goal-difference and drop into the Europa League.
In Group E, AC Milan reached the knockout stages for the first time in nine years with a 4-0 victory over Salzburg.
Seven-time European champions Milan knew that a point would be enough to send them into the last 16 for the first time since the 2013-2014 season after a group-stage exit last term.
“These kinds of nights is what we wish for,” Milan coach Stefano Pioli told Sky Sport. “We wanted to show we improved compared to last season in the Champions League. We’re ambitious now, so let’s see what happens next.”
Milan qualified in second place behind Chelsea, who came from behind to beat Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 at Stamford Bridge with goals from Raheem Sterling and debutant Denis Zakaria.
In Group F, RB Leipzig qualified by thrashing Shakhtar Donetsk 4-0 in Warsaw.
Holders Real Madrid secured first place in the group by hammering Scottish champions Celtic 5-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
In Group G, Manchester City came from behind to beat Sevilla 3-1 at the Etihad.
Rafa Mir gave the Spaniards the lead, but 17-year-old fullback Rico Lewis fired City level.
Julian Alvarez and Riyad Mahrez sealed all three points for Pep Guardiola’s Premier League champions.
Elsewhere in Group G, Borussia Dortmund were held to a 1-1 draw by Copenhagen.
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