UEFA Champions League 2014-15 Results & Highlights: Manchester City Advances Defeating AS Roma, Luis Suarez Scores 1st Goal at Camp Nou
English Premier League (EPL) champions Manchester City managed to move on to the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League tournament, defeating Serie A champs AS Roma at Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday.
In a match that pretty much amounted to a "win or go home" situation and playing without Yaya Toure (suspension), team captain Vincent Kompany (injury) and EPL leading scorer Sergio Aguero, Manchester City showed great resiliency. Samir Nasri scored a spectacular goal, rocketing Gael Clichy's pass past Roma keeper Morgan De Sanctis to put Man City up 1-0 in the 60th minute. Argentine defender Pablo Zabaleta sealed the deal for Manchester City by managing to capitalize on Nasri's pass. Nasri drew the Roma defenders to score Manchester City's second goal of the day in the 86th minute for the 2-0 win.
"Before the game, I spoke with the players and I told them I thought we played the worst game of the season against Roma in Manchester," said Manchester City coach Manuel Pellegrini. "We were sure that, by playing the way we have been in the last few weeks, we could win and we did."
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With the victory in Rome, Manchester City finishes second in the Group E standings while Roma will play in the UEFA Europa League tournament after finishing third in the standings. Bundesliga champs Bayern Munich, who had a trip to the Round of 16 already locked up as the top team in Group E going into their game against CSKA Moscow, defeated the Russian Premier League champions 3-0 with goals by Sebastian Rode, Mario Götze and Thomas Muller to end Moscow's run in the tournament.
Barcelona vs Paris Saint-Germain
While both Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Barcelona had already qualified into the Round of 16 going into their match on Wednesday, Barca wanted revenge for the only loss they suffered in the Group Stage of the tournament as well as advancing as Group F leader. Zlatan Ibrahimovic put PSG ahead early getting Blaise Matuidi's pass past Barcelona keeper Marc-André ter Stegen in the 15th minute. But Lionel Messi would respond four minutes later, scoring his 75th career Champions League to stay three ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo on the tournament's all-time scorers list. Neymar and Luis Suarez -- scoring his first goal in front of Barcelona's home crowd since his transfer from Liverpool -- helped the Catalonia club defeat PSG 3-1 and take the top spot in Group F.
"We had chances to equalise but we didn't quite manage it and when you are up against players like Messi, Neymar and (Andres) Iniesta, they will punish you," said PSG coach Laurent Blanc.
Ajax Amsterdam vs APOEL Nicosia
Ajax Amsterdam took third place in Group F after hammering APOEL Nicosia 4-0, preventing the Cyprus champion from qualifying into the Europa League tourney.
Bundesliga club Schalke 04 defeated Slovenian champion NK Maribor, 1-0, on the road at Ljudski Vrt to qualify into the Round of 16. Maximilian Meyer punished Maribor keeper Jasmin Handanovic by putting the ball into the net after the goalie punched Marco Hoger's shot-on-goal away but was caught out of position.
Schalke got help from Group G leader Chelsea, who pummeled Primeira Liga club Sporting Lisbon 3-1 thanks to goals by Cesc Fabregas, John Obi Mikel and André Schurrle, sending the Portuguese club off to play in the Europa League tournament.
Chelsea is wary of the road ahead despite the current EPL leader playing lights out in both domestic action and the Champions League tournament.
"We don't fear anybody, but we know there are very good, strong teams in this competition," said Chelsea head coach Jose Mourinho after the match. "Last year we were close and we didn't have the team playing at such a high level as we do this season, so we can dream we will do it. But let's see if the sharks let us, because there are a few sharks in the ocean."
Group H Primeira Liga club FC Porto and second-place team Ukranian champion Shakhtar Donetsk round out the the clubs heading into the next round of the tournament, playing to a 1-1 draw at Estádio do Dragão while La Liga squad Athletic Bilbao locked up a Europa League berth at home by beating Belarus' champion BATE Borisov at San Mamés Stadium Wednesday night.
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