Champions League: Man City Beat Shakhtar 6-0, Real Madrid Win 5-0
Here’s a look at the big Champions League matches played on Wednesday.
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It was Manchester's night in the Champions League as United stunned Juventus with late goals and City routed Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo's brilliant goal – a volley from a long pass that dropped into his path over his right shoulder – was set to give Juventus victory against his former club with minutes to play in Turin.
Man United hit back through Juan Mata's free kick and a scrambled own-goal from a cross that bounced into the net off two defenders on the line for a 2-1 win. United boss Jose Mourinho, a former Inter Milan coach, taunted home fans after the final whistle by cupping his right hand to his ear, and was confronted by some Juve players.
Man City's 6-0 win over visiting Shakhtar will be remembered most for a comical penalty kick awarded for Raheem Sterling's fall when kicking the turf in a failed attempt to shoot.
Their wins nicely set up a Manchester derby game in the Premier League on Sunday.
Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Roma also won yet no team joined Barcelona which advanced to the knockout stage on Tuesday after four rounds of group games.
Three-time defending champions Madrid scored four times in the first half at Viktoria Plzen before ending a 5-0 winner for interim coach Santiago Solari.
Robert Lewandowski scored both Bayern's goals in a routine 2-0 win over AEK Athens which have lost four straight matches.
Here's a look at Wednesday's action:
Manchester City Beat Shakhtar Donetsk
Man City's rough week off the field is not affecting smooth progress on it.
The club has been severely criticized in the "Football Leaks" reports by Germany's Der Spiegel magazine. City has been portrayed in internal club documents and emails as ruthlessly run and allegedly prepared to deceive UEFA to avoid a possible Champions League ban for overspending.
City's clinical six-goal beating of Shakhtar means club officials can expect to return to UEFA headquarters in Switzerland on 17 December for the Round of 16 draw.
After David Silva's opening goal, City's second was a gift from the UEFA-appointed referee. Raheem Sterling earned a penalty after he stubbed his left foot, untouched by a defender.
"I just kicked the floor by accident," Sterling said. "I didn't mean to fall over, it was an absolute shambles from my behalf."
Gabriel Jesus scored from the spot then, and again in the second half, then sealed his hat-trick in stoppage time.
City moved three points ahead of Lyon in Group F after the French team wasted a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw against Hoffenheim. The Germans were down to 10 men when Pavel Kaderabek levelled in stoppage time.
Real Madrid Move On
Real Madrid and Roma both won in eastern Europe to remain level on points atop Group G.
Madrid survived an early scare when Czech champion Viktoria Plzen hit the bar, but then scored four goals in a 20-minute span. Karim Benzema scored twice, and Casemiro and Gareth Bale also got goals. Toni Kroos scored in the second half for Madrid.
It's now three straight wins in all competitions for Madrid since coach Julen Lopetegui was fired and Solari took over.
In an early kick-off, Roma won 2-1 at CSKA Moscow to move five points clear of the Russian side.
Lorenzo Pellegrini scored the winning goal in the 59th, soon after CSKA had Iceland defender Hordur Magnusson sent off.
Classic Group
The Group E table has a 1970s feel with Bayern Munich and Ajax looking good to advance. The teams each won a hat-trick of European Cup titles from 1971 to 1976.
Bayern have a two-point lead over Ajax, which drew 1-1 at Benfica, and both could advance before they meet in Amsterdam on 12 December.
Ajax next travel to Athens to play AEK, which is one of only two teams with zero points along with Group D's Lokomotiv Moscow.
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