Bayern don't give Barcelona a chance - Frankfurt sets an exclamation mark

Bayern Munich celebrated their fifth win in the fifth group game of the Champions League at FC Barcelona. The Bayern goals in the 3-0 (2-0) were scored by Sadio Mané (10'), Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (31') and Benjamin Pavard (90'). "If you want to play for the Champions League title, then you always have to send signals. Inside and outside,” said Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann, whose team had already qualified for the round of 16 before the game.

FC Barcelona and world footballer Robert Lewandowski, on the other hand, will only play in the Europa League in the new year. Due to group opponents Inter Milan beating Viktoria Pilsen 4-0 (2-0), the Catalans had no chance of qualifying for the round of 16 of the Champions League before the duel against FC Bayern on Wednesday.

Former Wolfsburg Bundesliga professional Edin Dzeko (42nd minute/66th), ex-Dortmunder Henrikh Mkhitaryan (35th) and Belgium's top striker Romelu Lukaku (87th) scored for the well-deserved victory.

More to come.

Europa League winner Eintracht Frankfurt has averted the premature end of the Champions League and can even dream of winning the group after a feat of strength. The Hessians defeated the French football club Olympique Marseille 2-1 (2-1) on Wednesday evening and have progress in the group finals next week in their own hands. Daichi Kamada (3rd minute) and striker Randal Kolo Muani (27th) scored in front of 48,700 spectators - including national coach Hansi Flick - for the Hessians, who are currently in excellent shape.

Even the interim equalizer by Matteo Guendouzi (22nd) did not stop the team of head coach Oliver Glasner. Because Tottenham drew 1-1 against Sporting Lisbon at the same time, anything from first to fourth place is possible next Tuesday (9 p.m.). If Eintracht wins in Portugal, they will remain in the premier class. In the event of a defeat, there is still a risk of fourth place and thus the complete end of Europe. So there could be complicated arithmetic games in group D. Against Marseille, the SGE managed to score the maximum of six points in two games.

The Frankfurters started at full steam and had a dream and lightning start. After just 180 seconds, the fourth-placed Bundesliga player quickly took the lead. A cross pass from Evan Ndicka landed at Kamada, who shot in low from 14 meters. With committed pre-pressing, the hosts initially kept the French away from their own penalty area. In the 11th minute, carelessness in Eintracht's defense by debutant Hrvoje Smolcic in the center was almost punished: Jonathan Clauss shot well wide of the left post from the edge of the penalty area from a completely free stand.

After the moment of shock, it was Mario Götze (15') who almost made it 2-0 after a cross from Jesper Lindström, but his header just missed the right post. National coach Flick should not only have liked this action in the 50th Champions League game of the 30-year-old world champion from 2014. Just four minutes later, Christopher Lenz had the second big chance, but his shot from close range was blocked by Olympique goalkeeper Pau López with a foot reflex.

Out of nowhere came Guendouzi's 1-1 equalizer in the 22nd minute, who shot the ball into the goal after a precise cross in the six-yard box. Unfazed by this, the hosts continued to steer their offensive course and took the lead again through Kolo Muani after a clever one-two with Götze. It would not have been amiss for the French to equalize just before half-time, but national goalkeeper Kevin Trapp saved the ball with a diving dive.

In a hectic and hard-fought second half, Marseille almost equalized in the 57th minute. Alexis Sanchez got the ball after a pass from Leonardo Balerdi, but his chip over Trapp went just wide of the left crossbar. After that, the deserved success was no longer in danger.

After the terrible riots on September 13 in Marseille, when fans of both clubs fired flares at each other during the game and a Eintracht fan was seriously injured, there were no incidents at Deutsche Bank Park. Just before kick-off, pyrotechnics were ignited in both fan blocks. Around 2,000 guest fans had traveled from Marseille.

Bayer Leverkusen has been eliminated from the Champions League and, after a draw at Atlético Madrid, is facing the complete elimination of the European Cup. Despite leading twice, coach Xabi Alonso's team couldn't get past a 2-2 (2-1) win in the Spanish capital on Wednesday evening. Crisis team Leverkusen is bottom of the table in Group B before the final day of the game and has to hope for a blunder from Atlético in order to at least be able to reach third place and the intermediate round of the Europa League. Bayer goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky saved a late penalty in dramatic moments after the final whistle.

Moussa Diaby made it 1-0 for Bayer 04 in the 9th minute of a fast-paced encounter, Callum Hudson-Odoi (29') scored the second goal for Leverkusen. However, Yannick Carrasco (22nd) and Rodrigo De Paul (50th) equalized twice for Atlético. The Champions League round of 16 was no longer within reach for Leverkusen even before kick-off because FC Porto had won 4-0 at FC Bruges in the early game of the group. Atlético missed the knockout round of the premier class with the draw.

How to go into a game when the big goal can no longer be reached? Bayer initially answered this question with an early goal. Diaby scored after Robert Andrich had won an important tackle against Antoine Griezmann near the Atlético penalty area. Xabi Alonso clenched both hands into fists in his coaching zone.

Ángel Correa tested Bayer goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky (13') shortly afterwards and it was clear that Leverkusen had a lot of work to do. The team of coach Diego Simeone, who is revered at Atlético, continued to lose the ball and weakened on the defensive. The quick combination in the Bayer penalty area was enough for Carrasco to equalize 1-1 in the meantime.

It spoke for Xabi Alonso's team that they were not discouraged again. A long-range shot by Nadiem Amiri shortly after the equalizer went just wide of the target (23'). Then Hudson-Odoi, who formed the offensive together with Diaby and Adam Hlozek, scored after work from Amiri. Another shot by Hudson-Odoi before the break was no problem for Atlético goalkeeper Jan Oblak (39'), Diaby's attempt against a partially diffuse Madrid defense went over the goal (44').

Simeone was not at all happy, in the second half the 52-year-old eliminated Correa and Mario Hermoso, but the one-time prodigy João Félix remained on the bench until the end. De Paul, who came on for Correa, thanked him for the trust after a few minutes and brought Atlético back into the game with his goal. Again the Bayer defense seemed too sluggish.

The game remained open – and entertaining for the fans. Both teams repeatedly made mistakes in the build-up of the game, which led to counterattacks. Hradecky was on hand against Antoine Griezmann (58') and Carrasco (59'). Xabi Alonso then made a double change, goalscorer Hudson-Odoi came on for Amine Adli and Edmond Tapsoba for Jonathan Tah. With the Champions League in sight, the hosts were much closer to scoring the third goal in a row. But Bayer also had chances like Paulinho, who failed at Oblak (82nd).