Champions League Matchday 6: The tops and flops

Highlights from sixth week clashes, where Dortmund stun Real with impressive comeback

KARACHI: With the first round of the UEFA Champions League coming to an end, there were some outrageous outcomes on the last match day, which made the headlines, as teams from different countries battled it out to grab one of the few places available in the round of 16 of the Europe’s elite competition.

The Express Tribune will once again look at the best and worse performance  from Tuesday and Wednesday nights with our tops and flops series.

Tops

Ludogorets Razgrad

PFC Ludogorets Natanael reacts at the end of the match against Paris St Germain on December 6, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS

First in the list of tops features Bulgarian club Ludogorets Razgard, who produced the most surprising result on the last match day, as they drew their final group match away against Paris Saint Germain (PSG) 2-2 at Parc des Princes on Tuesday.

Georgi Dermendzhiev’s men would have created more headlines, had they hold on to their two goal lead, but their performance was enough to make sure that Unai Emery’s men would finish second in Group A behind Arsenal.

The star of the show for the visitors was centre-back Igor Plastun, who made some important tackles throughout the night.

Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus celebrates his goal against Real Madrid on December 7, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS

Second in the list of tops features Borussia Dortmund who managed a stunning comeback against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.

Trailing by two goals with less than half-an-hour to go, Dortmund made a stunning comeback, courtesy a late goal by club captain Marco Reus, who came off the bench to secure a famous result for Thomas Tuchel’s side.

The result means that Dortmund will now finish the round at the top of Group F, two points clear of defending champions Real Madrid.

Celtic FC

Celtic's Scott Brown shakes hands with Gary Mackay-Steven as Patrick Roberts looks on after the game against Manchester City on December 6, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS

Last in the list of tops features Celtic, who managed a surprising draw against Premier League club Manchester City at Etihad stadium on Tuesday.

Managed by former Liverpool coach Brendon Rodgers, the Hoops dominated throughout the match, and never let the hosts settle down.

The visitors created 14 chances compared to nine from Pep Guardiola’s men, and had as many as 12 shots on goal compared to nine from the hosts.

However, the result was not enough for Celtic to cement third place in the Group C, which meant that their journey in Europe is finished for this season.

Flops

Real Madrid

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the match against Borussia Dortmund on December 7, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS

The top of the list of flops features Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid, who somehow managed to lose two-goal lead inside the last 30 minutes.

Los Blancos had a mix night, where they led the energetic Dortmund side for most of the match, but lost their intensity after going 2-0 up.

The reigning European champions can count themselves unlucky after Cristiano Ronaldo struck the post late in the second half, and Karim Benzema narrowly missed on a well-deserved hat-trick after Dortmund’s Marco Reus cleared the ball off the line.

But Madrid’s defensive line created a headache for Zidane, who is now looking for a tougher draw after finishing second in the Group F.

Paris Saint Germain

Paris St Germain's Thiago Silva reacts during his match against PFC Ludogorets on December 6, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS

Second in the list of flops features Unai Emery’s PSG, who managed a disappointing draw against Bulgarian side Ludogorets Razgard on Tuesday.

The French Champions’ defensive line had another disappointing night, as they conceded two goals with just two shots on target.

The result means that PSG is now looking for a tougher draw in the second round after finishing second in the group.

Leicester City

Leicester City's Wes Morgan, Ben Chilwell and Harvey Barnes look dejected in a match against FC Porto on December 7, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS

The last in the list of flops features Premier League side Leicester City, who conceded five against Nuno Espirito Santo’s Porto at Estadio do Dragao on Wednesday.

Apart from their horrible display on the back, another disappointing aspect of the Foxes’ game was their attacking performance, as Claudio Ranieri’s men just had three shots on goals, with none on target, whereas the hosts managed 15 shots on goal and nine on target.

However, the result meant little to the group standings, as Leicester still finish the group on top of the group Group G ahead of Porto.