Champions League LIVE SCORES: Liverpool CONFIRM place in Last 16, Barcelona BEAT Benfica 5-4 in thriller – updates
LIVERPOOL have confirmed their place in the Champions League Last 16 after beating Lille 2-1.
The Reds made it seven wins out of seven with the victory over Lille to reach 21 points and guarantee automatic progression.
Liverpool can still be caught for the top spot though in the final matchround - after second-placed Barcelona defeated Benfica 5-4 in incident-packed classic.
While Aston Villa blew their chance to all-but confirm their Last 16 place after losing 1-0 at Monaco.
- Start times: 5.45pm/ 8pm
- Live stream: discovery+/ Amazon Prime Video
- TV channel: TNT Sports/ Amazon Prime Video
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23 - GOAL! BENFICA 2-1 Barcelona
What a calamity for Barcelona at the back! An absolute horror show for Wojciech Szczęsny!
Otamendi floats a ball over the top of the Barca high line again and Szczęsny comes racing out his goal, 35 yards from goal and clatters into Balde, with no communication whatsoever.
The ball stops dead for VANGELIS PAVLIDIS, who has a simple task to run into the empty net for his and Benfica's second of the night!
Latest scores
Midway through the first half, here's the latest scores across the Champions League.
- Atletico Madrid 0-0 Leverkusen
- Benfica 1-1 Barcelona
- Bologna 0-1 Dortmund
- Club Brugge 0-0 Juventus
- Liverpool 0-0 Lille
- Red Star 0-1 PSV
- Slovan Bratislava 0-1 Stuttgart
21 - Liverpool 0-0 Lille
Still goalless at Anfield but nearly a breakthrough there.
Salah darts beyond his man inside the box but instead of going for goal, he looks for Diaz but the pass is just overhit.
17 - GOAL! Red Star 0-1 PSV
LUUK DE JONG breaks the deadlock in this one and you won't see a simpler goal scored.
A corner from the right, out-swinging to the penalty spot and De Jong is there, unmarked with a peach of a header into the top corner.
His first goal in the Champions League this season!
13 - GOAL! Bologna 0-1 DORTMUND
SERHOU GUIRASSY opens the scoring from the penalty spot - and in cheeky fashion!
He dinks a Panenka and the keeper scrambling along his line manages to get a slight touch to it but can't keep it out. Heart in mouth stuff for a second but it looks good when it comes off.
13 - GOAL! Benfica 1-1 BARCELONA
ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI equalises from the spot for Barca!
Balde is caught on the top of the foot when running inside the area and the veteran Polish marksman steps up with his typical staggered run-up before side-footing into the corner.
12 - GOAL! Slovan Bratislava 0-1 Stuttgart
JAMIE LEWELING puts the German side in front!
It's a nicely worked goal too as Undav gets on the end of a clever flick in behind the Slovan defence to break into the box. He flashes it across goal for Leweling who calmly lifts the ball over Takac in the Slovan goal.
7 - Liverpool 0-0 Lille
First real chance for the home side to attack down the right.
It's worked to Mo Salah with teammates charging into the box to support. He cuts inside and whips a cross towards the far post but nobody can get a touch and the keeper comes out to claim.
2 - GOAL! BENFICA 1-0 Barcelona
The perfect start for the Portuguese side and VANGELIS PAVLIDIS scores it!
Barcelona are playing a very high line and a long, cross-field switch over the top of Kounde finds Carreras charging down the left.
He fires the ball across goal and Pavlidis is there to SMASH into the roof of the net from seven yards out!
KICK-OFF!
Here we go then across the continent on a big night of Champions League action!
- Atletico Madrid vs Leverkusen
- Benfica vs Barcelona
- Bologna vs Dortmund
- Club Brugge vs Juventus
- Liverpool vs Lille
- Red Star vs PSV
- Slovan Bratislava vs Stuttgart
Full time from Graeme Bryce in Monaco
Aston Villa discovered the hard way.
The last place in the world you can afford to be poor is Monte Carlo!
Unai Emery brought his Premier stars to the millionaires playground in the South of France.
But in front of watching royalty - Villa fan Prince William - his side performed like paupers!
Wilfried Singo's first half header was enough to sink Villa who had 82 minutes to put things right but never came close.
They trudged off at the end, deservedly beaten by Monaco's energetic kids.
Quite simply, Villa ran out of ideas like a gambler who has run out of chips at Monte Carlo's famous Casino.
From Ken Lawrence ahead of Liverpool vs Lille
Liverpool are going for history against their Ligue 1 opponents. If Arne Slot’s side get 36 minutes into their clash with Lille undamaged they will set a new club record beating the 572 set under Rafa Benitez without conceding a goal in season 2005-06 as Miracle of Istanbul Champions League holders.
They go into tonight’s clash also aiming for a best-ever run of seven wins in a row in the new format of the European Cup matching the sequence of the 2021-22 campaign.
Thomas Frank said they were the best team in the world after the weekend 2 – 0 win over his Brentford team.
With Mo Salah going for his 50th European goal for the Reds who also rule the Prem and the Champions League he may well be right.
Champions League results and fixtures
- Atalanta 5-0 Sturm Graz FT
- Monaco 1-0 Aston Villa FT
- Atletico Madrid vs Leverkusen
- Benfica vs Barcelona
- Bologna vs Dortmund
- Club Brugge vs Juventus
- Liverpool vs Lille
- Red Star vs PSV
- Slovan Bratislava vs Stuttgart
FULL TIME!
A hugely disappointing night for Aston Villa who blow their big chance to all-but secure a top eight spot.
Monaco 1-0 Aston Villa
90+5 - GOAL! ATALANTA 5-0 Sturm Graz
And they even leave time to score a fifth - MARCO BRESCIANINI with it!
But it's all about Lookman, who collects the ball in front of the dugouts and beats FIVE challenges in driving to the edge of the box.
He unselfishly finds Brescianini who gets the rub of the green with more abysmal defending and he's all alone a few yards out to roll it by the keeper.
90 - GOAL! ATALANTA 4-0 Sturm Graz
A fourth goal to cap off a great night for Atalanta and it's ADEMOLA LOOKMAN who has it!
It's all a bit too easy too, despite Sturm Graz defending on the edge of their own area.
It again comes from the right and a delightful clipped cross to the back post finds Lookman under no pressure and he heads home from a yard out or so.
Latest scores
Heading into the closing stages of tonight's early games:
- Atalanta 3-0 Sturm Graz
- Monaco 1-0 Aston Villa
From Graeme Bryce in Monaco
Prince William is here we can confirm!
Sadly for HRH Villa are not putting in a Royal Command performance!
Morgan Rogers came close with a shot from just inside the box with the outside of his boot.
But Monaco remain dangerous and Akliouche had the ball in the net - only to be judged offside.
A goal then and there would have been no way back for Emery's men.
The Spaniard has seen enough and sends on Jhon Duran for Bailey to pair the Colombian up with Watkins up front.
74 - Monaco 1-0 Aston Villa
The camera pans to Unai Emery who looks so frustrated at what he's watching.
They've created a couple of half decent chances in this second half but nothing glaring so far. Monaco now happy to sit in and quite content to waste time.
Prince William a famous spectator urging on an equaliser.
Credit: Reuters Barcelona team news
A hugely impressive starting XI put out for Barcelona tonight. They should go far in this competition.
BARCELONA XI: Szczesny, Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde, Pedri, Gavi, Casado, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Lewandowski
Lille team news
Jonathan David leads the line for the hosts at Anfield tonight, with transfer speculation swirling around the Lille danger man.
LILLE XI: Chevalier, Mandi, Diakite, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson, Mukau, Andre, Haraldsson, Cabella, Bakker, David
61 – Monaco 1-0 Aston Villa
One-way traffic at the minute as Watkins and Duran link-up a couple of times to show what they can do.
Watkins then looks for Duran peeling off to the back post but his clever flick into the box is headed clear before the big striker could get to it.
63 - GOAL! ATALANTA 3-0 Sturm Graz
Definitely game over now as DE KETELAERE does get his goal!
An Atalanta corner isn't dealt with by Sturm Graz who make a mess of the clearance and it falls kindly for De Ketelaere to stab it home with his left foot from seven yards out.
56 - Monaco 1-0 Aston Villa
Here he comes, Villa fans.
Jhon Duran is coming off the bench and it'll be to PARTNER Ollie Watkins.
Leon Bailey the man to be replaced with over half an hour to go.
59 - GOAL! ATALANTA 2-0 Sturm Graz
It IS 2-0 this time and it's PASALIC with it!
Great play from Cuadrado down the right to skip by his man and rather than pick someone out, he lashes it across goal.
Pasalic is there just a couple of yards out and just has to divert it into the net. Job done for the home side it looks like.
