Osimhen, Lookman, Frozen out as City Sneak into Last 16

*Arsenal complete a flawless league phase, making it 8 wins in 8 games

Duro Ikhazuagbe 

Both Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman fired blanks for their respective clubs in the final UEFA Champions League matches of the league phase last night.

While Osimhen was in action for all of 90 minutes for Galatasaray’s 2-0 defeat at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, Lookman and his Atalanta teammates were also beaten 1-0 at Royale Union SG’s Lotto Park in Anderlecht, Belgium.

Kamaldeen Sulemana came on for Lookman after 51minutes.

Osimhen had Galatasaray’s best chances but his flicked header and low drive were both kept out by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

In the game that had all the hypes of a true championship clash, Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki scored in the first half to give Pep Guardiola’s side an advantage they never looked like ceding at the Etihad. 

It was a welcome return to the goals for Haaland, who had not scored from open play in eight games prior to last night’s victory.

Expectedly, the result was enough to help City clinch the last eighth spot of the direct qualification to the last 16 stage of the Champions League.

For Galatasaray whose fans  disrupted the game with Kurdish protests, finishing 20th on the league phase table with 10 points from eight games means that they Istanbul giants will be involved in the home and away playoffs for all the  16 teams from 9th to 24th on the final standings.

Lookman’s Atalanta that also finished 15th with 13 points from same eight matches, will be involved in the playoffs as well.

Arsenal completed a flawless league phase campaign last night, making it eight wins out of eight in the Champions League with victory over Kairat Almaty. Kai Havertz scored on his first start for nearly a year as the Gunners defeated Almaty 3-2. Viktor Gyokeres opened scores barely three minutes with Gabriel Martinelli adding the third . 

The draw for the play-offs is on Friday with the draw for the last-16 taking place on February 27.

There will only be four possible opponents for City based on their finishing position. City know they will face either Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Bodo/Glimt or Benfica in the last-16.

That will depend on who comes through the play-off ties involving those clubs in February.

RESULTS 

UCL

Ajax 1-2 Olympiacos

Arsenal 3-2 K’Almty

Bilbao 2-3 Sporting 

Atletico 1-2 Bodo/Glimt 

Barcelona 4-1 Copenhagen 

Leverkusen 3-0 Villarreal 

Benfica 4-2 R’Madrid 

Brugge 3-0 Marseille 

Dortmund 0-2 Inter

Frankfurt 0-2 Tottenham 

Liverpool 6-0 Qarabag 

Man City 2-0 Galatasaray 

Monaco 0-0 Juventus 

Napoli 2-3 Chelsea 

Pafos 4-1 Sl’Prague 

PSG 1-1 Newcastle 

PSV 1-2 Bayern Munich

Royale USG 1-0 Atalanta

NPFL

Abia Warriors 1-1 Wikki

Plateau Utd 2-1 Rangers

Nasarawa Utd 1-1 Enyimba

Kano Pillars 1-0 Katsina Utd

TODAY (Europa League)

Aston Villa v Salzburg 

Basel v Plzen

Betis v Feyenoord 

Celtic v Utrecht 

Crvena v Celta Vigo

FC Porto v Rangers

FCSB v Fenerbahce

GA Eagles v Braga

Genk v Malmo FF

Lille v Freiburg 

Ludogorets v Nice

Lyon v PAOK

Maccabi Tel v Bologna 

Midtjylland v Din.Zagreb

Nottingham v Ferencvaros 

Pana’kos v AS Roma

SturmGraz v Brann

Stuttgart v Young Boys