Fellaini to rescue as Manchester United leave it late to qualify for next stage

Manchester United have not lost the knack of pulling the fat from the fire in the closing seconds of a game. The stadium announcer had just confirmed there would be three minutes of stoppage time when Marouane Fellaini gathered a knockdown from Romelu Lukaku, turned as he held off Loris Benito and stabbed a low shot into the bottom corner.

In doing so he turned the drabbest of scoreless draws into something marginally more memorable, not least because United’s late winner means they will accompany Juventus into the knockout stage. Both sides progressed from Group H as a result of Juve’s win in Turin – until Fellaini struck, United would have had to travel to Spain for their final game with only a three-point lead over Valencia.

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Agüero leveller in Lyon seals Champions League progress for Manchester City

In the end this was a fine draw for Manchester City considering how Maxwel Cornet’s second goal nine minutes from time appeared to have grabbed the win only for Sergio Agüero to equalise almost instantly. The bottom line is Pep Guardiola’s men are through with a game to spare.

Still, all opponents should study how Lyon took the fight to England’s champions and came so close to another victory over them. City’s paper-thin rearguard were exposed as the forward raced in behind to restore Lyon’s lead – and this was the story of the visitors’ defence throughout.

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AEK Athens’ Champions League tie with Ajax marred by serious crowd trouble

• Footage appears to show petrol bomb thrown into stands
• Greek police officers reportedly hit Ajax fans before game

AEK Athens’ Champions League defeat to Ajax in the Greek capital was marred by violent scenes before kick-off.

The away fans came under attack as home supporters threw flares into the stands. Social media footage also appeared to show a home fan throwing a ‘Molotov cocktail’ – an improvised petrol bomb – towards Ajax supporters.

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Leicester prevail on penalties as Southampton rue controversial VAR call

Be careful what you wish for. A few weeks after Southampton complained about the absence of VAR in the Premier League, Mark Hughes’s players were on the wrong end of a controversial decision via that very technology. Steven Davis thought he had scored a late winner for the visitors when he swept home in the 82nd minute, but Southampton’s celebrations were cut short after VAR intervened and judged Nathan Redmond had used an arm to control the ball in the lead-up.

Related: Champions League: Bale on target in Real Madrid win against Roma

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Footballer alive and well despite Irish amateur club's report of his death

• Ballybrack FC claimed Fernando Nuno La-Fuente had died
  
• Club have apologised after player was tracked down in Spain

An amateur football team from Dublin has apologised after falsely reporting that one of their players had died.

Ballybrack FC had informed the Leinster Senior League (LSL) side that Fernando Nuno La-Fuente had been killed in a motorcycle accident. Their game against Arklow Town on Saturday was postponed, with a minute’s silence held before the league’s other fixtures.

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Champions League: Valencia unhappy with lack of VAR after Fellaini winner

• Marcelino: ‘If the goal featured a handball, you become angrier’
• Valencia lose 1-0 to Juventus, Real Madrid seal Group G top spot

The Valencia coach, Marcelino, has bemoaned the lack of VAR technology in the Champions League after Marouane Fellaini’s winner for Manchester United consigned them to the Europa League.

The La Liga club lost 1-0 at Juventus, but were set for a showdown with United at the Mestalla for a place in the last 16. But Fellaini’s goal, where the ball appeared to strike his hand in the build-up, left Marcelino longing for VAR, which has been confirmed for next season’s competition.

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Liverpool’s Klopp backs Salah to deliver as Neymar and Mbappé return for PSG

• Klopp says Egyptian forward has ‘clicked again’ after injury
• Thomas Tuchel: both forwards fit and ‘will be in the line-up’

Jürgen Klopp was eulogising Kylian Mbappé, lauding the Paris Saint-Germain teenager’s potential to fill the world-class void that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo must ultimately leave, when he concluded, “He is not the only one.” The Liverpool manager had Mohamed Salah on his mind. The Egyptian has “clicked again”, according to Klopp. It falls on his team to follow suit on Wednesday at Parc des Princes.

The challenge of delivering brilliance consistently was set to Salah from the first whistle of this campaign following last season’s haul of 44 goals. Klopp maintains the onerous responsibility has never consumed the 26-year-old but his initial form, while producing a similar return in front of goal as 12 months ago, was restricted.

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