New Telegraph

UEFA League: Man City beat Sevilla, Chilwell injured in Chelsea win

 

Seventeen-year-old Rico Lewis scored on his full Manchester City debut as the Blues came from behind to beat Sevilla in their final Champions League group game.

City were trailing to a first-half header from former Wolves and Nottingham Forest striker Rafa Mir when Lewis strode on to Julian Alvarez’s pass seven minutes after the break and drove a powerful shot past Yassine Bounou, reports the BBC.

It was a moment Lewis will remember for the rest of his life and the joy on his face as he celebrated was something to behold.

But if the young full-back needed a reminder of the sustained quality required to make it at City, he got it through a superb curling pass from substitute Kevin de Bruyne for the Blues’ second, which went around the back of the Sevilla defence and sent Alvarez running clear.

Riyad Mahrez wrapped up the scoring seven minutes from time.

City are now unbeaten in 23 Champions League games at the Etihad Stadium and, with prolific front-man Erling Haaland watching from the stands and Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips to return from injury, no-one will relish facing them when the competition resumes in February.

At Stamford Bridge, Denis Zakaria scored on his Chelsea debut as the Blues came from behind to round off their successful Champions League Group E campaign with victory against Dinamo Zagreb.

The hosts had already wrapped up top spot with a game to spare but were looking to respond after they were stunned 4-1 in the Premier League by Brighton on Saturday.

They made the worst possible start as they fell behind in the sixth minute when the Blues defence reacted poorly to a cross and Bruno Petkovic was able to head in from close range.

Chelsea initially struggled to create much in response but a well-worked move brought them their equaliser as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang backheeled the ball to Raheem Sterling inside the box and he kept his cool to slot in.

On-loan Juventus midfielder Zakaria then marked a dream debut as he drove in a low shot midway through the first half that squeezed over the line despite a defender’s attempt to clear.

Dinamo needed to win to finish third and go into the Europa League and Edouard Mendy made a good save to deny Bosko Sutalo’s point-blank header early in the second half.

Aubameyang came close to adding a third for Chelsea when he powered a shot against the crossbar and Conor Gallagher was denied late on, but ultimately Zakaria’s goal was enough to seal the win for the Blues.

At the Santiago Bernabeu, Celtic ended a frustrating Champions League campaign in grim fashion as Real Madrid handed out a rough lesson to claim victory and top Group F.

The Scottish champions were 2-0 down after 21 minutes as Luka Modric and Rodrygo converted penalties awarded for handball in a brutal opening.

Josip Juranovic then missed a spot-kick for Celtic, and that seemed a distant memory when Marco Asensio, Vinicius Junior, and Federico Valverde made it a rout for the defending champions, even though Jota netted a late free-kick.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side turned on the style in the second half against an increasingly tired and open Celtic, who finish bottom of the section with two points and no wins in their six matches.

Real, though, march on in their quest for a 15th European title having earned the win that guarantees top spot in the group.

With two points from five matches, Celtic knew not even a famous win would extend their stay in Europe, but their fans still travelled in hope, with far more than the official 1,848 allocation seemingly inside the Bernabeu.

The wind was taken out their sails with just four minutes on the clock. In attempting to block Valverde’s tame shot, Moritz Jenz got himself in an awful twist and handled the ball. Modric showed his customary coolness to slot home.

And RB Leipzig secured their place in the last-16 of the Champions League by beating Shakhtar Donetsk, who drop into the Europa League.

Ukrainians Shakhtar needed a win for a top-two finish in Group F but fell behind early on when Christopher Nkunku capitalised on a mistake to score.

Andre Silva got a second from close range before Dominik Szoboszlai rounded the goalkeeper for a third.

Substitute Dani Olmo scored a fourth with almost his first touch.

The Spain international received the ball from a free kick before lifting a shot into the top corner.

The win means RB Leipzig finish second behind group winners Real Madrid.

Shakhtar are third with Celtic bottom of the standings.

RESULTS

GROUP E

• Chelsea 2 – 1 Dinamo Zagreb

• AC Milan 4 – 0 RB Salzburg

GROUP F

• Real Madrid 5 – 1 Celtic

• Shakhtar 0 – 4 RB Leipzig

GROUP G

• FC Copenhagen 1 – 1 B’Dortmund

• Man City 3 – 1 Sevilla

GROUP H

• Juventus 1 – 1 PSG

• Maccabi Haifa 1 – 6 Benfica

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