SUBSTITUTE CILLIAN SHERIDAN was unable to convert a chance that might have earned a draw for APOEL against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes.
Instead, the French side progress into the knockout stage of the Champions League for the third season running with a 1-0 win.
Having needed 87 minutes to get the breakthrough against the same opponents when the French giants triumphed 1-0 in Nicosia a fortnight ago, Edinson Cavani required a mere 57 seconds this time, ‘keeper Urko Pardo allowing his shot to cross the line for PSG’s fastest ever Champions League goal.
The home side should have won by a greater margin but coach Laurent Blanc will be pleased that they got the job done, as they extended their unbeaten record this season and made it five victories in a row in all competitions.
The result, coupled with Barcelona’s 2-0 win away to Ajax in Amsterdam, means PSG and the Catalans are both already through to the last 16 with two games to spare in Group F and first place will probably be decided when they meet at the Camp Nou next month.
In Group E, Bayern Munich confirmed place as group winners with two games to spare after a 2-0 win over Roma.
Goals by France winger Franck Ribery and Germany’s Mario Goetze sealed the win which put the Bavarians in the last 16 as group winners with a perfect 12 points so far.
Bayern collected their fourth straight win to give them an unassailable eight-point lead before their remaining group matches at bottom side Manchester City and home to CSKA Moscow next month.
Despite losing to Bayern home and away, Roma are still primed to join Munich in the knock-out phase as they stay second in the group, but level on four points with CSKA whom they play away in three weeks.
As Bayern coach Pep Guardiola had predicted, the hosts encountered a far more robust Roma defence compared to their record 7-1 routing of the Italians in Rome a fortnight ago.
“We knew it wouldn’t be so easy as in the first-leg, but we had the game under control,” said captain Philipp Lahm.
“The most important thing was getting into a 1-0 lead. They were very defensive, packed men behind the ball, and it’s not so easy when a team plays like that.”
Ribery gave Bayern a first-half lead at the Allianz Arena after 38 minutes having also scored in the first-leg romp.
“It was only a question of time when we would score once we got the game under control,” asserted goalkeeper Manuel Neuer
Goetze then netted the second with a goal reminiscent of his World Cup final winning-effort when he flicked on Robert Lewandowski’s second-half cross to put the result beyond doubt after 64 minutes.
Group H
Two-time European champions Porto also sealed their place in the last 16 with a comfortable 2-0 win away to Athletic Bilbao on.
Colombian striker Jackson Martinez made amends by smashing a first-half penalty against the bar when he bundled home the opener 11 minutes into the second-half.
Yacine Brahimi then sealed the three points 17 minutes from time as he pounced on a shocking error from Athletic ‘keeper Gorka Iraizoz to tap into an empty net.
Shakhtar Donetsk’s 5-0 thrashing of BATE Borisov leaves the Ukrainians still just two points behind Porto at the top of Group H with two games to play.
Porto posed the greater threat during the first 45 minutes, but lacked the killer touch in front of goal.
Martinez was first to go close when his effort at the near post from Cristian Tello’s cross was deflected wide and he then flashed a header just off target from the resulting corner.
The visitors were presented with a great chance to go in front when Mikel Balenziaga was harshly adjudged to have brought down Danilo inside the area, but Martinez was wasteful once more as he blasted the penalty off the bar.
Athletic boss Ernesto Valverde tried to turn things around by introducing Iker Muniain and Andoni Iraola at half-time.
However, it made little difference as Martinez finally got his goal when he forced the ball home at the near post from Brahimi’s low cross.
Young striker Guillermo Fernandez, who was deputising for Athletic’s injured top-scorer Aritz Aduriz, came closest to a response when his looping header struck the crossbar.
But any hope of a comeback from the hosts was ended in comedic fashion when Iraizoz failed to control Aymeric Laporte’s passback and Brahimi slotted home to double Porto’s advantage.
