Merciless Bayern beats sorry Barcelona 3-0

BARCELONA: Goals by Sadio Mane, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Benjamin Pavard earned Bayern Munich a 3-0 win at already-eliminated Barcelona on Wednesday as the German giant clinched a spot in the Champions League round of 16 as group winner.

Bayern tops Group C on 15 points, five ahead of Inter Milan which also reached the knockout stage after a 4-0 win against Viktoria Plzen earlier on Wednesday, a result that eliminated Barcelona in the group stage for the second year in a row. With Barcelona having nothing riding on its game, it did not take long for Bayern to open the scoring through Mane 10 minutes into the first half after receiving a brilliant long pass from Serge Gnabry. Mane beat Spanish defender Hector Bellerin in a 50-metre race and scored with a tidy finish.

Bayern doubled its lead in similar fashion 21 minutes later, catching the Barca defence sleeping and out of position.

Joshua Kimmich passed to Gnabry who, from the edge of the box, set up Choupo-Moting to score his sixth goal in the Champions League this season.

Liverpool ensures progress with win at Ajax

Liverpool overcame a slow start to beat host Ajax Amsterdam 3-0 on Wednesday, ensuring a top-two finish in Group A and progress into the knockout stage.

Mohamed Salah put Liverpool ahead against the run of play three minutes before halftime and it then took command after the break with two quick goals from Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott to claim a convincing triumph. The victory kept it three points behind leader Napoli, which won 3-0 at home to Rangers to make it maximum points from its five group games.Napoli visits Anfield on Tuesday to decide top place, when Liverpool would need at least a 3-0 win to edge the Serie A leader on the head-to-head after losing 4-1 in September.

Ajax needed to win by two goals on Wednesday to keep up its slim hopes but will now be battling with Rangers in Glasgow next week for a Europa League spot.

RESULTS: Barcelona 0 lost to Bayern Munich 3 (S Mane 10, EM Choupo-Moting 31, B Pavard 90); Inter Milan 4 (H Mkhitaryan 35, E Dzeko 42 & 66, R Lukaku 87) bt Viktoria Plzen 0; Napoli 3 (G Simeone 11 & 16, LS Ostigard 80) bt Rangers 0; Ajax 0 lost to Liverpool 3 (M Salah 42, M Nunez 49, H Elliott 52); Atletico Madrid 2 (Y Carrasco 22, R De Paul 50) drew with FC Copenhagen 2 (M Diaby 9, C Hudson-Odoi 29); Club Brugge 0 lost to Porto 4 (M Taremi 33 & 70, Evanilson 57, S Eustaquio 60); Tottenham Hotspur 1 (R Bentancur 80) drew with Sporting 1 (M Edwards 22); Eintracht Frankfurt 2 (D Kamada 3, R Kolo Muani 27) bt Marseille 1 (M Guendouzi 22).