Barca clinch Champions League knockout place
Barcelona secured their place in the Champions League knockout stage on Tuesday with a 1-1 draw away to Inter Milan, as Harry Kane revived Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes while Liverpool slumped to a shock defeat.
Last year’s runners-up were beaten by Red Star Belgrade, although the biggest losers on the night were Thierry Henry’s Monaco, who were eliminated following a resounding loss to Club Brugge.
Lionel Messi was still missing for Barcelona at the San Siro, and it was substitute Malcom who came off the bench to give the Spanish champions a late lead.
But Inter hit back to earn a point thanks to Mauro Icardi’s 87th-minute leveller, keeping the three-time former winners on course to join Barcelona in qualifying for the last 16 from Group B.
Tottenham remain in the hunt, however, after Kane’s late brace secured a 2-1 win over PSV Eindhoven.
The Dutch side had got off to a superb start at Wembley, taking the lead when Luuk de Jong headed home in the second minute.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team were starting to get desperate when skipper Kane equalised with 12 minutes left, and he headed home in the 89th minute with the help of two deflections as Spurs got their first win of the campaign.
“We had to dig deep and find another level when it mattered,” Kane said.
Liverpool were strong favourites away to Red Star in Serbia, but Jurgen Klopp’s team were poor in a 2-0 defeat to the 1991 European Cup winners.
Milan Pavkov scored twice in seven first-half minutes, heading in the opener and then beating Alisson with a powerful strike from range, to the delight of a huge home support.
The defeat exposes the Anfield club to the threat of an early elimination in Group C, with Napoli coming from behind to draw 1-1 at home with Paris Saint-Germain in the night’s other game.
Liverpool and Napoli are locked on six points from four games, with PSG one behind and Red Star another point adrift.