Six of the best from Liverpool, Ajax
Mohamed Salah scored his 20th goal of the season in a 2-1 win over AC Milan to ensure Liverpool became the first English side to win all six Champions League group matches.
Ajax also enjoyed a perfect group stage, with four different names on the scoresheet in the 4-2 defeat of Sporting Lisbon in Amsterdam.
Even in a dead rubber, in a team showing eight changes at the San Siro, Salah’s insatiable quest for goals showed no signs of waning.
The Egypt international scored a 36th-minute equaliser to cancel out Fikayo Tomori’s opener.
Divock Origi’s first Champions League goal since their 2019 final victory settled the tie but unlike Sunday’s added-time heroics at Wolves in the Premier League, he had to share the headlines.
Salah is the first Liverpool player to score 20-plus goals in five consecutive seasons since Ian Rush, who managed it six times up to 1986-87.
Milan needed to win and FC Porto draw with Atletico Madrid to reach the last 16 - but the Spaniards went to Portugal and finished 3-1 winners.
Atletico secured second spot in Group B with two late goals, with both sides finishing with 10 men.
Real Madrid meanwhile defeated Inter Milan 2-0 thanks to superb long-range strikes from Toni Kroos and Marco Asensio.
The 13-time record European champions won Group D as a result with Inter, who had Nicolo Barella sent off, second.
In Paris, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi each struck doubles as PSG dismantled Club Brugge 4-1 while Manchester City slipped to a defeat 2-1 at RB Leipzig.
Pep Guardiola’s side had already won Group A but Dominik Szoboszlai and Andre Silva gave interim coach Achim Beierlorzer victory in Leipzig’s first match since sacking Jesse Marsch.
The Germans confirmed thirdplace, and a spot in the Europa League after Christmas, with the win despite Riyad Mahrez scoring 13 minutes from time. Kyle Walker’s red card ended City’s comeback hopes.
Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund thrashed Besiktas 5-0 with Marco Reus and Erling Haaland scoring two apiece while Sheriff drew 1-1 at Shakhtar Donetsk. –