Champions League Shocker: PSG Stumbles, Faces Playoffs

Paris Saint-Germain slipped to a 2-1 defeat against Sporting in Lisbon, jeopardising their bid to qualify directly for the Champions League last 16 after Luis Suárez struck twice, scoring the winner in the final minute. Sporting had gone ahead against the run of play in the second half through Suárez, despite sustained pressure from PSG. The French champions hit back quickly as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia levelled with a superb strike, appearing to salvage a point. Suárez, however, struck again in the dying moments to snatch victory for Sporting, leaving both teams on 13 points and inside the top eight, which assures direct qualification for the last 16, before PSG’s home match against Newcastle and Sporting’s trip to Athletic Bilbao. Both teams lead ninth-placed Inter by a single point. Jordan Larsson’s late equaliser gave 10-man FC Copenhagen a hard-earned 1-1 draw against Napoli. Napoli took the lead in the 39th minute when Scott McTominay rose unmarked in the centre of the box to head in a corner. It was a bitter blow for the hosts, who had just lost a player after Thomas Delaney was sent off four minutes earlier for a reckless foul on Stanislav Lobotka. Despite their numerical disadvantage, Copenhagen defended resolutely in the second half, and the turning point came when Napoli’s Alessandro Buongiorno fouled Mohamed Elyounoussi in the penalty area in the 71st minute. Larsson, who came on for Elias Achouri, saw his penalty saved by the keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic but the Swede got to the rebound first and equalised a minute later. Napoli are 23rd in the table, one place above their opponents, both on eight points. Oliver Edvardsen scored in the last minute to give Ajax a dramatic 2-1 away victory against Villarreal that keeps alive their hopes of progress. Edvardsen buried a cutback cross from the flying full-back Anton Gaaei in the 90th minute as the Dutch giants, who had lost their first five group games, came from behind to win a second successive tie which means they still have a chance of finishing in the top 24 with a home game to come against Olympiakos next week. Villarreal are eliminated, stuck second from bottom with a single point as poor form in Europe contrasts with their third place in La Liga. Tani Oluwaseyi had given the hosts a 49th-minute lead with a superb volley but Oscar Gloukh’s free-kick enabled Ajax to equalise in the 61st minute before they snatched a much-needed three points. Olympiakos stunned Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 to improve their slim chances of making the playoff spots. The second successive win in the competition lifted Olympiakos to 22nd on eight points, one behind Leverkusen, who are 19th. The Greeks got off to a dream start when Rodinei whipped a corner into the box and Costinha powered his header in for a second-minute lead. Leverkusen, missing several key players including Mark Flekken, Edmond Tapsoba and Nathan Tella, gradually took control , with Kostas Tzolakis in goal repeatedly coming to Olympiakos’s rescue. Instead it was the hosts who scored again, hitting the Germans with a two-pass counterattack and the Iran international Mehdi Taremi drilling in from another Rodinei assist in first-half stoppage time.