LONDON: Robert Lewandowski missed a penalty on Tuesday but still got a hat-trick.

The Poland star dominated on his 100th Champions League appearance to lead Bayern Munich into the last-16 after a 5-2 rout of Benfica.

Juventus also booked their place in the knockout rounds with a 4-2 win over Zenit St. Petersburg.

They’re the first teams to progress this year with two games to spare from the group stage of Europe’s premier club competition.

Cristiano Ronaldo rescued a 2-2 draw for Manchester United against Atalanta, scoring two goals and maintaining his record of scoring in each game so far. But it was an underwhelming performance from the Premier League team whose hopes rely on the brilliance of their Portuguese stars Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes.

Barcelona had goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to thank for securing a nervy 1-0 win at Dynamo Kiev. The 19-year-old Ansu Fati’s 70th-minute goal means the struggling Spanish giants can secure their progress with a win at home over Benfica in their next game.

Hakim Ziyech’s goal was enough for defending champions Chelsea to win 1-0 at Malmo.

The 33-year-old Lewandowski took his goal tally to 81 goals in 100 Champions League games as Bayern made it four wins from four in Group ‘E’, securing their progress and leaving them requiring a single point to clinch first place.

“I never thought I would have so many games with so many goals,” Lewandowski told Amazon.

Lewandowski nodded in the opener and then set up Serge Gnabry for a cheeky back-heel to make it two.

Morato headed Benfica back into the game and Lewandowski then had a penalty saved right on half-time after a Lucas Verissimo handball.

However Leroy Sane made it 3-1 just after the restart and Lewandowski added two more delightful finishes either side of a consolation effort from visiting substitute Darwin Nunez.

Managerless Barca were fortunate that Mircea Lucescu’s Dynamo were unable to make more of their chances as they secured a second straight 1-0 win to lift themselves above Benfica.

Captain Paulo Dybala’s brace in Turin helped Juve keep their 100 percent record in Group ‘H’.

Dybala’s early opener was cancelled out when Leonardo Bonucci headed into his own net, but the Argentine international restored Juve’s lead just before the hour, netting a penalty which he had initially missed before being granted a retake.

Federico Chiesa and Alvaro Morata added further goals for Massimiliano Allegri’s team before Sardar Azmoun pulled one back in stoppage time.

Juve are three points clear of reigning European champions Chelsea, who eliminated Swedish champions Malmo 1-0 in Sweden with Ziyech’s goal early in the second half.

Thomas Tuchel’s side, who were again without Romelu Lukaku, need one more point to be certain of advancing.

RONALDO SAVES UNITED AGAIN

United still harbor strong hopes of reaching the last 16 thanks to Ronaldo. The 36-year-old fired in from the edge of the box a minute into injury time for United’s equalizer against Atalanta to leave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team top of the Group ‘F’, level on seven points with Villarreal.

The competition’s all-time top scorer had earlier cancelled out Josip Ilicic’s opener to equalise at the end of a slick team move in first-half stoppage time.

However, having lost Raphael Varane to injury before that, United went behind again in the 56th minute when Duvan Zapata ran through, evading Harry Maguire before slotting in.

The goal was initially disallowed for offside before being given after a VAR review, but Ronaldo thwarted the hosts again with his ninth goal in 11 appearances since returning to Old Trafford and his record-extending 139th goal in the competition.

“We believed until the end. I helped my team get one point,” said Ronaldo. “We never give up, it’s a good result for us I think.”

Ronaldo’s late goals have been saving United. He previously had another late winner for the 3-2 win at home over Atalanta, and he scored an injury-time winner for the 2-1 victory over Villarreal.

Villarreal beat Swiss champions Young Boys 2-0 in Spain with Etienne Capoue scoring a first-half opener and then setting up Arnaut Danjuma to clinch the win late on.

Red Bull Salzburg could have sealed progress from Group ‘G’ but instead the Austrians went down 2-1 to VfL Wolfsburg in Germany.

Ridle Baku and Lukas Nmecha scored for Wolfsburg either side of a Maximilian Woeber free-kick.

Lille and Wolfsburg are now just two points behind group leaders Salzburg after the French champions came from behind to win 2-1 at Sevilla.

Lucas Ocampos gave Sevilla the lead but Jonathan David levelled with a penalty and Jonathan Ikone secured Lille’s first win in 11 Champions League games.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2021